St Mary Redcliffe Church of England Primary School

St Mary Redcliffe Church of England Primary School Windmill Close, Windmill Hill, Bristol BS3 4DP

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement

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Early years provision Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Weak leadership has had a detrimental impact on the effectiveness of the school. Despite the intervention of the governing body, the difficulties in leadership have not been resolved.  Overall, pupils’ achievement is not good enough, particularly in mathematics. Not all pupils are making the progress of which they are capable. This is especially so for disadvantaged pupils, including the more able, and those pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities.  Over time, leaders have been too slow to eradicate patterns of absence which affect pupils’ progress.  Senior and middle leaders do not regularly check and evaluate the progress of all groups of pupils to ensure that they are achieving as well as their peers nationally.  Too often, teachers’ expectations of what pupils can achieve are too low. They do not use the agreed marking policy consistently. Subject knowledge in mathematics is variable.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Children in the Reception classes are not sufficiently challenged to extend their learning.  Although statutory requirements for safeguarding are met, some aspects of the recording of training and the monitoring of risk assessments for vulnerable pupils lack clarity.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The curriculum is rich in artistic, musical and physical activities which are closely linked to the topics pupils learn.  Pupils enjoy coming to school to see their friends. They are polite, courteous and respectful.  The school has a close partnership with the local community and takes a full part in celebrating its diversity. 5–6 October 2016

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Full report

In accordance with section 44(1) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires special measures because it is failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the persons responsible for leading, managing or governing the school are not demonstrating the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of leadership and management by: – urgently establishing a team of senior leaders who can work together effectively and lead the school strategically – rigorously checking and evaluating the progress of all groups of pupils and taking effective action to ensure that they achieve as well as their peers nationally – developing a strategic approach to eradicating any patterns of absence which affect pupils’ progress – systematically checking records of health and safety training and carefully monitoring risk assessments for vulnerable pupils to sharpen up safeguarding procedures.  Improve the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement by: – ensuring that the inconsistencies in teaching across the school are eradicated – improving teachers’ subject knowledge in mathematics so that pupils’ knowledge is extended and their progress is accelerated – ensuring that all teachers adhere to the agreed marking policy and raise their

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

expectations of what all groups of pupils are capable of achieving.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

The school is shortly to have an external review of its use of pupil premium funding.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

An external review of governance should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved. 5–6 October 2016

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

 Weak leadership has had a detrimental impact on the strategic direction of the school and the effectiveness of provision. Complexities in the day-to-day management of the school sites and the unhelpful division of roles and responsibilities have contributed to the turmoil in the school’s leadership.  Senior leaders do not have a secure understanding of the school’s strengths and areas that it needs to improve. Their self-assessment as leaders who provide an ‘effective strategic lead’ is inaccurate and the school does not have the capacity to improve under the current senior leadership team.  Senior and middle leaders are not systematically monitoring and evaluating the progress of the different groups of pupils in the school. Consequently, underachievement goes unchecked from year to year. In particular, pupils who are disadvantaged, including the most able disadvantaged, and those who have special

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

educational needs and/or disabilities who are not supported with a statement or education, health and care plan, do not make the progress of which they are capable.  Leaders have failed to tackle underachievement in mathematics despite funding an external specialist to support teachers over the past few years. This specialist support has now ceased.  Middle leaders do not play an effective role in supporting school improvement. Subject leaders appreciate the opportunities that they are given to attend external training programmes. They enthusiastically share new ideas with colleagues on their return to school. Although performance management targets for subject leaders are linked to the successful implementation of initiatives, the systems used to evaluate the impact they have on improving pupils’ achievement are ineffective.  The pupil premium funding has been used well to improve the achievement of children

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

in early years during the past academic year. It is also used well to fund educational visits to enrich disadvantaged pupils’ experiences. Counselling services have successfully supported those pupils who have social and emotional problems. However, the funding is not being used effectively to improve the progress of disadvantaged pupils, including the most able. The school is very shortly to have a review of the way it spends its pupil premium funding.  Senior leaders fail to promote equality of opportunity because not all pupils are given the chance to reach their full potential. This is because there are too many differences in teaching and learning, both within year groups and across the school. Inconsistencies are not dealt with swiftly enough because senior and middle leaders do not rigorously monitor teachers’ performance and tackle any weaknesses.  Pupils enjoy the interesting curriculum that is planned for them. The range of subjects

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

that are taught is broad and includes artistic, musical and physical activities which are linked to the topics they are learning. For example, Year 4 pupils were very focused when they worked on a rhythmic ‘Viking beat’, and Year 5 pupils developed their skills well when they used a fine nib and ink pen to create detail on a dragon picture, linking closely to a book they were reading together in class. 5–6 October 2016  There is a wide range of extra-curricular activities that are eagerly and regularly attended by the pupils. Effective use has been made of the additional sport premium to employ specialist rugby and basketball coaches and to access expertise from the local secondary school. For example, expert coaching from a local rugby club has motivated the pupils to learn tag rugby. They have taken part in competitions with other schools and achieved considerable success.  Pupils are well prepared for their life in modern Britain. The school is very much part of

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

the local community, which is very diverse. Celebrations of different cultures and faiths are shared and valued. Particular favourites are the Eid celebrations, which are enjoyed by all pupils regardless of their faiths. Older pupils know who the leaders of the main political parties are in Britain and have mirrored the country’s democratic system with their own school election. Pupils explain how they get voted onto the ‘funding-raising’, ‘eco’ and ‘behaviour, education and safety’ teams.  Those parents who responded to the online ‘Parent View’ questionnaire were not aware of divisions within the senior leadership team and felt very positive about the school. One parent summed up the views of many by explaining that the school has a ‘warm, diverse and welcoming community feel’.  Despite the ongoing difficulties in the school’s leadership, the local authority has not been effective in supporting the school. Local authority officers accept that they have

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

failed to improve the leadership of the school.  Newly qualified teachers may not be appointed.

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Governance of the school

 Weak senior leadership has impacted negatively on the strategic direction and effectiveness of the school. Despite the efforts of the chair of governors to deal with this weak leadership, including performance management, the difficulties in leadership remain a barrier to school improvement.  Despite governors knowing that pupils’ progress in mathematics has been inadequate for the last three years, their work to hold senior leaders to account has not been effective. The local authority has provided insufficient support in this subject.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Pupils feel safe in school. They talk confidently about keeping themselves safe on the split-school site and are aware of potential risks and hazards. Pupils talk meaningfully about e-safety and using electronic devices responsibly.  The induction of staff is thorough and, as a result, as soon as they arrive staff are confident in applying the school’s policies and guidance to keep pupils safe.  Staff are confident about their role in making referrals should any concerns be raised. School documentation shows that concerns are followed up quickly. Early help referrals, and work with external agencies, are used to reduce pupils’ risk of harm.  The designated safeguarding leaders are effective in providing timely support for pupils and families. Regular multi-agency contact, along with leaders’ persistence in following up referrals, is making a positive difference and reducing risk.

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Safeguarding

5–6 October 2016  When school staff identify pupils who may be at risk from honour-based violence, they are swift to involve the relevant agencies to ensure that children are safe. Staff have been trained to protect pupils from radicalisation and extremism through the government’s ‘Prevent’ duty and talk knowledgeably about how to refer any concerns.  The vast majority of parents who responded to the online Parent View survey considered that the school kept their children safe.  Some aspects of the recording of training and the ongoing monitoring of risk assessments of vulnerable pupils lack clarity.  Statutory safeguarding requirements are met.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

 There is too much variability in teaching across the school. Pupils who are in the same year group, but with different teachers, do not receive the same quality of teaching. This means that there is an inequality of opportunity for some pupils year to year.  Teachers’ expectations of what pupils can achieve do not match pupils’ needs. The information gathered by senior leaders to track and check pupils’ progress is not consistently used by class teachers to plan work that meets their differing needs. Pupils’ current workbooks, and those provided by the school from the last academic year, indicate that there is too much teaching which is either pitched too low or too high. Less-able pupils lose confidence because they are unable to complete work that they do not understand.  Workbooks from last year also indicate that the most able pupils are not sufficiently challenged in mathematics and writing.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

 Teachers do not follow the school’s agreed marking policy. Feedback provided is superficial, such as ‘fantastic work’ or ‘keep going’. This does not help pupils know what to do next in their learning. Pupils’ books from the last academic year show that too much work was left unmarked and this was not picked up by senior or subject leaders.  Recently, the school has invested in more practical resources to support pupils’ learning in mathematics lessons. However, not all of these resources are fit for purpose because they are of poor quality and confuse the pupils. For example, the plastic coins intended to help solve problems do not resemble real money. Some classrooms provide a much more vibrant and stimulating resource for learning than others.  Teachers’ subject knowledge in English has improved since the previous inspection. They share high-quality texts with their classes and this helps pupils to read with

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

understanding. However, the teaching of punctuation and spelling is not yet consistently good and spelling mistakes are often not picked up as required when teachers mark pupils’ books.  The teaching of phonics is secure and this is reflected in the good progress that pupils make in Year 1.  Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities who have statements or education, health and care plans are fully included in classroom life and provided with activities and support suitable to meet their specific needs. 5–6 October 2016  As agreed between home and school, homework is not set. However, pupils are encouraged to read, learn spellings and practise their times tables at home. Those parents who responded to the inspection questionnaire were happy about this home and school arrangement.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  The school environment is orderly and friendly. Pupils enjoy coming to school, especially to see their friends. They are sensitive to the needs of others, including those with physical disabilities. They make sure that pupils new to the school are welcomed.  Pupils told inspectors that they feel safe in school. They know that their teachers will listen to any problems or concerns that they might have. Pupils are less confident that lunchtime supervisors provide a ‘listening ear’ if incidents in the playground upset them.  Pupils told inspectors that incidents of anti-social behaviour, such as bullying and racism, are rare. If there are any such incidents, pupils feel confident that they are swiftly dealt with.  Pupil premium funding is used well to help those pupils who are disadvantaged and need support with social, emotional and mental health issues.

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Personal development and welfare

 Pupils who arrive mid-way through their primary education explain that they settle in quickly because the other pupils make them feel welcome.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils requires improvement. Pupils do not take pride in the presentation of their work and, at times, leave it unfinished.  Attendance rates for the last academic year were below average. Nevertheless, there has been an improving trend since the start of the new term. Pupils talk enthusiastically about winning ‘Attendance Ted’ for the week and are proud of the class certificates they receive.  The family link worker communicates well with parents and quickly picks up those families with children who are persistently late or are frequently absent. It is the responsibility of senior leaders to analyse strategically trends and patterns of absence, but they fail to do this thoroughly and with accuracy.  Pupils are well mannered and eager to please. Even when teachers plan work that is too easy or too hard, most pupils sit patiently until the session has finished.  Pupils are polite, courteous and confident and happy to engage in discussion with

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Behaviour

adults. Inspectors were impressed with the friendliness shown towards them and the help the pupils gave them when they needed to find their way around the school, for example.  One parent confidently explained that ‘any poor behaviour and bullying are dealt with immediately and effectively’. Pupils are clear about how to keep safe when using the internet and mobile telephones. 5–6 October 2016

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Outcomes for pupils Inadequate

 Overall, outcomes are not good enough and pupils are not making the progress of which they are capable. This is especially so for disadvantaged pupils, including the more able disadvantaged pupils, and those pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities.  Overall standards achieved in the most recent Year 6 national tests were below the expected standard. Although some low attainment was associated with pupils who joined the school late, low standards were mainly the result of the slow progress made by pupils who had been in the school for all their primary education.  Standards reached in the most recent Year 6 national tests in mathematics were below national averages overall and middle- and higher-attaining pupils made slower than expected progress from key stage 1 to key stage 2, the same trend as over the past few years. This is despite the focus that the school has had on improving progress in

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Outcomes for pupils Inadequate

this subject.  Pupils do not make the progress of which they are capable in writing. In the recent national Year 6 tests, only an average proportion of pupils reached the expected standard, reflecting slow progress over time. Current workbooks and those from the last academic year show that pupils do not write sufficiently at length. Handwriting is barely legible at times and presentation is often poor.  In the most recent cohort of Year 6 pupils, an above-average proportion of pupils reached the expected and higher than expected standards in reading. This reflects the strong focus on reading both at school and at home. Pupils fluently read a wide range of texts.  In the 2016 Year 6 national test results, the gap between the achievement of disadvantaged pupils and non-disadvantaged pupils was significant in reading, writing and mathematics.  In the 2016 Year 2 national tests for reading, writing and mathematics, there was a

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Outcomes for pupils Inadequate

significant gap between disadvantaged pupils, including the most able, and those who were not. This reflects a similar gap over the past few years and demonstrates that not all pupils make the progress of which they are capable during key stage 1.  Although results for the most recent Year 1 phonics check dipped slightly, they still represented good progress made by pupils since the Reception Year. Over the past few years, there has been a consistent gap in achievement between disadvantaged pupils and others. This gap is not diminishing over time.

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Early years provision Requires improvement

 Children enter either the Nursery or Reception class with very differing starting points. A high proportion of the children who start in Reception have already attended local nursery schools and have well-developed early learning skills. These include speaking confidently and clearly, listening carefully to instructions and playing either alongside or with each other. Many can also count up to five, recognise basic shapes and grip pens and pencils to make marks on paper. Around one third of children are disadvantaged, some of whom also have special educational needs and/or disabilities. 5–6 October 2016  From these starting points, the proportion of children who achieved a good level of development at the end of Reception in 2016 was broadly average. Although this was a slight improvement on the published results of 2014 and 2015, it represented slower progress overall than should be expected.  Disadvantaged children have not made the progress of which they are capable over a

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Early years provision Requires improvement

number of years. In the last academic year, pupil premium funding was used to employ extra learning support staff to help the youngest children. This had a strong impact on improving the achievement of disadvantaged children, including those who were most able, and this helped them to be better prepared for Year 1.  Teaching in the early years requires improvement because it is inconsistent. Leaders have approached the local authority for specialist help but are awaiting this support.  Appropriate use is made of an electronic programme to record children’s individual achievements, but the information gained from this is not used to plan for future learning and development.  Children in the Reception classes are not fully challenged because they are given tasks to do that repeat what they have already learned. Misconceptions are not corrected by the teachers and consequently further learning opportunities, especially for the most

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Early years provision Requires improvement

able children, are missed.  Parents report that their children transfer smoothly into school. They swiftly settle into school routines and respond well to the adults around them. Relationships are warm and trusting and their environment is kept safe and secure. As one parent reported, ‘I’m extremely happy with how much care the staff have put into making sure the children feel settled’.  Nursery children are appropriately challenged using a wide range of interesting activities which meet their needs. For example, children were observed learning to use the terms ‘over’ and ‘under’ as they made trees from wool or played with cars and bridges. Children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported and fully included in all the activities on offer. 5–6 October 2016

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School details

This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act.

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.stmaryredcliffeprimary.co.uk

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School details

Email address stmaryredcliffep@bristol-schools.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 14–15 March 2012

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Information about this school

 This is much larger than the average-sized primary school.  Just under half of the pupils are from minority ethnic groups, using over 19 home languages.  Approximately one third of pupils are eligible for pupil premium and this is above the national average.  An average proportion of pupils have special educational needs and/or disabilities.  In 2015, the school met the government’s floor standard, which is the minimum expectation for pupils’ attainment and progress at the end of Year 6.  The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website. 5–6 October 2016  Early years children are accommodated on a part-time basis. About half of them transfer into one of two full-time Reception classes at the end of their year in Nursery. 5–6 October 2016

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed class, group and individual learning sessions with the headteacher and deputy headteacher.  Meetings were held with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, other senior leaders, middle leaders, governors and a representative from the local authority.  A range of documentation was scrutinised during the inspection. This included the improvement plan, the school’s evaluation of its performance and information relating to the pupils’ current progress.  Inspectors talked to pupils and looked at their current books and a selection kept from the last academic year.  The 114 responses to the online survey, Parent View, were taken into account along with the 30 staff questionnaires which were completed.

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Inspection team

Lorna Brackstone, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Julie Carrington Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Heather Barraclough Ofsted Inspector 5–6 October 2016 guidance 'Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted's website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Inspection team

In the report, 'disadvantaged pupils' refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. www.gov.uk/pupil-premium-information-for-schools-and- alternative-provision-settings .

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Inspection team

You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child's school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when and as part of the inspection.

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Inspection team

You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk , or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted .

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Inspection team

achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children's services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspection team

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Inspection team

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open- government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Inspection team

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

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Inspection team

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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