Redhill Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Redhill Primary School Wrights Avenue, West Chadsmoor, Cannock, Staffordshire WS11 5JR

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Inspection dates: 16 and 17 November 2021

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Outcome

Redhill Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and staff place pupils’ safety and welfare above all else. If pupils have any worries or problems, staff always have time to listen. In addition, staff are quick to provide help when it is needed. During the recent disruption caused by the pandemic, leaders and staff did a lot to make sure everyone was safe. The school’s work on safeguarding is a strength.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The mathematics curriculum is taught well. Pupils enjoy it, work hard, and learn a lot. In reading and handwriting, progress is not as strong but is heading the right way. In other subjects, such as science and geography, pupils cover a lot of ground. However, staff could do more to make sure pupils remember the right things.

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What is it like to attend this school?

In class and on the playground, pupils usually behave well. Bullying can happen from time to time, but staff deal with it effectively. Pupils like coming to school. They are proud of their achievements and the awards they can earn.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe at school. They value the kindness, care and support they receive from the adults who work there.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most parents who expressed a view said positive things about the school and its work to support families.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Staff have clear guidance about how different subjects should be organised and taught. In addition, subject leaders and staff have training to support them in their work. This has improved the quality of curriculum planning. In science, for example, plans are well ordered and include common misconceptions to watch out for. In mathematics, planning provides detailed explanations of what pupils need to know. Indeed, in mathematics, staff have established purposeful routines across the school. This clear approach is helping to plug gaps in pupils’ knowledge caused by COVID-19 related disruptions. 16 and 17 November 2021

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The school has plenty of quality resources to support early reading. Staff have recently completed training and know what to do and when. In all classes, adults read to pupils. Staff introduce pupils to lots of new books and promote a love of reading. This is done well. However, the approach to phonics teaching is not consistent. This is because some staff follow the phonics programme carefully and some do not. Pupils are learning to read but could be doing even better if all staff followed the school’s agreed approach correctly. In early years and key stage 1, the approach to guiding and checking on children’s learning needs tightening up.

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The approach to handwriting also varies from class to class. In the early years, children are not given enough guidance. As a result, some do not develop an appropriate pencil grip. Children get into careless writing habits that can be hard to change later on.

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In some other subjects, such as geography, pupils cover a lot. Nevertheless, teachers do not revisit crucial content often enough to check that pupils have remembered the really important things they need to know and remember.

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Leaders are aware of these development needs and the disruptive impact of the pandemic on some routines.

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The school’s ‘society’ curriculum is a distinctive feature of the school. It makes a strong contribution to pupils’ personal development. Through ‘society’ lessons, pupils learn about topics such as e-safety, health and safety, and fundamental British values. In doing so, pupils learn to develop responsible attitudes and increase their knowledge of the world. They also come to see how what they learn in school will help them in the future. Pupils enjoy these lessons and talk enthusiastically about all the things they have learned. In addition, through the curriculum and everyday interactions, staff promote qualities such as teamwork, service, and respect. The school’s provision for children aged two and over helps them with their early language and social skills.

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In all classes, pupils behave well, and lessons run smoothly.

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Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) get plenty of help. This aspect of the school’s work is led and organised efficiently. Staff work with different specialist services to support pupils and their families. Staff also provide extra support outside of class, when required, to help pupils with their work. Consequently, all pupils with SEND can access the whole school curriculum.

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Staff say that workload is reasonable and that leaders support them in their work.

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The school’s leaders and governors know parents very well. They show commitment to the community they serve and are ambitious for the school to continue to improve.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 16 and 17 November 2021

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Safeguarding has a very high priority in this school. Leaders and staff are well informed about the risks that pupils can, and do, face. They work closely with other agencies to identify problems and support pupils and their families. The school’s record-keeping is detailed and enables the right people to know the right things.

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The school produces a weekly newsletter for all staff. This includes updates about safeguarding matters and any known local risks. Staff act quickly when concerns are noticed.

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Leaders make sure all the right checks on staff and visitors are completed and recorded.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders’ plans to fully implement the school’s early reading programme have been delayed. In part, this is due to the disruption caused by the pandemic and because leaders have been distracted by other matters. The current phonics programme is fit for purpose and high-quality resources are in place. However, phonics is not well taught by all staff and some are still finding their way. The school’s leaders need to press on with making sure all staff are up to speed with the phonics programme and are using it correctly so that achievement in reading continues to improve.  Across the school, some pupils do not hold pens and pencils correctly. This affects their handwriting and presentation. This problem has its roots in early years and key stage 1. Leaders should make sure early years and key stage 1 staff teach pupils correct posture and pencil grip so they do not get into bad habits.  In science and geography, curriculum plans and teaching cover all the right things.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

However, they do not allow enough time for revisiting crucial content so that pupils remember everything that they need to. Leaders should review curriculum plans to make sure that pupils have enough opportunities to embed and remember knowledge.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called a section 8 inspection of a good or outstanding school, because it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the section 8 inspection as a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good on 10 and 11 November 2016. 16 and 17 November 2021

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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How can I feed back my views?

If you are the school and you are not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted .

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

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. 16 and 17 November 2021

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School details

Inspection number 10205151 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 10 and 11 November 2016, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school has provision for two-year-olds.  The school uses two different providers to support pupils with particular needs. These pupils attend settings on other schools’ sites for specific periods of time.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with school leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation.  During the inspection, the inspector carried out deep dives in the following subjects: reading, mathematics, and science. In these subjects, the inspector visited lessons, looked at pupils’ work, examined teachers’ plans and talked with pupils and staff about how the subjects were planned and taught. She also looked at other subjects in less detail to check how they were organised and taught.  The inspector noted 2019 external performance data about the school and looked at school documents. These included information about behaviour, the school curriculum and improvement planning. She also checked the school’s website. 16 and 17 November 2021

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 The inspector asked pupils, staff, leaders, and governors about safeguarding arrangements. She examined the record of employment checks on school staff and looked at other school records. She also found out about safety procedures and routines at the school.  The inspector watched pupils’ behaviour in class, at lunchtime, on the playground and at other times during the day.  During the inspection, the inspector had formal meetings with the headteacher, other senior leaders, staff, governors, and pupils. The inspector had a telephone conversation with a representative of the local authority.  The inspector talked informally with pupils, parents, and staff to gather general information about school life. In addition, she took account of the responses to Ofsted’s surveys of staff, pupils’, and parents’ views.

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Inspection team

Diane Pye, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 16 and 17 November 2021

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regulates and inspects to 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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