Redfield Edge Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Redfield Edge Primary School High Street, Oldland Common, Bristol BS30 9TL

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Outcome

Redfield Edge Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy attending this kind and nurturing school. They work hard for their teachers and play well together. Pupils learn well across a range of subjects. As a result, this is a happy, safe place for pupils to be.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and staff share a passion for every pupil to do well. Pupils apply the school motto, ‘Strive to be the best version of ourselves’, to aim high and succeed. Leaders create an environment where pupils are valued and listened to. Staff have high expectations for pupils’ behaviour. Pupils behave well. They learn what bullying is and what to do if it occurs. Bullying is rare. Pupils are confident that should it happen, staff will sort it out quickly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders focus strongly on pupils’ personal development. Pupils enjoy forest school and sports, and learn to play musical instruments. Pupils relish their leadership roles such as being school councillors and mental health ambassadors. For example, pupils organise the sponsored ‘Row for Refugees’ and run laps of the school field to support the National Health Service.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most parents are happy with the school and typically comment, ‘My child is incredibly happy at this school’ and ‘I couldn’t praise them enough.’

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

Leaders place reading at the centre of the curriculum. They are ambitious for pupils to love reading. Children begin to understand the sounds letters represent soon after they start school. Pupils have regular phonics and reading lessons. Teachers regularly revisit important learning so pupils remember sounds well. Pupils practise and secure their reading skills. In Year 1 and 2, staff make sure pupils who could fall behind get more support. Pupils enjoy choosing books from the quality texts in the libraries. Leaders make sure staff introduce exciting books and authors. They encourage pupils to become fluent and confident readers. 6 and 7 December 2022

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Leaders have implemented a well-sequenced curriculum in most subjects. Sequences of learning build pupils’ knowledge and skills from early years to Year 6 in a coherent way. Children in the early years benefit from a curriculum that is well matched to their needs. For example, in history, younger pupils confidently explain how the moat, drawbridge and portcullis protect the society inside a castle from the dangers outside. As a result, they are well prepared for what comes next.

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The curriculum builds on what pupils have already learned. In mathematics, children in the early years count cut-out shapes and cubes as part of imaginative play. They use mathematical language such as ‘more’ and ‘less’. Older pupils use their knowledge of place value to solve problems, using complex vocabulary as they do so. However, in some subjects leaders’ curriculum thinking is at an earlier stage and is not as detailed as in others. Leaders are revising the content and sequence of some subjects.

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Teachers’ accurate assessments in early reading and mathematics mean they adapt the curriculum quickly to meet the needs of pupils. Leaders have put into place teaching support which is having a positive impact. They evaluate the effect of this provision to know what is working well. This means pupils, including those with special educational need and/or disabilities, learn well.

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In some subjects, assessment is less well developed. Where this is the case, leaders have not yet identified well enough what pupils know and understand of the curriculum they have learned. Consequently, pupils have a less secure foundation on which to build and deepen the next steps in their learning.

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Through the curriculum, pupils learn about world religions and appreciate different lifestyles. They understand what makes a positive relationship. Pupils talk confidently about the support the school gives to promote mental health and well-being. One typical pupil’s comment was, ‘The school helps us to be a good person.’

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Governors provide leaders with appropriate challenge and support. They check the actions leaders take to improve the school and the impact on pupils. As a result, they are clear about what the school does well and what it needs to do next.

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Leaders engage positively with staff. Staff training is effective. Staff know that leaders, including governors, see their workload and well-being as a priority. Staff are a cohesive team. They are proud to work at the school and morale is high.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

All staff understand their role in keeping pupils safe. Staff are well trained and knowledgeable about the risks pupils face. They know pupils and their families well. Staff react quickly to identify and record concerns. Leaders’ records are thorough.

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Safeguarding

Leaders make the necessary checks to ensure all adults are safe to work with children. They act when they consider a pupil could be at risk. 6 and 7 December 2022

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Leaders seek specialist help for pupils when necessary. They check the impact of this support and so assure themselves that it is effective.

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The curriculum teaches pupils how to stay safe. This includes online safety and when using social media.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some foundation subjects, leaders’ plans for the curriculum are not as strong as in others. Leaders need to continue the work they have started so that plans for all subjects are as ambitious and clear as they could be.

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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 an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in January 2017.

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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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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. 6 and 7 December 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10226915 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 31 January and 1 February 2017, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school has seven classes.  The school does not use any alternative providers.  The school runs a breakfast and after-school club.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and has taken this into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, special educational needs coordinator and four representatives of the local governing body. He also held a telephone conversation with a local authority representative.  The inspector carried out deep dives into these subjects: early reading, mathematics and history. The inspector looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of work. 6 and 7 December 2022

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 The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour at various times of the day, including breaktime and lunchtime.  The inspector also looked at curriculum plans and spoke to leaders about the curriculum in some other subjects.  The inspector listened to pupils in Years 1, 2 and 3 read to an adult.  The inspector reviewed the school’s safeguarding documentation, including safeguarding checks carried out on staff working at the school. The inspector considered how well the designated safeguarding leader acts on concerns about pupils’ welfare and safety. The inspector talked to pupils, staff and governors about safe working practices.  The inspector considered responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including free-text responses and responses to the staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Richard Vaughan, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 6 and 7 December 2022

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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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