The Radstone Primary School

Inspection of The Radstone Primary School Poppyfields Way, Brackley NN13 6GA

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Inspection dates: 11 and 12 January 2023

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 11 and 12 January 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have created a warm, family ethos at The Radstone Primary School, where everyone feels safe and secure. Staff enjoy teaching and pupils enjoy learning in this caring, inclusive school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high aspirations for all. Guided by the motto ‘Be the best that you can be’, they aim for every pupil to become the very best version of themselves.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy a broad and balanced curriculum and a host of enriching experiences to develop their talents and interests. With so many clubs on offer, there is something for everyone. Sport and art are two passions at The Radstone Primary School. Everyone gets to be part of a school sports team and pupils enjoy a range of activities to keep themselves fit at breaktimes. Pupils look forward to their art lessons. They love working in the art room and they are proud of their artwork. Beautiful galleries of the pupils’ portraits and collages decorate the corridors, celebrating everyone’s achievements.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are friendly and polite. They listen respectfully to each other and show good manners. Classrooms are calm places where pupils can concentrate on their learning. Pupils follow the ‘5 Golden Rules’. Pupils trust that staff will quickly deal with any concerns they have.

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better?

The school’s curriculum has been well designed. The knowledge and skills that pupils will learn have been laid out in a logical order. Leaders have planned every subject in small steps. Teachers follow these plans. They make sure that adaptations are made for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) where necessary, so they can experience every part of the curriculum. Effective systems are in place to quickly identify pupils with additional needs and put individual support in place for them.

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better?

Children in Reception benefit from a clearly planned and well organised early years setting. Children begin to learn how to read as soon as they start school. Through daily phonics lessons, group activities and ‘pinny time’, children make good progress learning letter sounds. Children use physical resources to gain a secure understanding of numbers. For instance, children in Reception use counters and models to find all the different ways to make five.

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better?

Staff have been well trained to teach the school’s new phonics programme. They all use the same approaches to teach letter sounds and help pupils decode unfamiliar words. Anyone who does not know the letter sounds that they should is given additional support straight away. Pupils’ reading books are closely matched to their phonic knowledge. This means they can use what they know and become fluent when reading at home and at school. Pupils have positive attitudes towards reading. 11 and 12 January 2023

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They look forward to visiting the school library. Pupils told inspectors that, ‘Library time is so relaxing! It’s great to just have time reading to yourself and enjoying books!’ Older pupils can explain how their reading comprehension lessons help them to find less obvious information in texts by reading between the lines. For instance, a pupil in Year 6 said, ‘The way a character moves might show you how they are feeling. Snatching something, for example, might show someone being protective.’

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In some subjects, leaders have not closely checked how well the curriculum is being taught or if pupils have remembered important knowledge. Where this is the case, there is not a consistent approach to reviewing and building on what pupils have learned before. This prevents pupils from deepening their understanding.

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There are systematic procedures in place to deal with absence and encourage high attendance. However, reducing persistent absence for disadvantaged pupils remains a priority for leaders.

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Leaders have thought carefully about pupils’ personal development. Pupils benefit from a diverse range of opportunities to help them become well rounded members of society. They are knowledgeable about British values, and they understand the importance of equality. For instance, one Year 6 girl, typical of older pupils, told inspectors, ‘Protected characteristics make sure people are safe about being different. Discrimination can really hurt someone. It’s important to know that you’re safe in this world.’

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With the support of The Hawksmoor Learning Trust, leaders have managed the growth of The Radstone Primary School successfully. They have swiftly created an ambitious but nurturing way of doing things. Staff are proud to work at the school. Teachers in the early stages of their careers value the support and training they receive.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that staff understand their safeguarding responsibilities. They check that the training they provide is effective. Staff report issues promptly whenever they come across something that concerns them. The designated leaders for safeguarding meet regularly to check that pupils are receiving the support they need. Governors use their safeguarding expertise well. They make sure staff are aware of local issues. They audit the school’s systems to check their policy is being implemented effectively. Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe. They know that staff are on hand if they need help. 11 and 12 January 2023

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, teachers do not routinely go over prior learning and make links between what pupils are doing now and what they have learned in the past. This means that some pupils cannot quickly recall what they have already been taught in sufficient detail or connect new knowledge to old. Leaders must ensure that teachers systematically revisit the most important knowledge covered before, and deepen pupils’ understanding by linking it to what they are learning now.  Some subjects have not been fully checked to evaluate the effectiveness of the curriculum. Where this is the case, there are some inconsistencies in teaching and progress. Senior leaders need to support all subject leaders – and particularly those who are new to the school – to develop the expertise they need to fulfil their roles. Subject leaders need to systematically check that the curriculum is being implemented effectively and make sure that it is having the intended

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How can I feed back my views?

or to 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. 11 and 12 January 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10254747 Type of school Primary

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School details

Principal Andrea Curtis (Executive Principal)

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The Radstone Primary School opened as a free school in September 2018. It is part of The Hawksmoor Learning Trust.  The school does not make use of any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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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 leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in reading, mathematics, physical education, art and design, and geography. For the deep dives, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited lessons, spoke to teachers and pupils, and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also visited lessons in history and religious education. 11 and 12 January 2023

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 Inspectors met with the executive principal, the head of school, the assistant headteachers, curriculum leaders and a sample of teaching and support staff. Inspectors met with the leaders responsible for the early years, pupils with SEND, disadvantaged pupils, behaviour, attendance and personal development.  The lead inspector met with the designated leader for safeguarding to discuss the actions taken to keep pupils safe. The lead inspector reviewed a range of documents, including the school’s single central record.  Inspectors examined a range of school documentation, including leaders’ self- evaluation, improvement plans, records of governance, and documentation relating to attendance and pupils’ behaviour.  The lead inspector listened to a sample of pupils in Year 1, Year 2 and Year 3 read to a familiar adult. Inspectors met with groups of pupils from across the school.  The lead inspector met with those responsible for governance, as well as the chief

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executive officer from the multi-academy trust.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Ofsted Parent View, and considered the results of the Ofsted staff survey.

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Inspection team

Shaun Carter, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Katie Towers Ofsted Inspector 11 and 12 January 2023

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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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