Redesdale Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Redesdale Primary School Wiltshire Drive, Wallsend, Tyne and Wear NE28 8TS

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Outcome

Redesdale Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils show care and respect for each other and their teachers. Teachers expect pupils to do their very best. Pupils trust their teachers and try hard to succeed. Pupils show good attitudes, behaviour, commitment and sportsmanship – their ‘ABCs’ which seem to be always on the tip of their tongues. Leaders award certificates each week for pupils who display the current ‘PROUD’ rule. For example, pupils learn about being open and honest.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave very well in lessons and when playing outside. Staff deal with small issues that pupils have so that they do not develop into bigger problems, like bullying. Older pupils become ‘buddies’ to younger pupils, helping with simple tasks at breaktimes. ‘Sports leaders’ organise and run games and activities each Friday for younger pupils. Older pupils’ patience, kindness and good communication skills inspire the younger pupils. School councillors come up with ideas to improve the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils know the importance of good mental health. Staff teach pupils not to bottle up their emotions but instead, how to manage them. Pupils say that they are safe in school because teachers look after them. Pupils learn about staying safe online especially when gaming. They know that they should not communicate with someone they do not know.

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

The senior leaders lead by example. They are continually looking for ways to improve pupils’ learning and experiences. Governors give leaders appropriate support and challenge. Governors are not reliant on only the detailed information from the headteacher. Their regular visits to school provide first-hand updates about all aspects of school. Staff exude commitment and hard work for the benefit of pupils. They speak of being valued and appreciated by colleagues and leaders. There is a strong sense of teamwork. 8 and 9 February 2023

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Leaders have put into place a broad and exciting curriculum. Leaders have mapped out this curriculum, so it is clear for teachers to understand. Most subjects have key ideas that link learning. Pupils build new knowledge on what they already know. Lessons build up what they know progressively in each short unit of work. In most subjects, the essential knowledge that pupils need to remember is clear. However, this is not sufficiently well planned in all subjects.

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Teachers are skilled in recapping what pupils have been taught previously to ensure that it is remembered over time. Teachers make regular checks on pupils’ knowledge and understanding. Teachers make changes to future lessons accordingly and design extra activities to plug any gaps in knowledge. This includes in phonics to make sure pupils keep up with their peers. In some subjects, teachers are less able to make accurate checks on what pupils have learned and remembered. This is because the essential learning for some units of work has not been clearly identified.

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Children in the early years make a positive early start in their reading. Children in Reception quickly learn letter sounds and can blend them together. Phonics lessons are taught consistently and follow the same routine in each class. Leaders have provided extra phonics training for all adults in school. Leaders have made online tutorials and refreshers available to staff. Leaders have bought new books that match closely to pupils’ reading ability. Pupils’ confidence and self-belief as readers builds over time. Older pupils strive to win ‘reading rocks’ certificates for the amount of books that they read.

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Pupils enjoy lessons. Pupils want to succeed, so they try their best. Pupils’ behaviour is good and attitudes are positive. All pupils access the same curriculum in this inclusive school. Any pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive extra help, so they do not miss out on any part of their learning. Teachers introduce more challenging vocabulary before each unit of work. They change or adapt work to enable all pupils to access or record their work successfully. Teachers make innovative use of technology to support pupils with SEND, such as computers to change speech to written text.

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Pupils develop understanding of other people and talk about respect and tolerance. Attendance at the various after-school clubs is high. Pupils take part in cookery, judo, gymnastics and papercraft sessions. Educational visits out of school have resumed. Pupils visit places of worship, local museums and areas of natural beauty. Pupils celebrate national days or weeks such as anti-bullying week, odd-socks day or Black History month. Visitors to school, such as from the community police officer or the Royal Navy, help to widen pupils’ understanding of national events, issues and concerns.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Governors rightly describe safeguarding in school as being of paramount importance. Leaders arrange, or deliver, regular training for staff on safeguarding. Adults learn how to 8 and 9 February 2023

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recognise the smallest sign of a bigger concern or worry. All staff know how to record and report any issue. Leaders secure the help that pupils and families need without delay.

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Leaders and office staff keep detailed records and vetting checks for new staff. The link safeguarding governor checks on systems and records. Teachers use a password system to ensure younger pupils are collected by a known adult.

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Pupils are taught about staying safe in and out of school. Pupils learn about safe relationships and consent in an age-appropriate way. Teachers deliver lessons and assemblies about being safe online. Pupils know about road and bike safety.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some foundation subjects, the key ideas that link substantive knowledge together lack clarity. Leaders have not identified some of the essential knowledge that pupils need to know and how pupils should demonstrate this at the end of each unit of work. Teachers are unclear on what pupils should remember. Some pupils have gaps in their knowledge. Leaders need to more precisely define the knowledge that pupils need to retain in each curriculum subject and ensure that teachers are using this to teach and assess.

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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 second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in March 2013.

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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. 8 and 9 February 2023

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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. 8 and 9 February 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10255863 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 5 February 2018

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Information about this school

 The school does not use any alternative provision.

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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 that into account in his evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, assistant headteacher, the special educational needs coordinator, curriculum leaders, and other school staff.  The inspector met three members of the governing body, including the chairperson. The inspector also held a telephone discussion with the school improvement partner from North Tyneside local authority.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, physical education (PE) and mathematics. 8 and 9 February 2023

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 For each deep dive, the inspector discussed the curriculum with leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons where available, spoke to teachers and teaching assistants, spoke to pupils and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector listened to a range of pupils read from different year groups.  The inspector looked at curriculum plans and spoke to leaders about other curriculum subjects.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour during lesson visits, at breaktime and at lunchtime. He spoke to pupils about their views of behaviour. A group of pupils gave the inspector a tour of the school.  The inspector looked at the single central record of recruitment and vetting checks. He spoke to leaders, teachers, governors and pupils about safeguarding.  The views of parents who responded to Ofsted Parent View were considered, including some written comments.  The inspector met with staff to discuss their wellbeing and workload. The inspector

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considered the responses and comments from Ofsted’s staff survey.

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Inspection team

Phil Scott, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 8 and 9 February 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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