Little Reddings Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Little Reddings Primary School Harcourt Road, Bushey, Hertfordshire WD23 3PR

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Outcome

Little Reddings Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Little Reddings Primary School is a welcoming school with a ‘can-do’ attitude. Pupils benefit from the recent changes made to the curriculum and wider learning opportunities. Pupils rise to the high standards staff expect of them, including the presentation of their work. Pupils talk proudly of the progress they have made. Pupils also know that they have skilled staff who will help them if they find learning tricky.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn in calm and purposeful classrooms. Pupils listen and concentrate well. All pupils know and value the school rules and routines. They are confident that adults will deal quickly with anyone who is disrespectful, and they report that bullying is rare. They play well together, supported by peer mediators, and enjoy accessing play equipment at breaktimes. Pupils appreciate the well-resourced nurture room.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy earning house points, taking part in projects, such as a puppet theatre workshop, and having access to art, physical education and music specialists from the trust. They have regular visits and trips. There are a range of after-school clubs and many pupils participate in them. All pupils are actively encouraged to stand for leadership roles in order to ensure that these roles represent a full cross section of pupils.

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

Leaders have completely updated the curriculum to meet the specific needs of their pupils and to account for the impact of the pandemic. Leaders have ensured that this new curriculum is aspirational and is also tailored to fill gaps in knowledge so that pupils can achieve well. Leaders, including subject leaders, have good subject knowledge and have provided effective training for staff. As a result, teachers understand and deliver the curriculum consistently well. Teachers also adapt the curriculum well to support those pupils who need to make the most progress, including those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). 8 and 9 March 2023 In some recently updated foundation subjects, teachers are still getting used to the new curriculum expectations. This means some of the work teachers provide does not always match the precise aims of the curriculum and pupils are not yet able to recall the detailed

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

knowledge leaders intend. Teachers do check understanding and address misconceptions, especially in core subjects. However, in foundation subjects, teachers’ feedback does not always link specifically to the knowledge pupils need to know in order to deepen their understanding.

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

Leaders and teachers have made reading a priority, including in early years. All adults are well trained to teach reading and pupils benefit from daily phonics and reading sessions that develop fluency and understanding. Many pupils are now making good progress in reading. Pupils who need to catch up and pupils with SEND are supported effectively and read books well matched to the sounds they know. Pupils enjoy reading and having stories read to them.

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

Children in nursery and reception are provided with learning opportunities to rehearse and recall letters and sounds, numbers and shape. Leaders have ensured that the foundation curriculum starts in the early years and children develop an understanding of the world that then prepares them well for Year 1. Children sustain attention well and adults skilfully tailor learning activities to the children’s interests and needs, including for those with SEND.

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

Pupils behave well. This means that pupils can focus on their learning. From early years upwards, pupils are polite and respectful. They listen to each other and manage any differences in opinion well. Pupils who need support to manage their behaviour are provided with high-quality pastoral care so that they can still access their learning.

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

Leaders have planned out wider experiences they want pupils to have, including a range of leadership roles. Pupils can stand for school council, be elected as house captains and head boy and head girl. Pupils access the outdoor learning area to develop teamwork and resilience. Pupils are prepared well for the next stage in their education as they benefit from regular links with the secondary school.

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

Staff appreciate the time they are given to develop their subject knowledge. This results in staff feeling valued. Staff report that leaders, including governors, are mindful of workload and that leaders listen to staff views. Governors and the trust provide a range of staff benefits to support staff well-being.

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

Governors and the trust have an ambitious strategic plan for the school and appropriately challenge leaders. Governors and the trust fulfil their statutory duties and are proud advocates of the community they serve.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 8 and 9 March 2023 Pupils say they feel safe and know they have trusted adults that will help them. Pupils are taught how to stay safe online through the curriculum and in assemblies. Local police talk to older pupils about the dangers of knife crime and gangs.

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Safeguarding

All adults have regular safeguarding training and this is overseen at governor and trust level. All staff know how to report concerns. Leaders respond quickly and effectively to these concerns. Leaders use their own internal resources well to support families in need of early help. Leaders share information appropriately to ensure that children are protected.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some of the recently updated foundation subjects, some work provided for pupils is still too broad in its scope. Therefore, in these subjects, pupils are not developing the detailed knowledge leaders intend. Leaders need to ensure that they continue to provide training for staff on what precise knowledge pupils need to learn. Leaders need to then check regularly that pupils have a deep understanding of what they have learned.  In some foundation subjects, pupils are not making as much progress as they could. This is because pupils are not always getting clear and precise feedback on how to improve their understanding. Leaders need to ensure that the feedback teachers give to pupils is matched to the specific and detailed knowledge they want them to know.

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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 November 2016.

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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 March 2023 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 March 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10200348 Type of school Primary

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 9 and 10 November 2016, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Bushey St James Trust.  There is a breakfast and after-school club on site run by the school.  The school use one registered alternative provider.  The current headteacher took up her post in February 2020.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The lead inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The lead inspector held meetings with the headteacher, assistant headteachers and special educational needs coordinator, subject leaders and teachers.  The lead inspector carried out deep dives in the following subjects: reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, the lead inspector spoke to subject leaders, visited lessons, spoke with pupils, looked at pupils’ workbooks and spoke with teachers and support staff. 8 and 9 March 2023  The lead inspector met representatives from the trust, including the chief executive officer and vice-chair of the trust. The lead inspector met with the governors, including the chair of governors, from the local governing board.  The lead inspector scrutinised a range of documentation, including minutes of meetings

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Information about this inspection

of the governing body and the trust and the school development plan.  The lead inspector looked at the arrangements for safeguarding, including the single central record of recruitment checks. The lead inspector spoke with leaders about the systems and processes for supporting safeguarding, and the safeguarding ethos in the school.  The lead inspector spoke to parents at the school gate.  The lead inspector considered the responses to Ofsted’s online survey for parents, Ofsted Parent View, including the 46 free-text comments. Inspectors also considered the 21 staff survey responses. There was 1 response to the pupil survey.

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Inspection team

Sara Boyce, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 8 and 9 March 2023 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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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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