Red Hall Primary School

Inspection of Red Hall Primary School Zoar Street, Lower Gornal, Dudley, West Midlands DY3 2PA

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Inspection dates: 13 and 14 September 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 Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 13 and 14 September 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Red Hall Primary School is a warm, inclusive and welcoming place to learn in. Pupils enjoy coming to school and speak of it with pride. They contribute keenly to their school and the wider community. There are high expectations for all pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils respond to these expectations by working hard and behaving well both in lessons and on the playground.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and feel safe in school. They have good relationships with staff and each other. Pupils know that if they have any problems, staff will sort things out for them. They say, ‘There is always someone who can help us when we need it.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils understand about their rights and their responsibilities to each other and to others in their community. They know that everyone is equal. Staff encourage pupils to reflect on their own beliefs and to respect the beliefs of others. Pupils do this well. The school has embedded values of ‘caring, respect, equality, aspiring, trust and enjoyment’. They are the golden thread running through everything leaders, staff and pupils do.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents are very supportive of the school. They have lots of positive things to say about the quality of leadership, care and education on offer.

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better?

The school is fully committed to improving many aspects of its work so pupils have the best chances in education. In many areas there have been great improvements. However, pupils do not achieve equally as well in all subjects. This is because, in some subjects, the curriculum design does not specify the small steps of knowledge pupils need to know and remember. Important content is not always adequately sequenced and broken down into small steps. Consequently, for some subjects, teachers are not able to check how well pupils are learning all that they need to know.

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better?

Reading is prioritised. Pupils read fluently and with confidence. Books are carefully chosen for pupils to become fluent in applying the sounds they know to words on a page. For pupils who struggle to keep up, catch-up sessions allow them to revisit new and old letter sounds to help them become secure. This is successful.

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better?

Pupils are very proud of their school and show a keenness to learn. This is evident in the excellent behaviour seen in lessons. Pupils listen well to their teachers and show a determination to work as hard as they can. Pupils with SEND are supported well. The school wastes no time in identifying the extra help these pupils need to enable them to be successful. The nurture and care for these pupils is impressive.

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better?

The school understands that there are still too many pupils who do not attend school as regularly as they might. However, staff with responsibility for improving 13 and 14 September 2023

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attendance work tirelessly to support these families. In many cases, this work has had great success in reducing the number of days some pupils miss from school.

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The school places great emphasis on pupils’ personal development. Popular after- school clubs, such as a variety of sports, games, art, dance, karate and archery, add to pupils’ enjoyment. Visits and visitors also enrich the curriculum and extend pupils’ knowledge. Pupils learn about different religions and cultures through the curriculum. This helps prepare them for life in modern Britain. Lessons in personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education ensure that pupils understand the importance of healthy lifestyles and relationships. Pupils develop their social skills by taking on responsibilities, such as being school councillors and well-being ambassadors. They also act as subject ambassadors in a range of subject areas. Science and mathematics sheds are accessible for pupils to take advantage of at playtimes. Subject ambassadors develop leadership skills by running these and by helping to organise them.

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Children get off to a good start in the early years. Curriculum design here has identified clear sequences of learning that allow children to deepen and apply their understanding. However, correct letter formation is not developed well enough here and as children progress through the school. This hinders the development of pupils’ handwriting.

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Governors understand their responsibilities and are passionate about the work of the school. They visit school regularly and know what is going well and what still needs to improve. Staff report that they feel well supported by leaders. They know that leaders care about their well-being and do all they can to manage their workload. This is a very supportive school team that works together for the best outcomes for all the pupils.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The curriculum is not yet sufficiently well planned and sequenced in every subject. In some subjects, the curriculum does not set out the precise content that pupils are expected to know and remember. This means that staff do not check if pupils have retained the most important knowledge for future learning. The school should ensure that the curriculum sets out precisely what pupils should know, and when, in all subjects.  Some subject leaders do not fully understand the importance of the small steps of progress needed through the curriculum to secure long-term success. This means that the design of some curriculum subjects is not having the positive impact on learning that the school might like. The school should ensure that all subject 13 and 14 September 2023

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leaders have adequate training and support to be as effective in their role as possible.  Pupils across the school have not developed clear and well-developed handwriting. This affects their presentation across a range of subjects. The school should ensure that pupils develop clear and consistent handwriting, starting with correct letter formation in the early years.

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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’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 13 and 14 September 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 11 and 12 September 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This is a larger-than-average primary school.  This school runs a breakfast club and an after-school club.  This school does not currently 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

Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.

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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 the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher and subject leaders. 13 and 14 September 2023

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 The lead inspector spoke on the telephone with a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, writing, geography and science. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also looked at samples of pupils’ work in a range of subjects including religious education, history, guided reading and PSHE.  The lead inspector spoke with members of the governing body (including the chair) and pupils and staff.  Inspectors spoke to parents on the school playground.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons at different times of the day and at breaktimes and lunchtimes. They spoke formally with groups of pupils, as well as talking to pupils in lessons and around school.

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 To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The lead inspector reviewed a wide range of documents, including the school’s self-evaluation and improvement plans and information on the school’s website.  Inspectors talked informally with pupils and staff to gather general information about school life. In addition, they took account of the responses to Ofsted’s surveys of staff’s, pupils’ and parents’ views.

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Inspection team

Keri Baylis, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Diane Pye Ofsted Inspector 13 and 14 September 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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