Robin Hood Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Robin Hood Primary School Beckhampton Road, Bestwood Park, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire NG5 5NA

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Outcome

Robin Hood Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Robin Hood Primary is a nurturing and inclusive school. Relationships between staff and pupils are warm and caring. Staff know pupils and their families very well. Pupils feel happy and safe. One pupil commented, typical of many, ‘My school is special because every single adult in the building really cares about us.’ Pupils know they can talk to a ‘trusted adult’ if anything is worrying them. Pupils value the social, emotional and mental health support that the school offers through its nurture provision.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is ambitious for all pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, to achieve well and reach their potential. The curriculum has a project-based, thematic approach that provides pupils with a range of rich and memorable learning experiences. Pupils value the school’s range of experiences, ‘Fantastic 15 for all’, including, for example, visiting an art gallery and going on a trip to the beach.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils support each other and engage well in lessons. They are polite and well mannered. The school provides many lunchtime activities, enabling pupils to experience a positive and enjoyable lunchtime. Pupils play happily together. They enjoy contributing to school life and are proud of their roles of, for example, an art ambassador.

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

Children get off to a strong start in the early years. The provision is well resourced and well organised, both indoors and outdoors. The Nursery provision is a particular strength. Spoken interactions between staff and children are highly effective. The school focuses on the development of children’s language and communication. Adults model new vocabulary and support children with their speech effectively. In the Reception Year, children have the opportunity to explore, take risks and learn through 6 and 7 February 2024

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play. Staff have high expectations. Clear routines, systems and processes are in place. Children are well prepared for Year 1.

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The school has a clear and strong reading culture. Leaders have prioritised reading. Staff are trained well to deliver the curriculum for phonics. Pupils are supported well to develop their reading fluency by ‘segmenting in their head and blending with their mouths’. Pupils enjoy reading, and many speak confidently about their favourite books and authors. Teachers make effective checks of pupils’ grasp of new vocabulary and their comprehension of text. Some pupils access extra phonics sessions. This supports them effectively to keep up with the programme. Pupils become fluent in their reading and develop secure comprehension skills.

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The school has developed an ambitious mathematics curriculum. Pupils develop their fluency, reasoning and problem-solving skills well. A range of approaches support pupils to become confident and independent mathematicians. For example, teachers model calculation methods, and displays provide examples and pictorial representations. Pupils appreciate these approaches when they are challenged with new learning.

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Pupils access a broad and balanced curriculum. The curriculum is enriched through a range of additional wider opportunities, such as trips and experiences. Curriculum planning for all subjects is ambitious. Important knowledge and skills have been explicitly identified. Planned learning is well sequenced. Key vocabulary is also mapped out. However, at times, some learning activities do not maximise opportunities for all pupils to learn. There are some inconsistencies in how well pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), learn and recall their learning.

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Pupils with SEND are well supported. There are clear processes in place to identify the needs of pupils with SEND. Leaders have resourced several enhanced spaces around the school to support the differing and changing needs of pupils. Leaders work proactively with external agencies to access specialist support and guidance when needed. This work ensures that the school is meeting the needs of pupils with the most complex needs.

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The wider curriculum prepares pupils well for life in modern Britain. Pupils learn to understand different types of relationships and families in age-appropriate ways. Pupils understand the importance of respecting difference. One pupil shared: ‘If we were all the same, it would be a boring world. People are allowed to believe different things to you because it’s their right.’ Pupils access a wide range of additional opportunities, including clubs and extra responsibilities.

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Staff feel that leaders are approachable and listen to any concerns or questions related to their workload or well-being. One member of staff commented, ‘Leaders genuinely want us to feel happy and motivated.’ Staff value the professional development opportunities available to develop their practice and to progress their careers. Staff also value the opportunities to network with other schools. Leaders, including governors, fulfil their statutory duties. 6 and 7 February 2024

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 There is an inconsistency in how well pupils build their knowledge and skills over time, particularly in some foundation subjects. Some activities, for example, do not always maximise pupils’ learning effectively. As a result, some pupils do not consolidate their learning and remember what they have been taught as well as they could. The school should ensure that all pupils, including those with SEND, are able to know, understand and do more over time in all subjects.

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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 July 2018.

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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’ 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 6 and 7 February 2024

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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). 6 and 7 February 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 4 July 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of a collaboration of 36 schools across the city of Nottingham, called Nottingham School Trust.  The school does not use the services of any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the headteacher and other leaders.  The inspector carried out deep dives in reading, art and design, and mathematics. For each deep dive, the inspector held discussions about the curriculum, visited a 6 and 7 February 2024

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sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The inspector listened to some pupils read.  The inspector reviewed curriculum plans and pupils work in a range of subjects. She spoke with pupils about their learning in different subjects.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector: 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 inspector reviewed a range of documents, including the school’s self-evaluation and improvement plan. The inspector met with members of the local governing body.  The inspector spoke with a representative from the local authority.  The inspector considered the responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Ofsted

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Parent View, including free-text comments. The inspector reviewed responses to Ofsted’s survey for school staff.

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Inspection team

Luella Manssen, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 6 and 7 February 2024

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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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