Redbridge Primary School

Inspection of Redbridge Primary School College Gardens, Redbridge, Ilford, Essex IG4 5HW

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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 Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Good

This school was last inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 11 years ago and judged ‘Outstanding’ under a previous inspection framework. This reflected the school’s overall effectiveness under the inspection framework in use at the time.

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Overall effectiveness Good

From then until November 2020, the school was exempted by law from routine inspection, so there has been a longer gap than usual between graded inspections under section 5 of the Act. The school received an ungraded inspection under section 8 of the Act in October 2018. Judgements in this report are based on the current inspection framework and also reflect changes that may have happened at any point since the last graded inspection. 11 and 12 June 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Redbridge Primary School are encouraged to ‘dream big, work hard and be kind’. Leaders have set out a clear strategic vision where pupils are supported to succeed. Pupils work hard, typically achieving well across the curriculum, including in national assessments.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well in lessons and around the school. At breaktimes and lunchtimes, they cooperate and take turns, enjoying the range of activities available to them. Bullying is rare and quickly resolved if it happens. Pupils are confident to talk to staff about any concerns they may have. The school provides a nurturing and caring environment in which pupils feel, and are kept, secure and safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are very positive about recent changes in the school that have increased the number of wider opportunities on offer. They enjoy taking up responsibilities such as pupil advocates and play leaders. The school puts a strong emphasis on learning about and valuing diversity. Parents and carers praise the school for their caring and helpful staff and supportive community ethos. Pupils are motivated by rewards given for good work and their contributions to school life. They enjoy visits to places of interest, such as the Natural History Museum and the Science Museum, as well as places of worship.

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better?

Leaders have high ambition for all pupils and want the best for them. Knowledgeable governors provide highly effective challenge and support to school leaders through, for example, regular monitoring visits. Staff feel that their workload and well-being have been carefully considered by leaders. They benefit from high- quality professional development and staff, including those at the start of their careers, receive excellent support.

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better?

The school has designed an ambitious curriculum for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The school has recently made changes to what is being taught to strengthen further how well pupils learn in mathematics and English. In a small number of subjects, the school’s work to ensure that pupils acquire deep knowledge is not as well advanced. This includes in the early years, where the activities pupils complete do not always match the expectations of the planned curriculum.

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better?

Subject leaders have considered what should be taught at each stage. However, in some areas, the expectations and support put in place for pupils with SEND lack precision. This means that activities are not always adapted effectively to enable them to access the same broad curriculum as their peers. When this happens, it reduces the effectiveness of the school’s work to ensure these pupils achieve well.

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better?

Typically, staff have good subject knowledge across the range of subjects that they teach. They explain ideas clearly and design activities that help pupils to remember 11 and 12 June 2024

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and practise what they have learned. However, at times, the work given to pupils does not build well on prior learning. For example, it is not always clear how knowledge and skills learned in early years prepare them for the next stage of their education. To address this, the school is further developing its curriculum thinking and subject leadership expertise.

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The school has increased the emphasis on reading in the curriculum. Leaders recognised that there was more to do to ensure that all pupils could read with confidence. Staff strive to develop pupils’ love of reading. The school ensures that phonics teaching is systematic, and staff have received recent training using new resources that the school has provided. Children begin learning phonics in early years. Staff ensure that the books that pupils read closely match the sounds that they know. This helps pupils to read with increasing fluency. The school ensures that any pupils who are at risk of not keeping up in reading receive appropriate support to catch up with their peers.

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Lessons are rarely disrupted. Pupils concentrate well in class and respond quickly to teachers’ instructions. They are excited to share what they have learned and have positive attitudes to their learning. Younger children are supported well to settle into school life well and understand the school’s routines and expectations quickly. There are a range of effective strategies, such as breakfast club, to promote the attendance and punctuality of pupils.

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The school promotes pupils’ personal development well. Pupils have access to a range of extra-curricular clubs, such as choir, gymnastics and chess. The school supports pupils to stay healthy and have active lifestyles, by providing a range of sporting activities. Pupils learn about safety in their personal, social and health education lessons, as well as through assemblies and listening to visiting speakers. For example, they learn about how to stay safe when crossing the road, as well as bullying and online safety.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 At times, the work given to pupils does not build well on their prior learning and existing understanding. This means that, in some subjects, pupils do not develop and deepen their knowledge cumulatively. The school should ensure that the activities and resources used enable pupils to achieve consistently the aims and ambition of the planned curriculum.  The support put in place for pupils with SEND sometimes lacks precision. While pupils receive high-quality pastoral support, the curriculum they study is, at times, not as ambitious or as broad as for their peers. As a result, some pupils do not 11 and 12 June 2024

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achieve as well than they should. The school should make sure that targets set for these pupils are suitable and help them to access the full curriculum. They should also ensure that further training is provided so that staff are fully aware of how to meet these pupils’ different needs.

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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). 11 and 12 June 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body David Backhouse MBE

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School details

Website http://redbridgeprimary.redbridge.sch.uk

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 16 and 17 October 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The headteacher was appointed to the post in September 2023.  Redbridge Primary School is much larger than the average-sized primary school.  The 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.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in the following subjects: early reading, mathematics, science and art. For each deep dive, inspectors spoke with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke with pupils and 11 and 12 June 2024

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looked at samples of their work. Inspectors also spoke to leaders about the curriculum and visited lessons in some other subjects.  Inspectors scrutinised a range of documents, including leaders’ evaluation of the school and priorities for improvement.  Inspectors met with senior leaders, a selection of subject leaders, teachers and support staff.  Inspectors met with the members of the governing body. They also held discussions with a representative from the local authority.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, 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.  Inspectors reviewed a range of school documentation, including records related to attendance, behaviour and pupil movement.  Inspectors considered the views of parents, pupils and staff, including through

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their responses to Ofsted’s online surveys.

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Inspection team

Robert Grice, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Lando Du Plooy Ofsted Inspector 11 and 12 June 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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