Redruth School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Redruth School Tolgus Vean, Redruth, Cornwall TR15 1TA

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Outcome

Redruth School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Redruth is an inclusive and community-centred school. Staff have high expectations for pupils’ conduct and effort. Pupils rise to this challenge. They are courteous towards staff and their peers. Pupils show interest in their learning in lessons. They do not give up easily when faced with challenging work. The learning environment is calm and low-level disruption is rare.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school provides strong pastoral and academic support. Parents and carers trust the school to look after their children well. Pupils agree that the school is a happy and welcoming place to be. They enjoy positive relationships with staff, including their form tutor. As a result, they feel safe in school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school values the importance of developing the whole child. Pupils can be part of the Combined Cadet Force, take part in many sports clubs, join the music rock band, and be on the eco council. The school checks that many pupils participate in these extra- curricular activities. Pupils benefit from a range of other opportunities that enhance their school experience. For example, a history trip to Berlin or more locally to Bodmin Jail. Many also learn life-saving techniques and gain first aid qualifications.

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

Leaders and governors know the school well. Where published outcomes are lower for a minority of areas of the curriculum, the school is making improvements. The number of pupils who follow the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) pathway is below the government’s ambition. The school recognise this and is strengthening this area. Within the current Year 11, there are more pupils following this suite of qualifications. 5 and 6 November 2024

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Pupils learn a broad and ambitious curriculum. Subject leaders use the national curriculum to guide what is taught to pupils across each year group. Reading is at the heart of the curriculum. Pupils who struggle with reading are given timely support to catch up quickly. Pupils are introduced to a range of diverse and topical texts. They enjoy shared reading experiences. Many pupils say they are inspired to read more outside of school.

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Most pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) follow the same curriculum as their peers. Staff use the information about pupils’ identified needs to tailor their support for pupils with SEND. This ensures that they are successful in their learning. The new specially resourced provision for pupils with SEND has been welcomed by the school and wider community. Pupils and parents are positive about their experience within this first term.

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Teachers have secure subject knowledge. Teaching ensures that knowledge builds progressively towards the school’s curriculum goals. However, in a minority of subjects, the curriculum is not being taught consistently well. In these cases, pupils get confused. Teaching does not accurately check what pupils know and can remember.

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Pupils follow the school’s Future 4 curriculum which includes topics to support their personal development. Pupils are knowledgeable about managing finances, healthy relationships, online safety, and physical and mental health. The school promotes maintaining an active lifestyle. Pupils with SEND who attend the school’s specially resourced provision, follow a personalised curriculum to develop their life skills.

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The school is committed to preparing pupils well for their next steps. Pupils are encouraged to be aspirational. The school’s LEAP programme introduces pupils to a range of different careers. It also provides many stimulating additional challenges for pupils identified as having a particular talent or interest. Information about destinations shows that pupils succeed in a range of further education, training, or employment pathways.

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The behaviour policy is applied fairly and consistently. There is a positive culture of belonging. However, where a small minority of pupils are persistently disruptive, or are involved in more serious behaviour incidents, the school has needed to issue suspensions and in rare examples, permanent exclusions. A disproportionate number of the pupils who receive exclusions are disadvantaged pupils.

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Staff are passionate about working at Redruth School. They benefit from a well- considered professional development programme. Leaders listen and consult with staff regularly about issues such as workload. Staff’s well-being is a priority for leaders, and governors.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a minority of subjects, there is variation in the quality of how well the curriculum is taught. This means that pupils have a mixed experience, and some do not build their knowledge of that subject as well as they could over time. The school should ensure that the curriculum is taught to a high standard across all subjects.  The number of disadvantaged pupils that receive exclusions from school is disproportionately high. This means that this small number of pupils are often not successfully completing their programme of study in mainstream education. The school should continue its work to support pupils and their families to minimise the need for exclusions.

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Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted's website. From September 2024 graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade. This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

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Background

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. 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's work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection 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 for overall effectiveness in December 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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You can search for published performance information about the school.

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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). 5 and 6 November 2024

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School details

Number of pupils on the school roll 1472

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 12 and 13 December 2018, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Since the previous inspection, a new headteacher joined the school in April 2023.  The school has specially resourced provision for pupils with SEND who have social, emotional, and mental health needs. Currently, 16 pupils attend this provision.  The school uses four registered and seven unregistered providers of alternative provision.  The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 13 with information and engagement about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation 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 the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 5 and 6 November 2024

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 The inspectors held discussions with the headteacher, deputy headteachers, the special educational needs and disabilities coordinator, the chair and other members of the local governing body, and representatives from the local authority.  Inspectors visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to curriculum leaders, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  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.  Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted Parent View, including parents’ free-text comments. The inspectors also considered responses to the staff survey and responses to the survey for pupils.

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Inspection team

Kelly Olive, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Matthew Collins Ofsted Inspector 5 and 6 November 2024

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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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