St Mary Redcliffe and Temple School

Inspection of St Mary Redcliffe and Temple School Somerset Square, Bristol BS1 6RT

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Inspection dates: 28 and 29 January 2025

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Sixth-form provision Good Previous inspection grade Outstanding

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Until November 2020, the school was exempt from routine inspection because it was judged as outstanding for overall effectiveness at its previous inspection under section 5 of the Education Act of 2005. The school has not been inspected under section 5 of the Act since April 2015. Since September 2024, schools have not been awarded an overall effectiveness grade. 28 and 29 January 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils and students join the school from across the city. Through the ‘Alive’ values of the school, it ensures pupils transition well to join a caring school community. As a result, pupils speak highly of their school experience.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations. It prepares pupils thoroughly for the future, both academically and personally. Pupils achieve well in their published outcomes. The sixth form is large with a significant number of students joining in Year 12. Through strong pastoral support, they quickly integrate into the life of the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

As a city centre school, the school’s population is diverse. The school threads equality and respect throughout every aspect of school life. It is skilful at knowing the multiple experiences and needs of its pupils. This means pupils and their families are well supported.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils conduct themselves well. They are polite and courteous. Some staff raise their concern that a few pupils do not move round the school well. The school is clear in its expectations and most pupils behave appropriately.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils participate in a wide range of enrichment activities. The school designs these to fully represent the diverse range of culture and interests. Pupils and students appreciate the many ways in which they contribute to, lead and feed back about school life.

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

The school’s ‘Alive’ curriculum is ambitious and has been developed over a long period of time. It is carefully designed to consider what pupils will learn and when to ensure the content is relevant and meaningful for all pupils. The number of pupils studying the suite of subjects in the English baccalaureate is increasing. In the sixth form, students choose subjects that prepare them for their chosen pathways.

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

Teachers help pupils to remember and recall their learning well. Through strategies such as demonstrating and questionning, teachers check how well pupils can apply the skills they have learnt. For example, in art, pupils carefully apply their learning to use shade and tone on a still life piece. As a result, pupils progress well through the curriculum. But, in a few parts of the curriculum, the information teachers have when they check what pupils can do is not then used to effectively help pupils know how to improve.

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

The school has an ambitious approach to helping pupils to be confident readers and to have a love of books. Through the tutor reading programme, pupils collectively read a broad range of texts. The school checks carefully to understand what the reading needs of pupils are. They make sure pupils who are in the early stages of reading learn what they need, such as securing their knowledge of phonics.

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

The number of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) has risen significantly. The school is highly adept in identifying the needs of pupils and students, 28 and 29 January 2025

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and the ways to support them. This information is communicated clearly. However, strategies to adapt learning when pupils need it are not embedded well in lessons. When this happens, some pupils do not progress their learning in a timely way.

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Pupils and students enjoy coming to school. The school is precise in tracking how well pupils come to school. The school knows and understands the situation of each pupil, especially those who are refugees or who face challenging circumstances. It provides a high level of support and pastoral care to pupils.

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Pupils and students receive clear guidance and information about careers and future pathways. They are well informed when they make their choices for pathways of study. For example, many students progress to university courses or apprenticeships. The school’s ‘Values in Practice’ curriculum is comprehensive in its teaching of personal, social and health education. For example, pupils have a well-embedded knowledge of equality and respect. They learn about healthy relationships in an age-appropriate way.

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The school has recently revised some systems and processes through the school. A few staff feel this impacts on their workload. The school has many mechanisms in place to support the well-being of staff. The school evaluates its actions as it embeds this work. The structures for governance have changed to help governors be even more effective in the way they carry out their statutory duties. As a result, they have clarity about the strengths of the school and its priorities to sustain improvement. The school has built strong working relationships with educational partners. This provides greater opportunities for the ongoing professional development of staff. The school values the positive relationship it has with parents and carers, pupils and the local community. It is highly regarded.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few parts of the curriculum, information about what pupils know and can recall is not used effectively. As a result, some pupils are not clear about what they need to do next to improve their learning. The school needs to make sure assessment is used to help pupils understand what they need to do to get better.  Strategies to adapt the learning for pupils with SEND when it is needed are not well implemented in some lessons. When this happens, pupils do not progress with their learning as well as they could. The school needs to ensure strategies to adapt the learning appropriately for pupils are well-embedded. 28 and 29 January 2025

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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 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). 28 and 29 January 2025

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provision

Number of pupils on the school roll 1780

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form

Appropriate authority The governing body

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form

Date of previous inspection 15 and 16 April 2015

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Information about this school

 The school is a voluntary aided Church of England school in the Diocese of Bristol.  It is a large, inner-city school. Pupils and students join the school from across the city.  The sixth form is a larger-than-average provision with a significant number of students joining from other schools in Year 12.  The headteacher took up their post in September 2022.  The school’s last Section 48 inspection took place in March 2017.  The school was last inspected in 2015 and judged ‘outstanding’ under a previous inspection framework. The judgements for this inspection are based on the current inspection framework and reflect the changes that may have happened since the last graded inspection.  The school currently uses two registered and five unregistered alternative providers. 28 and 29 January 2025

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 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

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. During a graded inspection, we grade the school for each of our key judgements (quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and management) and for any relevant provision judgement (early years and/or sixth form provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024, will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

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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.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, mathematics, history, science and art. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The lead inspector met with representatives from the local governing body, including the chair of governors. They spoke with a representative from the local authority, and from the diocese.  Inspectors held discussions with the headteacher, members of the senior leadership team, the special educational needs coordinator, the leader for pupil premium, subject

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Information about this inspection

leaders, teachers and support staff.  Inspectors spoke with many pupils from key stages 3, 4 and 5 about their experiences of school. They visited lessons and observed the school during lesson transitions and break times.  Inspectors carefully reviewed and discussed key school data and documentation, such as the school development plan, attendance and behaviour data and plans for pupils with SEND.  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 considered the responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including free-text comments. Inspectors also viewed the responses to the pupil survey and the responses to the staff survey. 28 and 29 January 2025

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Inspection team

Rachel Hesketh, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Jerry Giles Ofsted Inspector 28 and 29 January 2025

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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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