The Redstart Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: The Redstart Primary School Redstart Road, The Redstart Primary School, Chard, Somerset TA20 1SD

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Outcome

The Redstart Primary School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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Outcome

The principal of this school is Rebecca Collins. This school is part of Cabot Learning Federation, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Steve Taylor, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Yvonne Beach.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils across the school consistently exemplify the values of the ‘Redstart way’: respect, kindness, perseverance and honesty. Pupils behave well and have a strong commitment to learning. The high expectations set by school leaders and staff are embraced by pupils, who respond positively and achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Relationships between pupils and staff are characterised by mutual trust and respect. Pupils report that they feel confident in seeking support from the safeguarding team. They also use the worry boxes in classrooms if they have any concerns. Pupils are assured that their worries will be taken seriously by staff.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school fosters engagement with the wider community, providing pupils with enriching experiences. For example, in partnership with the local astronomical society, the school hosts star-gazing evenings. This allows families to explore new activities together. Pupils also have access to a variety of extra-curricular clubs, including drawing, choir and construction. Additionally, opportunities to perform and showcase musical talents in front of parents and carers help pupils develop their skills and interests.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils explain how democracy is practised within the school. Each month, they participate in voting on a topic related to school life. This helps pupils to build their understanding of British values and contribute to the school community. 1 and 2 April 2025

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

The school offers an ambitious curriculum that is well structured, enabling pupils to learn skills and build knowledge progressively. School leaders are reflective and consistently seek ways to enhance the curriculum design. Staff possess strong subject knowledge. This ensures that the delivery of the curriculum aligns with the high expectations set by leaders. As a result, pupils achieve well. Their success is reflected in the published outcomes.

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

Reading is central to the school’s curriculum. Staff foster a love of reading from the time children start in the Nursery class. In the early years, children are introduced to a broad range of stories to spark their imagination and develop their vocabulary. Older pupils read carefully-chosen texts that connect to contemporary issues. Pupils appreciate the enriching school trips that bring the curriculum to life. Year 2 pupils visit Lyme Regis for geography, and Year 5 pupils visit Bristol to explore the SS Great Britain as part of their history studies. Pupils speak enthusiastically about what they learn and take pride in their high-quality work. However, there are occasions when staff do not consistently address misconceptions or gaps in pupils’ knowledge. As a result, some pupils do not fully secure essential learning before progressing to new concepts.

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

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) access the same high- quality curriculum as their peers. Highly-trained staff support pupils with SEND and identify their specific needs. Additionally, the school collaborates well with external agencies when specialist support is required. Consequently, pupils with SEND receive strong support and achieve well.

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

Children in the early years make a strong start to their education. Staff are skilled in guiding and questioning children to ensure that learning activities are appropriately challenging. The outdoor learning environment fosters creativity and imagination. Children engage in activities such as wading through a stream while pretending to fish for sharks. These experiences help develop sustained attention and focus for learning.

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

Pupils throughout the school behave well. Positive and mutually respectful relationships between staff and pupils have contributed to a significant improvement in behaviour. This means low-level behaviour is rare. Pupils' attendance is a priority for school leaders. The school has effective systems in place to monitor attendance, ensuring pupils’ safety and supporting families to maintain regular attendance.

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

The provision for pupils’ personal development is a strength of the school. Pupils have a wealth of opportunities to build confidence and character. For example, all Year 6 pupils take on roles of responsibility such as house captains, librarians or science ambassadors. Older pupils know they are role models to younger peers. They take these roles seriously and proudly support younger pupils, for example as 'reading buddies'. Outdoor learning activities further enhance pupils' skills, including knot tying, fire lighting, and shelter building. 1 and 2 April 2025

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The school benefits from strong support from the trust and the academy council, who possess a deep understanding of the school. They offer a balanced mix of challenge and support. Staff are highly committed to the school and demonstrate strong support for school leaders. Staff feel that their workload and well-being are considered when decisions are made, fostering a supportive work environment.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, staff do not consistently use the checks on learning they have made to address gaps in pupils’ learning or misconceptions. This means some pupils move on to new learning before securing the prior knowledge they need. The trust should ensure that teachers use what they know about pupils’ learning to inform adaptations to teaching and consolidate pupils’ understanding over time.

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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 February 2020. 1 and 2 April 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). 1 and 2 April 2025

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School details

Website www.theredstartprimaryschool.co.uk

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 26 and 27 February 2020, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This school is part of Cabot Learning Federation.  The school currently makes use of one alternative provision.  While the school is registered to provide Nursery education for two- and three-year- olds, there are no two-year-olds on the school roll at present.

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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. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and took that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. 1 and 2 April 2025

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 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 met with the principal, the assistant principals, members of the trust leadership team, the special educational needs coordinator, subject leaders, the chair of the academy council and the CEO.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site.  The inspector gathered parents’ views by considering the responses to Ofsted Parent View and by talking to parents. The inspectors also reviewed responses to Ofsted’s online staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

James Gentile, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector 1 and 2 April 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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