Redwood Primary School

112770 Unique Reference Number City of Derby LA Local Authority 310999 Inspection number 13 °14 February 2008 Inspection dates Alison Cogher Reporting inspector

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Infant Type of school Community School category 3 °7 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 254 School The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Tracey Comfort Chair Mrs Lindsay Austin Headteacher 17 May 2004 Date of previous school inspection Redwood Road School address Derby Derbyshire DE24 9PG 01332 767443 Telephone number 01332 771641 Fax number

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3-7 Age group 13 °14 February 2008 Inspection dates 310999 Inspection number .

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This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

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Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied.

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by three Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

This is a larger than average sized infant school with its own Nursery. A higher than average number of families are socially and economically disadvantaged. The proportion of children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is below average as is the proportion of children with a statement of special educational need and those entitled to free school meals. A wide range of ethnic minorities are present in the school, although just over half of the children come from White British backgrounds. The remaining children are largely of Indian or Pakistani descent. An above average number of pupils are at the early stages of learning English as their second language. Standards on entry to the Nursery are well below those typically found. The school has achieved a number of nationally recognised awards including the Basic Skills, Investors in People and Healthy Schools Awards as well as the Activemark.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 11 Inspection Report: Redwood Infant School, 13 °14 February 2008

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Grade: 2

This good, and improving, school has the confidence of its parents and children. It provides a warm, caring and vibrant environment in which children feel safe and are able to learn well. The headteacher is a good leader who is supported effectively by staff and governors. Teamwork and a commitment to school improvement are strong elements of the school's work. In most respects, the systems in place for the school to judge the quality of its work are good. As a result, areas for improvement are identified and clear plans are generated to ensure that action is taken to bring about the changes needed. By working together and making good use of individual teachers' strengths, the staff have succeeded in tackling the issues identified in the last inspection. They have also established an improving trend in standards, despite a fall in children's standards on entry to the Nursery. Subject leaders have contributed in many ways

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Grade: 2

to improvement and they check the quality of their subjects. However, they are not as confident in analysing assessment data as senior leaders are. Children are enthusiastic about learning and enjoy school. The good range of interesting activities planned by teachers ensures that children have fun while they learn and this motivates them to do their best. Children behave well and positive relationships based on trust and respect are evident throughout the school. There is good support for children's personal and academic development and robust procedures ensure they receive good levels of care. Children get off to a good start in the Foundation Stage. They make good progress and achieve well to reach broadly average standards by the end of Year 2. Those learning English as an additional language frequently make very good progress and achieve very well. The more able children are not always challenged enough to improve the standard of their writing because

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Grade: 2

teachers are at times too cautious and underestimate what they can achieve. The school's focus on improving the teaching of basic skills in literacy and numeracy has been successful in securing an improving trend in the standards children are reaching in reading, writing and mathematics. Teachers and teaching assistants expect children to achieve well personally and academically. By planning lessons together and working effectively as a teaching team, they ensure that children build confidently on what they have learned in previous lessons. Assessment information is used well in planning lessons. Teachers identify what children need to learn next and set generally challenging targets. Children are provided with good information about how they can improve their work. This approach is supporting children in making good and sometimes better progress. The curriculum is well organised and effective links made between subjects

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Grade: 2

ensure that children's learning has relevance. The school is developing creative approaches to teaching and the use of resources to expand the variety of activities used to support children's learning further. For example, role-play is supporting children's speaking and listening, and writing skills effectively.

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Grade: 2

The Foundation Stage is led and managed well and provision is good. Children make good progress in the Nursery and Reception classes and develop into confident and enthusiastic learners. Despite their good progress, many do not achieve the expected goals by the end of their Reception. However, meticulous records of children's achievements show clearly that in the last two years an increasing number are working confidently within or beyond the expected 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Redwood Infant School, 13 °14 February 2008 goals. This is because improvements to planning ensure that assessment information is used well to guide the teaching of key literacy and numeracy skills. The wide range of activities and the good support provided by adults ensure that children are motivated to learn and enjoy their time at school. However, although resources are generally used well, too little use is made of the outdoor areas to enrich and extend children's learning further.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Raise the standards of the more able children in writing.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Improve the skills of subject leaders in the analysis of data to support their role in monitoring and evaluating school effectiveness. ■ Increase the use made of the outdoor areas to support children's learning in the Foundation Stage classes.

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Grade: 2

On entry to the Nursery children's standards are well below national expectations, particularly in their personal and social development and their language and calculation skills. They make good progress in the Foundation Stage and continue to do so in Years 1 and 2. Children work hard to achieve the generally challenging targets they are set. Although the more able children make good progress from their individual starting points, they are not always challenged enough and too few reach the higher standard in writing of which they are capable. However, an improving trend in standards has been established because of the school's sharp focus on raising attainment.

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Grade: 2

Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. They work and play cooperatively and enjoy good social relationships. Effective use is made of the ethnic diversity represented in the school population to enrich and extend children's knowledge and understanding of different cultures. Children enjoy school, their attendance is satisfactory and their behaviour is good. They understand the importance of a good diet and most make healthy choices from the food available at lunchtime. Children enjoy being active and know that taking exercise is an essential part of living a healthy lifestyle. Three quarters of children in Years 1 and 2 take part in at least one of the wide range of after-school clubs involving exercise. They feel safe at school and know that they can talk to staff if they are troubled. Staff are vigilant and racism and bullying are not tolerated. Children make a significant contribution to their

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Grade: 2

school and the wider community through for example, their work on the school council and the entertainment they provide for local senior citizens. Their social and academic skills and their work with the Young Enterprise group prepare them well for the next stage in their education.

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Grade: 2

Good teamwork has enabled the school to develop successful teaching methods that ensure that all children make at least good progress and achieve well. The challenge in lessons is 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Redwood Infant School, 13 °14 February 2008 generally effective in ensuring that children do as well as they should. Good use is made of group and personal targets to support children's understanding of what they are expected to learn and to help them evaluate their own work. This approach supports children's self-esteem and motivates them to work hard. Teachers' marking is supportive as it guides and encourages children to improve. There are good relationships and teachers manage well those few children whose behaviour is challenging on occasions. This ensures that there is minimal disruption in lessons and children's learning is not adversely affected.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum is good and shortcomings noted at the last inspection have been tackled successfully. Investigative work in mathematics and science is planned for specifically and this has contributed to a rise in standards in these subjects. The provision for English, mathematics and information and communication technology is generally well matched to the interests and abilities of children. As a result, they find their lessons interesting and fun. The organisation of the teaching of other subjects has improved since the last inspection so it is more focused on what children are expected to learn. Children enjoy the variety of the work they are given. Visits, visitors and opportunities to be involved in practical activities significantly enrich children's learning. The strong programme of after-school activities, especially in sports and the performing arts, motivates children and provides opportunities for them to participate very successfully in

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Grade: 2

Arrangements for keeping children safe are robust and implemented effectively. Consequently, children feel secure, cared for and valued. The learning mentor is particularly effective in her role and provides good support for parents and children. The school works effectively with outside agencies to support children and their families. Good systems are in place to encourage attendance and punctuality and children are keen to be at school. However, a few parents persist in taking their children on extended holidays in term time. Children's personal and academic progress is monitored carefully. Teachers use this information well to set children targets for improvement and communicate them in language children understand. Those with who find learning more difficult receive the help they need to make good progress. The very effective support provided for children learning English as a second language ensures they

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Grade: 2

progress very well and contribute much to the life of the school community.

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Grade: 2

The headteacher provides strong, well-focused leadership and she is supported very well by her deputy headteacher. Staff readily share ideas and expertise and are committed to improving their own practice. This has strengthened improvements to teaching and the use made of assessment information that have underpinned the rising standards. Staff play an active part in evaluating the work of the school. Subject leaders in particular are competent in checking on some aspects of their subjects. However, their analysis of assessment data to monitor standards, children's progress and the impact of teaching on children's learning is limited and restricts their leadership somewhat in raising standards. Governors are well informed and 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Redwood Infant School, 13 °14 February 2008 supportive of the school. They work constructively with staff to ensure the school's priorities for development are tackled successfully. This united approach has secured good progress since

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Grade: 2

the last inspection and demonstrates the school's good capacity to improve further. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Redwood Infant School, 13 °14 February 2008 .

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Grade: 2

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 8 of 11 Inspection Report: Redwood Infant School, 13 °14 February 2008

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Inspection judgements

School Overall Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate

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Overall effectiveness

How effective, efficient and inclusive is the provision of education, integrated care and any extended services in meeting the needs of learners? Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? 2 The effectiveness of the Foundation Stage 2 The capacity to make any necessary improvements

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Achievement and standards

2 How well do learners achieve? 3 The standards 1 reached by learners How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 2 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

2 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 2 How well learners enjoy their education 3 The attendance of learners 2 The behaviour of learners 2 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

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and interests of learners?

2 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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and interests of learners?

Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average to below average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low. 9 of 11 Inspection Report: Redwood Infant School, 13 °14 February 2008

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and supporting all learners?

How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education 2 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can How effectively and efficiently resources, including staff, are deployed to achieve value for money The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities Yes Do procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements? No Does this school require special measures? No Does this school require a notice to improve? 10 of 11 Inspection Report: Redwood Infant School, 13 °14 February 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

14 February 2008 Dear Children Inspection of Redwood Infant School, Derby, DE24 9PG Thank you very much for helping us with the inspection of your school and for being so friendly and making us feel welcome. We really enjoyed talking to you about your school and your work. We were very pleased to hear that you enjoy your lessons and all the other activities the adults at school organise for you. Here are some of the things we liked best about your school.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You work hard to reach your targets and almost all of you behave well.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You enjoy each other's company and work and play together well.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Your teachers and other adults plan lessons for you that are interesting and they are good at helping you to learn new things. ■ Your headteacher and the other adults in school take good care of you. They work hard to help you be safe and happy at school. ■ The parents who wrote to us are pleased with the care and education you receive.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

We think you go to a good school that helps you to be confident and to learn well. To make it even better we are asking the teachers to make the following improvements.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ To help those of you who find writing easier to make it very good.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ To make sure that the teachers check how well you are doing in different subjects to help you learn even more. ■ To make sure that the children in the Nursery and Reception classes have more opportunities to work and play in the outdoor areas. On behalf of myself and the other two inspectors thank you again for your help. With best wishes Alison Cogher Lead inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Redwood Infant School, 13 °14 February 2008

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