THE HEADTEACHER of an east Reading primary school says steps are being taken following an Ofsted verdict of ‘requires improvement’.
Redlands Primary School in Lydford Road, was found the school to be inclusive, but pupils are not getting ‘the education they deserve’.
According to the report, pupils do not learn as well as they should because parts of the curriculum are not well established.
While teachers are praised for learning on pronunciation and fostering an appetite for reading, other areas of the curriculum requires focus.
Ofsted inspectors rated the school ‘Requires Improvement’ and laid out what is needed for it to reinstate the ‘Good’ rating it achieved at its last full inspection in 2012.
Headteacher Theresa Buttery noted positive points and said she was pleased that inspectors recognised the part that children play in the daily life of the school.
“There is an atmosphere of acceptance and respect and that pupils genuinely appreciate each other as individuals and learn to view their differences as strengths,” the report states, adding that staff in school clearly care about the children and ‘pupils benefit from opportunities to develop personally’.
Mrs Buttery said: “The report details the many positive areas at Redlands Primary School and Nursery. However, it correctly highlights the areas that require improvement and the next steps needed to take the school forward.”
She added that work had begun on a development plan, prior to the inspection, and is being implemented.
The headteacher judged that the pace of implementation, and the school’s ability to demonstrate the impact of recent changes, are key to raising standards swiftly.
Mrs Buttery said: “While we know it will be disappointing, we believe the overall judgment of ‘Requires Improvement’ is right at this time.
“The feedback we received during the inspection reflected our assessment and highlighted that we are focusing on the right areas of improvement for Redlands to rapidly become the unquestionably ‘Good’ school we all want it to be. This work was recognised by Ofsted in that ‘new leaders have got a firm grasp on what needs to improve’.”
Thanking parents for their support, Mrs Buttery added: “A school is built by a community working together for the benefit of its pupils, in partnership.
“We will continue to work hard to ensure that all children are receiving the education they deserve and to support the rapid improvements that are under way at Redlands.”
The Ofsted report was published on Thursday, February 2, after the inspection took place on December 6 and 7 2022.
