Radford Primary Academy

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 18 October 2022

This is a school in which everyone is made to feel welcome and included. Pupils enjoy coming to school. They speak positively about how staff help them with their learning. Pastoral support is available and prioritised for pupils at the right time. Pupils say that they feel safe in school and bullying rarely happens. If it does, they are comfortable to ask for support and say that teachers would resolve it quickly. Leaders have high expectations for pupils. Their work to promote pupils' personal development is a strength. Pupils enthuse about a range of extra-curricular clubs that are on offer, such as netball, sewing and reading. Staff work hard to ensure that all pupils benefit from valuable experiences. Senior leaders prioritise important values such as unity, respect and care. They are at the heart of this school and the curriculum. Staff promote these through all that they do. Pupils of all ages understand what these values mean and why they are important. Pupils are kind to each other; they are polite and show good manners. Behaviour across the school is generally calm and positive. Leaders have revised and developed the curriculum. The curriculum is ambitious. They have considered what they want pupils to learn and when. Pupils are prepared well for their next steps.

What the school should improve

• Teachers have not provided enough guidance to some pupils to enable them to develop their handwriting well. As a result, these pupils struggle to communicate their ideas clearly in their writing and are not making as much progress as they should over time. Leaders should accelerate their plans to support pupils with the acquisition of effective handwriting skills.
• Not all staff consistently follow the school's behaviour policy. This means that some pupils' poor behaviour goes unchallenged and they do not behave as well as they should. Leaders should provide further training and ensure that all staff apply the school's behaviour policy consistently.
• At times, there is variability of teachers' expertise in implementing the curriculum. In these instances, pupils do not learn as well or as much as they should. Leaders should continue to support staff in developing expertise and ensure that the curriculum is delivered in line with their aims.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)