Red Balloon Educational Trust-Norfolk

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 14 January 2025

Pupils join Red Balloon having had previous negative experiences of education. The school takes time to understand pupils' individual needs prior to joining. Consequently, staff provide the specific support each pupil needs to transition successfully into the school. Pupils respond well to the school's high expectations. Individualised curriculums are typically well matched to pupils' specific needs and interests. The enrichment offer further enhances the curriculum. Trips, such as to Norwich Castle or local places of worship, help pupils to learn more about the topics they study. Kindness and nurture underpin everything that happens here. This begins in the morning, when staff greet pupils at the front door with a smile. Pupils happily put their slippers on before settling into lessons or going to read in a comfy chair. The warm, homely environment further helps pupils to feel comfortable and secure. Lunchtime is a particularly positive time of the day for pupils. They love to come together as one to enjoy a home-cooked meal while chatting or playing games with staff and their peers. All of this builds the trusting relationships that have created the positive ethos that permeates the school. This helps pupils to achieve well and begin to re-engage with their education.

What the school should improve

• The school does not consistently use assessment to inform and adapt learning. Sometimes staff provide pupils with work to complete before pupils have the prior knowledge they need. This can make it hard for pupils to access this work. The school should ensure that all staff understand how to use assessment to inform future teaching choices.
• The school has not developed a systematic approach to how it will evaluate the impact of its work across key areas. This means the school does not have as secure an understanding of where to target some school improvement priorities as it could. The school should ensure it has systems in place to accurately evaluate all areas of its work. This is so leaders at all levels better understand where to prioritise future school improvement.

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