Redstone Academy for Boys

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 23 January 2024

Pupils flourish here. They develop a deep understanding of their role in their local community and wider British society. Pupils grow into reflective, responsible and mature young adults during their time at the school. Leaders are building an ambitious and challenging academic curriculum and working to support all staff to develop the knowledge they need to deliver this well. The commitment that pupils show towards their learning is admirable. They attend school well. In lessons, they focus on their learning and tackle challenges with enthusiasm. The school's ethos is palpable. A culture of mutual respect between all members of the school community threads through every aspect of the school. Pupils build strong, positive relationships with their peers and develop a strong sense of belonging. Pupils described how each pupil builds on the work of the others and is supported by those around them. They commented that this makes them feel like 'a family'. The view of one pupil echoed that of many: 'We are each a brick in the wall of our community.' Leaders have worked hard to nurture and maintain this strong sense of community following the COVID-19 pandemic. Consequently, pupils feel safe here. If pupils have any concerns, they know whom to talk to and are confident that these will be resolved swiftly.

What the school should improve

• Leaders do not have a clear understanding of the gaps in pupils' reading abilities, and effective support is lacking for those who struggle to read. Because of this, those pupils who struggle to read do not learn to read fluently quickly enough. Leaders should ensure that they have an accurate view of pupils' reading ability and provide pupils with the targeted support they need to bridge any gaps in their reading.
• In a small number of subjects, teachers do not have sufficient subject knowledge to deliver the subject well. Where this happens, teachers' delivery of the curriculum is not strong because they do not design lessons that support the aims of the curriculum. This holds pupils back. Leaders should ensure that all teachers have the subject knowledge they need so that the curriculum is delivered suitably well across all subjects.
• The school's oversight of its work lacks rigour in some aspects. The school has not identified inconsistencies in the delivery of the curriculum and has not noticed errors in the coding of registers. Consequently, leaders have not focused their work on the areas that require the greatest attention. The school should make sure that monitoring processes ensure that the curriculum is implemented with suitable breadth for all pupils and that registers are completed accurately. They should also consider how best to ensure that all monitoring processes are fit for purpose.

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