Russell Hall Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 17 June 2025

Pupils exemplify the school's values of respect, collaboration and resilience. Pupils respect each other and their school environment. Older pupils tend to the school garden and clear litter from the local area. Pupils collaborate well with one another. They listen to the opinions of their peers as they discuss new topics. 'Play Leaders' help younger pupils engage in games and activities at lunchtimes. The school ensures children in the early years develop resilience and independence in their learning. Behaviour in lessons and around the school site is generally very positive. Pupils are happy at school. Staff help them to manage their emotions and overcome challenges. Pupils say that bullying is rare. If it does occur, staff address it effectively. Pupils know how to stay safe in person and online. Parents and carers say that staff quickly get to know children in the early years. Excellent pastoral support continues as pupils get older. Until recently, the school's expectations for pupils' academic attainment were not high enough. As a result, some pupils have not achieved well over time. Pupils' attainment in national assessments has only recently begun to improve. The school is ambitious that all pupils will now achieve their full potential.

What the school should improve

• The teaching activity choices that staff make in key stage 1 and key stage 2 do not consistently match the aims of the curriculum. Some pupils do not learn the curriculum in sufficient depth and do not achieve well, including in external assessments. The school should ensure that staff make appropriate activity choices that support the intended learning and enable pupils to achieve their full potential.
• Staff do not consistently check what pupils know and can do in lessons well. Pupils have gaps in their knowledge which have not been identified or addressed. This limits how well pupils know and remember the curriculum over time. The school should ensure that there is an effective and consistent approach to identifying and addressing gaps in pupils' knowledge before moving on to new learning.
• Some pupils do not have a secure understanding of beliefs that are different from their own. This impacts how well pupils are prepared to contribute to life in modern Britain. The school should ensure that the curriculum gives pupils a secure knowledge of different faiths and cultures.
• The governing board has not ensured that it receives the information it requires to support and challenge the school consistently. This has slowed progress to improve the quality of education that pupils receive, particularly for the most disadvantaged. The school should ensure that it has a focused and effective strategy for addressing school improvement objectives that is well understood by all stakeholders, especially those responsible for governance.

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