St Mary Redcliffe Church of England Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 6 January 2026

Pupils do not receive the quality of education they should. This is because the way the curriculum is taught does not help pupils to know and remember important information. Consequently, pupils are not well prepared for their next stage of education. Some pupils who are disadvantaged, those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those facing other barriers to learning do not receive the support they need to progress well from their starting points. Not all staff implement the behaviour policy consistently. Therefore, not all pupils understand behaviour expectations. Leaders have only recently begun to improve attendance and punctuality. Consequently, not all pupils attend as well as they should. The school's programme for personal development and wellbeing does not prepare pupils well enough for life in modern Britain. Not all children in early years are well prepared for their next stage of education. This is because those children who have gaps in learning are not supported well enough to catch up. The school has been through a period of change. Leaders within the trust have begun to stabilise the school. They have an accurate view of the school. They have begun to strengthen many areas and have made a positive start. However, this is in its early stages. There is still significant work to do to ensure pupils fully benefit from this. Despite these weaknesses, pupils are safe, happy and welcoming. They live out the school's distinctive vision, 'rooted in love', in the warm friendships they make. Bullying is rare and pupils trust staff to help them if they have any worries. Many pupils join at different points in the school year. Some speak English as an additional language. Leaders have developed a coherent support programme to help them settle in. Staff spend time getting to know new pupils. This helps pupils to become part of the school and local community.

What the school should improve

• Leaders should ensure that staff understand the range of barriers pupils may face to their learning and ensure that the curriculum is well matched to their needs.
• Leaders should ensure that teachers teach the curriculum as intended to support pupils to build up their subject knowledge in an incremental way.
• Leaders should ensure that teachers identify and address gaps in pupils' learning to help them to develop the foundational knowledge, language and communication skills they need.
• Leaders should ensure that the strengthened attendance policy is implemented consistently to raise pupils' attendance rates.
• Leaders should ensure that the behaviour policy is consistently implemented by staff and understood by all pupils.
• Leaders should ensure that pupils develop a clear understanding of the diversity of modern Britain to prepare them for life beyond school.

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