RED Oaks Primary continues to put children at the heart of their work, according to Ofsted, which has showered the school with praise in its latest inspection report.

The education regulator previously rated the school ‘good’ in 2013 and this week, staff, parents and pupils were told that they continue to hold that rating.

Inspector Jonathan Dyer paid the school a visit on November 7 and wrote in his inspection letter: “Together, leaders demonstrate a steely determination that all pupils in the school, regardless of need, will achieve their potential and be well prepared for the next stage of their education.

“You have ensured that Red Oaks is an outward-looking school, which is constantly reviewing its practices.

“Children are firmly at the heart of the school’s work. This was clear from our discussions with pupils, as well as from our evaluations of your plans for further developments.

“A clear strength of the school is its learning environment.”

The previous inspection identified the need for leaders to provide greater opportunities for the most able pupils to challenge themselves at a higher level and Ofsted praised staff for addressing this issue during their latest visit.

They also found that safeguarding was found to be effective but in order to achieve the ‘outstanding’ rating, Red Oaks needs to ensure that developments in teaching, learning and assessment are fully embedded, so that greater proportions of pupils are working above the standards expected for their age.

Mr Dyer said: “Leaders have created a culture of care and vigilance and are committed to ensuring that pupils feel safe, both physically and emotionally.

“In the 2017 national assessment tests, the proportion of Year 6 pupils working at greater depth in writing was below the national average. Therefore, our second line of enquiry was to look at how leaders are ensuring that greater proportions of key stage 2 pupils are being challenged to write at greater depth.

“Leaders have identified this as a priority, and developments are already in place.

“During our visit, one of the most striking features of the school was its inclusivity. For example, all pupils learn British sign language. It is used in assemblies, productions and the oral retelling of stories in writing lessons.

“Staff in all phases of the school exhibit high expectations and are highly skilled at getting the best out of pupils who have additional needs.

“Targets are aspirational and build on what pupils can already do. This is ensuring that pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities make strong progress towards their targets.”

Red Oaks headteacher Rachel Surch said: “We are absolutely thrilled with the report, it’s a real credit to the children and all the staff at Red Oaks who work tirelessly to ensure the education at our school is the best it can be.

“It is a pleasure working with such a fantastic bunch of people, Red Oaks is a real team.

“I would like to publicly thank the staff, parents and governors for their continued support. All surveys completed were overwhelmingly positive, they particularly noted how welcoming and inclusive our school is.”