Proud special school in Mansfield transformed from 'Inadequate' to 'Good'

When Redgate School was inspected by education watchdog Ofsted in 2015, things were so bad that it was placed in ‘special measures’.

But two years later, it was taken over by the Diverse Academies Trust, which runs 14 schools, mostly mainstream, across Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire.

And now, after its latest Ofsted inspection, Redgate Primary Academy on Somersall Street has been rated ‘Good’ in all categories.

"We are tremendously proud of what has been achieved,” beamed Gareth Letton, the executive principal.

"The leadership team and staff have worked tirelessly together to enhance the quality of education for our children, and this judgement is testament to that.

"Redgate is a wonderful place to be, and we are delighted by this outcome.”

The school has 56 pupils, aged three to 11, on its books. All have special educational needs and/or disabilities.

The two-day visit by Ofsted inspectors found that Redgate was a “friendly and inclusive” school, where the key mantra was ‘caring, sharing and learning together’.

"Pupils receive personalised, good-quality care and education, and they enjoy their time in school,” the inspectors’ report said.

"They access a broad range of subjects, and learn to work in an independent and collaborative way.

"They feel safe, and staff provide skilled support. There are trusting, positive relationships.”

The report said pupils “learn how to manage and understand their emotions and behaviour” and to “develop their communications skills well”. Behaviour was “generally good” and bullying rare.

There was “a strong focus on helping pupils to develop independence and acquire life skills”.

They learned about British values such as respect and democracy, developed an understanding of the wider world and also learned the importance of healthy lifestyles.

Parents also spoke highly of Redgate, with one typical comment being: “I can’t thank the school enough for what they do for my child on a daily basis.”

The inspectors found that safeguarding was effective, and that staff felt well supported by school leaders in their workload and wellbeing.

The only criticism of the school concerned the curriculum, which inspectors felt was “not yet sufficiently well planned”.

"However, it is clear from leaders’ actions that they are in the process of bringing this about,” the report said.

And inspectors still praised staff for “providing a range of ambitious learning opportunities and experiences” and having “high expectations for pupils”. "Staff make learning meaningful,” they said.

Mr Letton, who works alongside principal Courtney Hoop, stressed the role the Diverse trust has played in bringing about change at Redgate.

He said: “We work as part of a group of schools. We have not only built on our local knowledge, skills and experience but also drawn from the wider multi-academy trust.”

Dave Cotton, chief executive of the trust, said Redgate was now “part of a larger, high-performing team, where colleagues can “unlock support from a number of sources to drive improvement at pace”.

"We believe it’s a significant strength for us and part of the turnaround success story for Redgate,” he added.

"I am grateful to the whole team for their continued commitment to making this unique learning environment one we can rightly be proud of.”