Ravenhurst Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve leadership by:
  • developing the precision of self-evaluation to identify specific actions necessary to bring about improvement
  • taking action quickly to tackle areas identified for improvement
  • holding staff to account and challenging weaker performance
  • ensuring that additional funding is specifically accounted for and evaluated in terms of the impact it has on pupils’ progress
  • ensuring that governors have the knowledge and understanding to hold leaders to account.
• Improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment by:
  • ensuring that teachers have high expectations of what pupils can achieve
  • ensuring that teachers consistently provide work that is matched to pupils’ abilities so that pupils, particularly the most able, are appropriately challenged
  • ensuring that teachers support pupils to develop their writing by giving specific guidance on how to improve their work and ensuring that pupils consistently act on it.
• Improve the attendance of disadvantaged pupils and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities.
• Develop strategies to support pupils to improve their behaviour so that the number of exclusions is reduced. An external review of governance should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved. An external review of the school’s use of the pupil premium should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

• Leaders are aware of the strengths and weaknesses in the school but they have not been sharp enough in their self-evaluation to identify specific actions necessary to ensure rapid improvement. Action plans lack precision and do not detail measurable success criteria. Leaders have not taken action to tackle the weaknesses in the school quickly. Too much time lapses between the identification of weaknesses and the action taken to address them.
• Leaders do not rigorously monitor the work of staff and are not clear in sharing high expectations of their performance. This means that staff are not fully aware of how they need to improve, nor do they recognise the need to do so rapidly. Staff are set performance targets but these are not robust enough to bring about the necessary improvements to their practice. Leaders do not effectively hold staff to account.
• Leaders have not ensured that additional funding, such as that for disadvantaged pupils and the primary physical education (PE) and sport funding, is used effectively. They do not account for how the funding is spent, nor do they evaluate the impact of this funding on pupils’ progress. Governors are therefore unable to hold leaders to account for how this funding is used.
• Leaders have not ensured that staff have received appropriate training to effectively manage pupils’ behaviour and to support those who have additional needs. Staff lack confidence in this, which means that some pupils are not effectively supported to succeed in school. Leaders have not taken effective action to reduce the number of exclusions.
• Subject leaders have implemented a whole-school approach to planning in English and mathematics. This has ensured greater consistency in the quality of teaching in these subjects. It is too early to measure the impact of this approach.

• The leadership of the provision for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is improving. Leaders involve external agencies to support pupils to succeed. Leaders are beginning to ensure that funding for these pupils is effectively used; their progress and attendance is now tracked more carefully so that leaders can ensure that appropriate support is put in place. However, the special educational needs coordinator does not monitor class teachers’ provision, which means that she is unable to hold teachers to account for the progress that these pupils make.
• Leaders are proactive in seeking external support to improve the quality of education in the school. For example, since September 2016, they have worked with a local primary school as part of the teaching alliance. Leaders have been supported to identify strengths and weaknesses and staff have received training to develop their practice. Plans are in place to develop this support further.
• Leaders have ensured that the curriculum engages and interests pupils. There are many opportunities for pupils to develop their creativity and the theme-based approach interests and excites pupils. For example, pupils in Year 6 have recently taken part in a murder-mystery activity, which included the chalk outline of the victim drawn on the library floor. At the time of the inspection, pupils were using this experience to write police reports of the incident.
• Leaders have introduced a new whole-school approach to the teaching of writing, including new strategies for teaching spelling and grammar. The ‘Slow Writing’ approach provides pupils with a framework to develop their writing. This is beginning to improve pupils’ progress in writing across all key stages.
• Leaders are beginning to develop a strategy to ensure that activities are planned to meet the needs of pupils who have different abilities. Leaders are aware of the need to ensure greater challenge for the most able pupils.
• Leaders ensure that staff consistently promote fundamental British values. Pupils are given a range of opportunities to develop their understanding of what life in modern Britain constitutes, for example through visits and visiting speakers. Leaders promote pupils’ social, moral, spiritual and cultural development well.
• The leadership of the early years provision is a strength of the school and children have a positive experience when they start life at school.

Governance of the school

• Governors are committed to the school and are keen to support school improvement. However, they do not have the knowledge and understanding necessary to drive further improvement. They recognise that they would benefit from further training in areas where they lack knowledge and expertise.
• Governors do not have a detailed understanding of how additional funding, such as that to support disadvantaged pupils and the primary PE and sport funding, is used. They are therefore unable to hold leaders to account for its use.
• Members of the governing body undertake monitoring activities, meet with leaders and observe learning. For example, the governor responsible for safeguarding has met with the designated safeguarding lead, talked to pupils and scrutinised the single central record.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. School leaders have established a culture of safeguarding where all staff recognise and understand their responsibility in ensuring pupils’ safety and well-being.
• Leaders have ensured that staff receive appropriate training. As a result, staff have an up-to-date understanding of current safeguarding issues, such as ‘sexting’ and protecting pupils from the risks of extremism and radicalisation.
• Leaders take appropriate action if they have concerns over a child’s safety or well-being and follow up concerns in a timely manner. Leaders engage well with external support agencies.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

• The quality of teaching, learning and assessment is inconsistent within and across key stages and subjects.
• Teachers do not have high enough expectations of what pupils can achieve and progress, particularly for the most able, has been slow over time.
• Leaders have introduced a new approach to the teaching of writing which provides pupils with guidance to develop their work. However, expectations are too low and pupils are not encouraged to apply their learning consistently, for example from discrete grammar sessions, when they write extended pieces. Basic skills are not fully embedded in pupils’ writing.
• Activities are planned to provide different levels of challenge, called ‘hot, spicy and mild’. Pupils are encouraged to select an activity appropriate to their level of ability. However, the most able pupils are not always sufficiently challenged. In mathematics, girls are not consistently supported to attempt the more challenging activities. Pupils are not always sure which tasks they should be attempting and require greater teacher guidance to ensure that their work is suitably challenging.
• Too much learning time is wasted. Pupils are expected to listen to lengthy instructions, to wait for other pupils to be ready or to complete tasks that have little value before moving on to more challenging activities. In many lessons, the pace of learning is too slow to allow pupils to make rapid progress.
• Where teaching is stronger, pupils’ abilities are considered in teachers’ planning, so work is appropriately matched to what the pupils know and can do. Inspectors saw effective teaching in key stage 1, where tasks were matched to pupils’ needs and the most able pupils were effectively challenged.
• Pupils’ understanding of accurate grammar and punctuation is developed through explicit teacher input. Work in pupils’ books demonstrates good progress in these specific activities. In some classes, for example in Year 6, pupils are able to apply this understanding in extended writing tasks. However, this is not consistent across the school. Leaders are aware of the need to develop pupils’ habits to routinely apply this learning across their work.
• Questioning is used effectively in some lessons to support pupils to develop their reasoning skills.
• Teachers do not consistently apply the school feedback policy. Where the policy is used well, pupils’ progress is effectively supported and encouraged. However, too often teachers do not provide guidance which is specific enough for pupils to understand how to improve their work.
• Much work has been undertaken to encourage pupils to read widely and regularly. Texts are coded according to the level of challenge and pupils aspire to progress to become ‘free readers’. Inspectors listened to a range of pupils read. They were keen to share their reading habits and to discuss their books. All pupils maintain a reading diary which records their reading activity. However, pupils with whom inspectors spoke were unsure how they could improve their reading,
• The teaching of phonics in key stage 1 is good. Phonics sessions meet the needs of individual learners. Phonics learning is referenced in other lessons where pupils are reminded to use their skills to support their reading and writing development.
• Teaching assistants are effective in supporting pupils with whom they work to make progress. For example, inspectors observed teaching assistants asking probing questions to support pupils to work things out for themselves, developing both their understanding and independence.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare requires improvement. Although there is little low-level disruption, pupils are not supported to develop positive learning behaviours in many lessons where the level of challenge is too low. Teachers do not consistently encourage pupils to take risks in their learning or to push themselves to use effective independent learning strategies.
• Female pupils reported that they did not feel their self-esteem was fully developed. For example, in expecting them to access more challenging work in mathematics.
• Leaders have appointed an ‘ELSA’, an emotional literacy support assistant. A number of pupils benefit from this support and have successfully learned to understand and control their emotions while respecting the feelings of others.
• Pupils have a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe. They understand potential risks and are able to explain how to protect themselves, for example in reference to online safety. They understand how to maintain healthy lifestyles.
• Pupils understand the difference between right and wrong. They understand diversity and are respectful of others’ beliefs.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils requires improvement.
• The number of fixed-term exclusions is increasing. Leaders do not take effective preventative action to support pupils to improve their behaviour before they are excluded. Although some pupils have personal behaviour plans, these are not sufficiently bespoke to support individual pupils’ needs.
• Whole-school attendance is improving. However, the attendance of disadvantaged pupils and pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is not improving and remains lower than the national average.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities who are persistently absent from school is considerably higher than the national average.
• The school environment is well kept and pupils are respectful of the school’s buildings and facilities.
• Pupils’ conduct at lunchtime and around school is positive. Pupils are confident and polite. For example, several pupils greeted inspectors and held doors open for them and others. Children of all ages interact well at social times. They are respectful of one another.

Outcomes for pupils

Requires improvement

• Pupils’ achievement by the end of key stage 2 has declined since the last inspection and their progress has been slower.
• Pupils’ skills and knowledge when they enter the school are slightly below those typical for their age but they do not make enough progress by the end of key stage 1 to reach standards that are average compared to all pupils nationally. In 2016, standards in reading, writing and mathematics were below the national averages.
• In 2016, a smaller proportion of pupils achieved the expected standard in phonics, at the end of Year 1, than nationally. The proportion of disadvantaged pupils who achieved this standard was considerably lower than other pupils nationally. The proportion of pupils who achieve this standard by the end of Year 2 is improving but remains below the national average.
• In 2016, pupils’ progress in reading, by the end of key stage 2, was below the national average. In mathematics, progress was considerably lower than all pupils nationally, and in writing, progress for all pupils, and for disadvantaged pupils, was in the lowest 10%.
• In 2016, disadvantaged pupils made less progress by the end of key stage 2 than other pupils nationally. The use of the pupil premium funding is not effectively evaluated to ensure that these pupils make enough progress.
• In 2016, pupils with an education, health and care plan or statement of special educational needs made good progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of key stage 2.
• Pupils who are currently in the school are making better progress than has been achieved in recent years. Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities continue to make particularly strong progress.
• Progress in science is improving and is particularly strong at key stage 1. A higher proportion of pupils achieved the expected standard than nationally.
• Pupils who are currently in the early years setting are making good progress across all areas of development.

Early years provision Good

• The early years provision is a strength of the school. Leaders ensure that children are safe, happy and make good progress. This means that children have a very positive start to their time at school.
• The early years leader has a secure understanding of the setting’s strengths and areas for improvement. Clear plans are in place to enable further development to secure children’s continued progress.
• Many children enter the school with levels of development that are slightly below those typical for their age. Strong leadership in the early years ensures that robust systems are in place to identify children’s needs in a timely manner. This means that any additional support that children require is swiftly put into place. Children are well prepared for Year 1.
• The curriculum is planned to provide a range of exciting and fun activities which interest children from the outset. Leaders make use of external partners to support the curriculum. For example, a local florist has visited and worked with children during their ‘growing’ topic.
• Teaching in the early years setting is good. Teachers know individual children’s skills and needs and plan activities that meet their needs well. The teaching of phonics is particularly strong and children make good progress.
• Adults have high expectations of behaviour and learning. Adults value children’s contributions. Relationships between children and adults are good and support children in making good progress. Children display positive attitudes to learning, they listen to and respond quickly to adults’ instructions and are able to concentrate well.
• There are plenty of opportunities for children to develop their understanding of British values and diversity. Children learn about different faiths and values and celebrate these.
• The environment is organised so that each area has a very clear purpose and there is a good balance between child-led and adult-led activities.
• The outdoors area is varied and enriches children’s experiences. Opportunities are provided for children to practise the skills they have learned. For example, during the inspection, a child was observed using counters and dominoes to independently work out challenging calculations.
• Leaders have adopted an online system of communicating with parents, who are encouraged to interact with school staff to support their children’s learning. School leaders have ensured that parents are able to access this system and the vast majority of parents regularly interact with staff in this way. Leaders have ensured that parents who are unable to access this provision electronically are provided with alternative means of communication and interaction. This helps parents to understand how they can best support their children in continuing their learning at home.
• Children are well cared for and are safe. Statutory duties are met and appropriate risk assessments are in place. Safeguarding is effective in the early years setting.
• While additional adults interact well with children, leaders are aware of the need to develop the quality of questioning so that children are encouraged to develop their reasoning skills.
• Children are encouraged to read regularly. Each child has a book bag and a reading diary which records their activity. Comments are positive but are not specific enough to identify the next steps in children’s learning.
• The number of children reaching a good level of development by the end of their time in the early years is increasing but remains below the national average.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 120098 Leicestershire 10023227 This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act. Type of school Primary School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Maintained 5 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 590 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Pete Naylor Nicola Webb 01162 897808 www.ravenhurst.leics.sch.uk admin@ravenhurst.leics.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 31 October–1 November 2012

Information about this school

• The school is larger than the average-sized primary school.

• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils supported by the pupil premium is smaller than average.
• The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is larger than average

• The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups is above the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is below the national average.
• The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed learning in 26 lessons, some jointly with senior leaders. Inspectors also observed a number of small-group intervention sessions.
• Discussions were held with senior and middle leaders, members of the governing body, staff, parents and a representative from the local authority.
• Inspectors looked at pupils’ work in lessons and a large sample of pupils’ books.
• Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons, before school, at breaktime and at lunchtime.
• Inspectors heard pupils read and spoke to pupils formally and informally.
• Inspectors scrutinised a wide range of documents, including school improvement plans, the school’s self-evaluation, minutes of meetings of the governing body, information about the attainment and progress of all pupils, records relating to behaviour, attendance and safeguarding, and information on the school’s website.
• Inspectors considered the 53 responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire, and the 59 free-text responses from parents. Inspectors also considered the 50 responses from staff to a school questionnaire.

Inspection team

Deborah Mosley, lead inspector Nina Bee Linda Lyn-Cook Shaheen Hussain Kelly Lee

Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector