Ravensbury Community School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is an outstanding school Ravensbury Community School lives up to its motto: 'We create. We explore. We care.

We soar.' The care that staff provide for pupils is exemplary. Pupils thrive in a nurturing environment in which they are safe and happy.

The headteacher ensures that there is a relentless focus on raising pupils' aspirations and achievement. Leaders do everything that they can to break down any barriers to learning and improve pupils' life chances. Pupils make outstanding progress, often from very low starting points.

At the end of key stages 1 and 2, pupils attain above-average standards. Leaders, teachers and support staff ensure that t...hey meet all pupils' needs to enable them to learn effectively. As a result, disadvantaged pupils, those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and pupils who speak English as an additional language make rapid progress.

The headteacher shows the same care for her staff as she does her pupils. She inspires and empowers her staff. Consequently, they are overwhelmingly positive about her leadership.

This same care is shown to parents who value enormously the support that they receive from staff in school. Governors are highly committed and know the school well. They have relevant skills and expertise and have played a significant part in driving further improvements.

Highly skilled teachers create a purposeful learning environment in which pupils flourish. They have strong subject knowledge. They use effective questioning to promote learning and progress.

Pupils' attitudes to learning contribute significantly to their excellent progress. They behave well in their lessons, routinely supporting each other with their learning. The highly effective curriculum provides rich opportunities to deepen pupils' knowledge, skills and understanding.

Leaders have planned the curriculum so that pupils can see the connections in what and how they are learning. Leaders are aware that the tracking and assessing of pupils' learning in other subjects is not as strong as it is in English and mathematics. The outstanding provision in early years means that children benefit from an excellent start to their education.

An average proportion of children achieve a good level of development. Given their starting points, this represents rapid progress.

Information about this school

This is a much larger than average-sized primary school.

The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is well above the national average. The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups and those who speak English as an additional language is well above the national average. The proportion of pupils who are supported because they have special educational needs and/or disabilities is above the national average.

The proportion of pupils who have an education, health and care plan is similar to the national average. The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website. In 2016, the school met the government's floor standards.

These standards set the minimum expectation for pupils' attainment and progress in English and mathematics by the end of Year 6. The headteacher has been in post since September 2017. Prior to this, she was the deputy headteacher.