Ravenscroft Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school. Progress is good in reading and writing because of the good quality teaching of these skills over time.

Children make good progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage, particularly in developing reading skills. Pupils who are making slower progress than others catch up through well-planned help within lessons. This is helping to close the gap in achievement seen between pupils supported by the pupil premium and other pupils.

Teachers build pupils' confidence by warmly appreciating their work. At the same time, they give clear feedback to pupils on how to improve. Behaviour is good.

Pupils adopt the school's values of respect an...d equality. They get on well with each other and feel very safe at school. The school is well led.

As well as making improvements to the quality of its own work, the school demonstrates its capacity to help other schools to improve. The governing body has undertaken training and is now well organised, making a good contribution to further improvement of the school. It is not yet an outstanding school because : Attainment in mathematics is below average and progress in this subject is not improving as rapidly as in other key skills.

At times, when pupils are set tasks that require them to find things out for themselves, they are not clear enough about what is expected of them.

Information about this school

Ravenscroft is much larger than the average-size primary school. About three-quarters of pupils are from ethnic minority groups, with a high proportion (about two-thirds) speaking English as an additional language.

The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported at school action is below average. The proportion supported at school action plus, or with a statement of special educational needs, is also below average. The most frequently identified need is related to speech, language and communication difficulties.

The proportion supported through the pupil premium, which is additional funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, looked after children and children of service families, is well above average. The proportion joining or leaving the school at other than normal times is higher than average. From time to time, a few pupils with behaviour difficulties have access, part-time, to a specialist centre.

The school is a founder member of a local Teaching Alliance, a partnership of schools dedicated to supporting other schools in improving. The school arranges a breakfast club before school. The school meets the government's current floor standards which set the minimum expectations for pupils' attainment and progress.