Ravenshall School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Ravenshall School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

What is it like to attend this school?

At Ravenshall School, learning is an exciting adventure and pupils have an incredible journey every single day.

The school empowers pupils in a caring, supportive manner. The pupils grow in confidence and produce amazing work in all curriculum areas.

Staff have high aspirations for pupils that link to individual needs. Pupils' enthusiasm to learn means their progress at the school is excellent.

Behaviour and social interaction are the cornerstones of achievements in this exceptional school.

The pupils enjoy b...eing in the company of their peers. Behaviour that is kind and tolerant of others is commonplace.

Pupils learn to communicate and play together.

This helps build vital social skills. Pupils show great respect and kindness to each other and the staff. This helps ensure children learn in an environment with little disruption.

The school takes great care in selecting clubs and activities to enrich learning. These include visits to the local community and 'Wonderful Wednesdays', which involve sports, crafts and life skills. These opportunities help to build pupils' resilience.

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The school has an extraordinary curriculum in place. Teachers weave deep subject knowledge into lessons that illuminate purposeful learning paths for every child. They use multisensory approaches that link with personal learning plans for pupils.

For example, the bespoke individual support for pupils in personal development sessions ensures that they understand how to keep themselves safe online. The school tracks the progress of pupils and celebrates the improvement they make. This helps to ensure strong foundations for future success.

The staff know the pupils' personal and academic needs extremely well. This supports the staff to develop sophisticated learning strategies across different subjects for pupils. Pupils make remarkable progress in reading, English, mathematics and personal growth.

In the sixth form, students build on prior knowledge and take their studies to a new higher level. Sixth-form students enjoy the support and care that staff continue to offer.

Early reading is the highest priority in the school.

Pupils learn to read and enjoy texts, magazines and books in the library. The school ensures that reading is accessible to all pupils. Teachers choose the books that pupils enjoy with great care.

They enthuse, engage and build pupils' vocabulary over time. Older pupils in the school use more complex vocabulary in lessons and their more informal chats. The school supports pupils with any reading needs in a caring way.

Teachers use informed approaches to help every child develop strong reading skills. Staff are highly skilled at teaching phonics strategies.

Ravenshall creates an exceptionally positive and safe environment.

Pupils feel supported and secure. The behaviour management approach focuses on positive reinforcement. The staff know their pupils deeply.

Pupils show excellent self-control and respect for each other. The school uses various strategies like daily sensory circuits and emotional regulation techniques to effectively support pupils to cope throughout the day.

The school works with pupils and families to ensure attendance at school is strong.

Systems in school allow staff to respond quickly and effectively to absences. The school engages with families through home visits, holiday activities and coffee mornings. The school's work to connect with families has improved attendance across the school.

The school goes beyond academic learning to focus on personal growth. Pupils in all years engage in real-world experiences such as the 'Raven's Boutique' enterprise. They earn awards and develop life skills as a result.

The school creates learning opportunities that build pupils' self-belief. Pupils develop a deep understanding of respect and community involvement. Partnerships with local sports teams and community groups provide real-world learning experiences.

In class, pupils learn about different faiths and views. The school cultivates an environment where pupils feel safe and encouraged to help others. Pupils understand fundamental British values and show respect for different perspectives.

The school starts career preparation for pupils early. It focuses on building life skills and exploring potential pathways for the pupils. This helps pupils to understand the different career possibilities they have.

Sixth-form students have a clear focus on their next step in learning and/or employment. Personalisation of career advice is a strength.

School leaders create an education environment that prioritises individual pupil potential.

They make strategic decisions in the best interests of children. In terms of continual school improvement, leaders have established excellent external partnerships to support them in developing innovative improvement strategies. These include professional development of staff and engaging with local and national initiatives to support the needs of the school.

The governing body fulfils its role with care and rigour. Governors offer challenge and support and are in step with the vision and ethos of the school. Leaders at all levels value the staff, who appreciate the care they receive.

Through strong shared values and practice, leaders have maintained the exceptional performance of this successful school. Leaders are relentlessly focused on ensuring that staff training is tailored so that staff can meet the needs of the pupils in school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted's website. From September 2024 graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade.

This school was, before September 2024, judged to be outstanding for its overall effectiveness.

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.

We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school's work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection is carried out under section 5 of the Act.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be outstanding for overall effectiveness in February 2019.