Ravensworth Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

This is a happy school where pupils are safe and listened to.

Typically, parents and carers describe the school as a 'caring' place. Pupils who join the school part way through the school year are made to feel welcome by the other pupils. Pupils know that they can talk to staff if they have any concerns.

The school's values of 'dedication, belief and pride' are known by everyone. They underpin all areas of the school's work. Routines support pupils' conduct and as a result, lessons are calm.

Pupils know it is important to be polite. If bullying happens, then staff work with pupils to resolve any issues.

The school knows pupils' individual needs well....

Working relationships between staff and pupils are respectful and kind. The school has high expectations for all pupils. The curriculum is well planned and sequenced.

Reading is valued by pupils and helps to support their learning in other curriculum areas.

Classes are deliberately named after places in London, which fosters a sense of pride and belonging among pupils. The school arranges a wide range of educational outings for pupils, including residential journeys and visits to museums.

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

The school has built an ambitious curriculum with clear end goals for all pupils. The governing body holds leaders to account for developing any identified actions for improvement. They understand the challenges and priorities of the school well.

They support leaders to improve the school's published academic outcomes in national assessments in writing at the end of Year 6. Staff, including those new to teaching, appreciate the bespoke training that leaders and the trust provide. They felt supported in their workload and appreciated how the school works as a team.

In lessons, teachers present new materials and terminology carefully and clearly. The school has identified key vocabulary that supports pupils to understand essential learning. In classrooms, word list displays support pupils to use ambitious word choices.

This sharp focus on developing language and communication starts in the early years. For instance, in mathematics, children are prompted to use and revisit the language of subtraction and addition.

The school makes careful adaptations so that all pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) keep up with their learning.

Pupils with SEND are identified at the earliest opportunity. All staff are skilled at working with pupils with SEND. They know and understand their individual targets.

The school has identified the most important knowledge across the curriculum that pupils must know and remember. For instance, in physical education, pupils are taught to be able to handle equipment correctly and confidently before they can understand how to use and apply the equipment effectively in games or sport.However, occasionally tasks that are set in lessons do not enable pupils to fully develop their learning of important knowledge.

When this happens, pupils do not get the opportunity to apply and deepen their understanding of key concepts or knowledge.

The school has thought carefully about how to teach early reading, and the trust provides support through helpful training. The phonics programme is taught daily.

If children need additional time to practise, then this is quickly provided. In lessons, teachers carefully check the sounds that pupils know and remember. Pupils revisit sounds learned previously to secure understanding.

The school makes sure that books match the phonics sounds that pupils know, and it helps pupils to become fluent readers over time. The school's well-resourced libraries allow pupils access to a broad range of ambitious and diverse texts. A habitual love of reading is encouraged and well promoted by all staff.

In class, teachers take time to model clear examples. This means that pupils know what is expected of them. However, sometimes teachers do not check that pupils have fully understood key content before they ask pupils to move on to more complex tasks.

When this happens, misconceptions sometimes occur, and pupils are not supported to access more demanding future content.

Pupils are trusted to take on positions of leadership in the school. They welcome these responsibilities and are proud of the range of charities that they have supported through fundraising.

The school arranges a variety of extra-curricular activities from working in the school's allotment to lacrosse and cheerleading clubs to make sure that pupils have experiences that extend beyond classroom learning. The school's behaviour and culture curriculum is well established. The school provides pupils with plentiful opportunities to practise and rehearse how to behave well.

Consequently, lessons are purposeful and are rarely disrupted. Pupils are courteous and respectful towards each other and adults.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In the foundation subjects, sometimes learning that is set does not enable pupils to consolidate key conceptual learning. Over time, as a consequence of this, pupils' learning is less secure and detailed as the school would like it to be. The school should ensure that tasks are designed to allow pupils to fully deepen their learning, while recalling essential key knowledge that they know.

• Occasionally, teaching does not check that all pupils have understood key knowledge before pupils move on to do more complex tasks. When this happens, sometimes misconceptions can arise, and pupils are not ready or prepared to learn future content. The school must train teachers to check that the key components of learning have been fully understood before pupils move on to more complex work.

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