Ranworth Square Primary School

Ranworth Square Primary School Ranworth Square, Liverpool, Merseyside, L11 3DQ

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Satisfactory 3 This inspection: Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  The headteacher is determined to raise standards across the school. She receives effective support from the senior leadership team and they have successfully improved the quality of teaching. As a result, the progress that pupils make in lessons has improved since the last inspection.  Pupils’ achievement is good and they make good progress from starting points which are below those expected for their age. When they leave school, they attain just above the national average in English and mathematics. Disabled pupils and pupils with special educational needs also make good progress.  The good and outstanding teaching has led to improvements in standards, especially in writing. Pupils receive work that is well matched to their learning needs because teachers regularly check the progress pupils make in lessons.  Pupils enjoy school and feel safe. They behave well and are polite to each other. The few

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

pupils who find it hard to manage their own behaviour receive well-targeted support from all adults in school.  The governing body is very involved in the work of the school and provides support and challenge to senior leaders and those that lead subjects.  All staff take very good care of the pupils. They know them well which means they can give pupils well-targeted support to help them succeed.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Pupils’ interests are not covered well in lessons and their skills are not built up as well as they could be from lesson to lesson.  Some pupils do not attend school regularly enough which means attendance rates are below average.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector scrutinised a range of documents including, the school development plan, pupils’ work, progress data, minutes of meetings of the governing body, attendance data and records showing how the school cares for and protects pupils.  The inspector held meetings with groups of pupils, representatives from the governing body, members of staff and a representative from the local authority.  The inspector observed seven lessons, taught by seven teachers and the inspector heard a group of pupils read. The headteacher observed three lessons with the inspector.  There were no responses from parents and carers to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View).

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Inspection team

Jane Millward, Lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Information about this school

 Ranworth Square Primary School is smaller than other schools of the same type.  The proportion of pupils supported through school action and school action plus or with a statement of educational needs is above average.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium (additional government funding) is much higher than average.  The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds and of those learning English as an additional language are below average.  The school exceeds the government’s current floor standard, which sets the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  Since the last inspection the governing body has appointed a new headteacher who has been in post since September 2012.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Further develop the ways subjects are taught by:  making sure activities in lessons are focused on pupils’ interests  ensuring pupils’ skills are built up from lesson to lesson  sharing the good practice across all year groups.  Improve pupils’ attendance rates by:  increasing positive incentives to encourage pupils to attend school  reminding parents of the importance of sending their children to school regularly.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils agree that they make good progress in lessons. ‘The teacher explains the work really clearly,’ was a comment from one pupil. They enjoy learning and all groups of pupils make the progress that is expected of them.  Children enter the Reception class with skills that are below what is usual for four-year olds. They make steady progress because they enjoy their activities and work well together. For example, children worked hard to build a castle based on a story in a book. They cooperated, took turns and made good gains in their social skills.  Pupils leave Year 6 having reached standards that are just above average in reading, writing and mathematics. Standards improved in 2012, especially in writing. This is because the school has worked on developing pupils’ writing skills by introducing more opportunities to write in different subjects.  Pupils for whom the school receives additional government funding through the pupil premium

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The achievement of pupils is good

make good progress. This funding is used well to provide a range of support such as extra staff, play equipment, reading programmes and interactive games for mathematics, so that they reach standards similar to their peers.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs also make good progress. This is because teachers know pupils very well and provide extra guidance and support to help them learn better. The learning mentor is heavily involved in helping pupils learn and her positive and supportive attitude results in pupils who are ‘willing to have a go.’  Pupils make good progress in reading. Some read widely although they have limited knowledge of authors. Pupils value the daily ‘story time’ where teachers read to their class. Staff teach pupils how to read through daily sessions of learning the sounds that letters make.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is good across the school, with some that is outstanding particularly for the older pupils. Pupils in Years 5 and 6 benefit from teaching that is inspiring, motivating and captures their interest. For example, pupils looked at the similarities and differences between musical bands (The Beatles and One Direction) in a history lesson. They made outstanding progress because the subject was relevant and appealed to their personal interests.  By comparison, in some lessons, pupils are less enthusiastic because what they are learning is less exciting. Teachers on occasions give pupils too much direction and they are not able to learn for themselves. This reflects a lack of opportunities for all staff to learn from the most effective practitioners. Targets set for teachers have focused on improving teaching and, as a result, teaching has improved since the last inspection. Teachers use questioning very well to

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The quality of teaching is good

develop pupils’ learning and extend their thinking. This helps pupils to make better progress.  Staff know what pupils can do well and what they need to do to improve. This means teachers plan activities that fully meet pupils’ needs. Teachers regularly check on the progress pupils make and move them on in their learning as soon as they are ready.  Pupils who need extra help receive well-focused support which means they make good progress in lessons. This is because the class teachers, the special needs coordinator and the learning mentor work very closely together on providing what pupils need to succeed in their learning.  Teachers’ marking of pupils’ work helps them to make good progress. Teachers guide pupils in how to improve their work as well as celebrating what they have done well. Targets are regularly set for pupils in English and mathematics. This further helps pupils to be clear about the next

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The caring approach shown by all staff is a strong feature of school life and is reflected in the positive relationships between staff and pupils. Pupils enjoy school and show good attitudes to learning. They work hard in lessons, enjoy a challenge and are given the chance to be active in their learning. As a result, behaviour in lessons is good.  Pupils are polite and well-mannered. They show respect for the school and for each other. They report that incidents of bullying are rare and when there is a problem teachers quickly sort it out. As one pupil said, ‘There are loads of teachers on the yard who look out for you.’ Consequently, pupils feel safe in school.  Pupils understand how to keep themselves safe and they understand the dangers of the internet. They report that the few occasions of name calling such as racist and homophobic language are effectively reviewed by the headteacher.  Behaviour is well-managed by all staff. They consistently apply the school rules and the few

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

pupils who display challenging behaviour are managed well. The work of the learning mentor and class teachers is effective at helping pupils who find behaving well difficult.  Attendance remains below the national average. The school works hard to improve rates of attendance. This work is beginning to have a positive effect, for example, pupils who are supported by the pupil premium are now attending school more regularly. However, rewards for good attendance are not given out regularly enough to be very effective incentives for improvement.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher has a clearly communicated vision for the school which is shared by all staff. Supporting pupils’ personal development is important along with improving standards in all subjects. Good leadership has led to improvements since the last inspection, for example, standards and teaching have improved.  There is a united, highly motivated senior leadership team, who are determined to raise standards for all pupils across the school. They work very well together on agreed aims. The skills they bring individually complement each other resulting in a highly effective team.  The headteacher has attended training to develop the way in which targets can be used to further improve teachers’ performance. Plans have been developed to introduce a new system for performance management to make sure teachers’ roles and responsibilities fully support the plans to improve the school. Any identified weaknesses in teaching quickly become the focus for

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The leadership and management are good

the school.  Leaders tackle discrimination and ensure all groups of pupils are treated equally. This means all groups perform equally well.  The local authority has provided a range of support for the school, including working to improve English, mathematics and the Early Years Foundation Stage. This has been well received by teachers and has resulted in improvements in standards and in developing the quality of teaching. A range of partnerships support the school well, for example, working with a local cluster of schools to help each of them to improve further.  Teachers who lead subjects are keen to make a difference to their subject area. They are aware of some strengths and weaknesses and have sensible plans to develop their subjects.  Teaching in different subjects support pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well. Pupils appreciate the trips that develop their learning through real-life experiences and

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The leadership and management are good

after-school clubs are popular. Educational visits develop an enthusiasm for learning, for example, visiting the local synagogue, nursing home and local farm. However, lessons are not based well enough on pupils’ interests and pupils’ skills are not built up as well as they could be from lesson to lesson.  Parents are supportive of the school and value the education their children receive. One parent wrote to the inspector, ‘The teachers have broadened my child’s horizons and given him the opportunity to develop his skills and indeed his interests.’  The governance of the school is good:  Governors, along with other leaders know the school’s strengths and weaknesses and are highly involved in school improvement. They challenge leaders and effectively hold the school to account. A monitoring committee is involved in all aspects of the school, for example, looking at pupils’ books and hearing pupils read which gives them an accurate view of the

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The leadership and management are good

school. As a result, the school’s leadership is further strengthened. Governors are aware of their statutory duties and fulfil their responsibilities diligently.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding An outstanding school is highly effective in delivering outcomes that provide exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. This ensures that pupils are very well equipped for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 2 Good A good school is effective in delivering outcomes that provide well for all its pupils’ needs. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 3 Requires improvement A school that requires improvement is not yet a good school, but it is not inadequate. This school will receive a full inspection within 24 months from the date of this inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate A school that has serious weaknesses is inadequate overall and requires significant improvement but leadership and management are judged to be Grade 3 or better. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors. A school that requires special measures is one where the school is

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Grade Judgement Description

failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the school’s leaders, managers or governors have not demonstrated that they have the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors.

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School details

Unique reference number 104571 Local authority Merseyside Inspection number 400724

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School details

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 114 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Mr C Jervis Headteacher Mrs Susan Padgett Date of previous school inspection 16 June 2010 Telephone number 0151 226 1740 Fax number 0151 256 5952 Email address ranworth-ht@ranworthsquare.liverpool.sch.uk guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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School details

You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when and as part of the inspection.

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School details

You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk, or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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School details

achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work- based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please

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School details

telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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School details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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