Ravenscroft Community Primary School

Ravenscroft Community Primary School Ebony Way, Tower Hill, Kirkby, L33 1XT

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 This inspection: Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  Overall, pupils achieve well and make good progress from low and often very low starting points.  The personal and social development of pupils is nurtured very effectively. Pupils behave exceptionally well because they are clear about what is expected of them from an early age. They feel safe and take a great pride in themselves and their school.  Teaching is good and some is outstanding. Teachers’ imaginative ideas for lessons capture pupils’ interests and make learning meaningful and memorable.  Changes to the teaching of reading have led to improvements in this subject since the time of the last inspection.  Leaders ensure that everyone is valued. The headteacher, staff and the governing body make sure that all pupils are cared for extremely well, including those pupils whose circumstances might put them at risk.  Leaders ensure on-going improvements in pupils’ achievement and in the quality of

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

teaching.  Singing is very important to pupils and staff. They do this very well, are proud of the awards they have gained and continue to aspire to get even better.  The concerted efforts of leaders, staff, parents and children have improved attendance which is now broadly average.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Not enough teaching is yet outstanding.  Although progress overall is good it varies between year groups.  Not enough pupils do better than expected in reading, writing and mathematics in both Key Stages 1 and 2. Attainment in writing, although improving, is lower than in other subjects in Key Stage 1.  Most teachers provide good advice for pupils when they mark their work but they do not always allow enough time for pupils to act on the advice given.  Governors are proactive but they do not have enough information about the quality of teaching and pupils’ progress so that they can ask leaders questions about how well the school is doing.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors visited 16 lessons. In addition, the inspection team made a number of short visits to lessons and classrooms and looked at examples of pupils’ work. Inspectors also spoke to pupils about their work and listened to them read in Years 1, 2 and 6.  Meetings were held with two groups of pupils, a group of parents, the Chair and Vice-Chair of the Governing Body, a representative from the local authority and members of staff.  Inspectors took account of an analysis of a questionnaire completed by parents in the school and five responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View). Eighteen staff questionnaires and four letters from parents were also considered during the course of the inspection.  The school’s work was observed by inspectors and they looked at a number of documents. These included a summary of how well the school is performing, the strategic plan, an analysis of pupils’ current progress and attainment, planning and monitoring documentation, records

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Information about this inspection

relating to behaviour and attendance and documents relating to safeguarding.

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Inspection team

Lyn Pender, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Pamela Hemphill Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Ravenscroft is an average size primary school.  Almost all pupils are White British. The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups is much lower than average.  An above average proportion of pupils is supported at school action and this number has risen since the previous inspection. The proportion of pupils supported at school action plus or those with a statement of special educational needs is well above average.  An exceptionally high proportion of pupils are known to be eligible for the pupil premium.  A breakfast club is provided by the governors for pupils.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  A number of awards is held by the school, including the full International School award, Sports Activemark, the Fair Trade Award and the gold Singup award.  The school is a member of the North Knowsley Self-Improving School Partnership.

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Information about this school

 The Ark Children’s Centre is located on the same site and offers training sessions for parents jointly with the school and the local authority Family Learning Team. The children’s centre is subject to a separate inspection.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Further improve the impact of the school’s leaders’ work by providing governors with termly information about the achievement of all groups of pupils and the quality of teaching so that they can ask more challenging questions about how well the school is doing.  Improve teaching so that more pupils achieve as well as possible in writing at Key Stage 1 and the more-able pupils do better than expected in all subjects in Key Stages 1 and 2 by ensuring that teachers:  give pupils time to act on the advice given in marking  keep explanations at the start of lessons short enough to allow pupils more time to practise their skills and use what they have learnt when working independently  check that the work set is hard enough to make sure the more-able pupils produce their best possible work  have the opportunity to share more widely and learn from the best practice in teaching that exists within the school.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children join the Nursery class with skills below and in many cases well below, those typical for their age. In particular, a significant number of children usually start school with weaker speaking and listening skills than might be expected. Children make good and sometimes rapid progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage because of the stimulating activities that closely match their interest and abilities. As a result, many children enter Year 1 with skills closer to those expected for their age in most areas of learning. However, their writing skills remain below those typical for their age.  Attainment in reading and mathematics at the end of Key Stage 1 is rising and is now broadly average and in writing is getting closer to average. Pupils make good progress although the number of pupils who do better than expected in these subjects is not high enough for achievement to be outstanding.  In recent years, standards at the end of Key Stage 2 have improved with many now reaching

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The achievement of pupils is good

the level expected for their age in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of Year 6. These pupils have made good progress from their starting points when they entered the school. However, not enough of the more-able pupils are doing better than expected for their age.  Progress is good overall although it varies between year groups, accelerating especially in Years 2 and 6. Although the more-able pupils are not always making enough progress the proportion making more progress than is expected is increasing.  Pupils who are supported by pupil premium funding achieve well because the school uses the additional resource effectively to provide them with carefully tailored programmes of extra support. They do better, and in some cases much better, than similar pupils nationally.  As a result of accurate and early identification of the difficulties faced by disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs, and the good support they receive, these pupils

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The achievement of pupils is good

make progress similar to that of the other pupils. Their needs are met very well. Parents who wrote to the inspectors overwhelmingly praised the quality of support provided for their children.  Pupils are eager to learn. They concentrate well in lessons and think through the problems set for them carefully. For example, in the Early Years Foundation Stage inspectors saw children working together to clean the bikes and ride on toys with the hosepipe and buckets provided. They worked as a team, concentrated exceptionally well and had great fun carrying out the task. It was clear that they were copying things they had learned earlier in the week about the way fire-fighters work.  Pupils’ say they enjoy reading and the teaching of this subject has a high profile. Younger children learn letters and sounds systematically and develop good early reading skills. Pupils read regularly in school and many continue to do so at home too. They have access to an

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The achievement of pupils is good

increasingly wide range of interesting books. They use information and communication technology (ICT) well to find out information for topic work.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The quality of teaching over time is at least good and some is outstanding.  A strength is the effective teamwork of all the adults in the school. Teachers expect pupils to behave extremely well and organise their classrooms in a way that interests pupils and encourages them to learn well.  The most effective teaching has many common features including:  teachers always expect pupils to do their best work  careful planning ensures that lessons go at a brisk pace  time is used well and tasks take good account of what pupils already know and can do  imaginative activities that capture pupils’ interests  regular opportunities for pupils to check how well they are doing and use their individual targets, particularly in writing, to improve their work.  In most lessons teachers ask probing questions that deepen pupils’ understanding. Occasionally, explanations at the start of the lesson go on for too long and this leaves pupils with too little

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The quality of teaching is good

time to practise their new skills or develop their understanding when doing their work.  Many lessons provide activities matched accurately to the ability of all pupils but this is not always the case. When teaching is less effective, work set is not difficult enough especially for the more-able pupils who do not always reach the higher standards of which they are capable.  Pupils’ work is marked regularly and teachers provide helpful advice about how work can be improved. However, too few lessons allow pupils the chance to act upon the advice given and this means that opportunities for pupils to improve their work can be lost.  Teachers provide many opportunities for pupils to develop their creative skills and understanding of other cultures, for example, through the use of music and through learning other languages, such as French and Spanish. The curriculum has been thoughtfully developed to challenge

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The quality of teaching is good

pupils’ thinking and captures their interests well.  Teachers plan interesting topics often including visits to places beyond the local area. These lead to effective learning and pupils talk excitedly about the memorable experiences they gain from these opportunities.  Pupils say how much they enjoy singing together. Lessons take place regularly in school and during after-school clubs. Some of the most effective teaching builds on pupils’ love of singing. For example, in a Year 6 lesson the teacher used rhyme and rhythm very effectively to help pupils recall their multiplication tables.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Behaviour has continued to improve since the previous inspection. Pupils’ behaviour around school is excellent. They are polite, sensible and thoughtful and considerate of the needs of others.  All pupils in the school have a good understanding of the rewards and sanctions and, from a very early age, are helped to take responsibility for their own actions in class and around school. A few pupils who sometimes find it difficult to manage their own behaviour are helped by the adults to develop these skills.  Pupils feel safe and well cared for and their parents agree. Older pupils in particular have a good understanding of the different types of bullying and say that bullying is rare and that adults deal firmly and promptly with incidents should they occur. The curriculum has been developed well to help pupils know how to keep themselves safe both in and out of school.  In lessons, pupils behave very well, work hard and are keen to learn. They have confidence in

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

the staff to help them if they are stuck with their work and know that their individual targets can help them improve.  Older pupils enjoy helping the younger ones. During the inspection this was evident throughout the school day and in the after-school clubs where children of all ages worked and played sensibly together. For example, older pupils helped the younger ones with their homework and how to use computers.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher provides effective leadership. She is supported well by the senior leadership team. Leaders and other staff know how to make the school even more successful. The school is well placed to continue to improve.  Rigorous checking on the quality of teaching leads to accurate targets to help teachers to continue to improve. As a result, teaching is improving with only a few aspects needing attention. Leaders’ view of the school’s performance is generally accurate. They know the school’s strengths and weaknesses well and these are reflected in the school’s plans for improvement.  The school treats all equally and discrimination of any kind is not tolerated. Staff ensure that pupils are known as individuals. Systems to check on pupils’ progress enable leaders to make sure that no individual or group of pupils is left behind. This plays an important role in ensuring that all pupils have equality of opportunity.

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The leadership and management are good

 Close attention is paid to any additional funding being spent effectively. For example, some pupils who were identified as underachieving have benefited from one-to-one teaching and additional support in class. This is because leaders ensure that the management of teachers’ performance is clearly linked to the achievement of pupils and the training provided for staff is of high quality and well-targeted.  The curriculum enthuses and motivates pupils and provides a range of opportunities for them to practise their reading, writing and mathematical skills through other subjects. All pupils have access to the trips arranged to enrich the curriculum. A wide range of after-school clubs is provided by teachers and teaching assistants. These are very popular and support the development of pupils’ achievement very well. For example, the homework and computer club, which took place during the inspection, was attended well by pupils of all ages. Pupils had fun as

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The leadership and management are good

they worked and played together sensibly.  Well-established and effective partnerships have been created with a wide range of agencies to support the needs of those pupils and their families whose circumstances might put them at risk.  Inspection evidence shows that the school has the confidence of the parents. Regular communications with parents ensure that they are informed about and actively involved in their children’s education.  The school is an active member of the North Knowsley Self-Improving Schools’ Partnership which has been established by the local authority to provide school-to-school support. The headteacher of Ravenscroft has taken on the role of chair for this group for the calendar year 2012.  The governance of the school:  The governors are highly supportive of the school and take their roles and responsibilities very seriously. Members of the governing body are linked with staff and many make regular visits

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The leadership and management are good

to find out first-hand about the work of the school. Outcomes of these visits are recorded and shared during governing body meetings. Governors are provided with information about the progress of pupils by the headteacher which they find very useful. However, they do not currently receive termly information about the progress of all groups of pupils and year groups to enable them to question leaders in depth about pupils’ achievement or the quality of teaching. Governors attend training regularly to help them keep their skills up to date. The governing body ensures that the school’s arrangements for safeguarding meet statutory requirements well.

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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 104444 Local authority Knowsley Inspection number 402945

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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 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 214 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Anthony Wilmore Headteacher Jeanette Hegarty Date of previous school inspection 10 March 2008 Telephone number 0151 477 8290 Fax number 0151 477 8291 Email address ravenscroft.de@knowsley.gov.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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