Ravenstone Primary School

Ravenstone Primary School Ravenstone Street, Balham High Road, London, SW129SS

p.1

Overall effectiveness

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

p.1

This is a school that requires improvement. It is not good because:

 The quality of teaching is not consistently good: teachers do not always set work at the right level for pupils.  More-able pupils are not always challenged enough and pupils, particularly in Years 3 and 4 do not all make as much progress as they should.  Pupils supported through school action and school action plus, from minority ethnic backgrounds and who are eligible for pupil premium funding, do not always make as much progress as their peers.  Pupils are not always clear about the level at how they can improve their work and are not given enough opportunities to respond to teachers’ comments.  Teachers do not use assessment information to set pupils consistently challenging targets.  Leaders at all levels, including governors, do not use assessment information well to track progress for groups of pupils across the school.  Leaders do not always make judgements about teaching based on the achievement of all

p.1

This is a school that requires improvement. It is not good because:

groups of pupils. They do not monitor whether staff manage behaviour consistently well, or look closely at behavioural incidents to identify patterns or trends.  School development plans do not identify the personnel responsible or set time deadlines. Targets in these plans and for the performance management of staff are not always precise enough to promote good achievement for pupils.  The governing body is not as well informed as it needs to be to offer effective challenge to senior leaders.

p.1

The school has the following strengths:

 Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 is now above average.  The number of Year 6 pupils who gained Level 6 in 2013 increased and the proportions who made good progress across Key Stage 2 was close to or above the national average.  The school is an inclusive and welcoming community where pupils interact well together.  Pupils behave well in school. They are happy, feel safe and have good opportunities for cultural, moral and social development.  Pupils understand the importance of healthy life-styles and enjoy good opportunities to participate in a range of sporting, musical and cultural activities.  Parents are overwhelmingly supportive of the school, and staff are committed to it.

p.1

Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching in 23 lessons or part lessons in all classes. Some of these observations were conducted jointly with senior leaders.  They took account of 116 responses to the Parent View online survey, verbal and written comments from parents and 21 questionnaire responses from staff.  Meetings were held with pupils, leaders at all levels, members of the governing body and a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors looked at pupils’ work in lessons, and separately with senior leaders. This included work from pupils’ books from the last academic year.  They heard pupils reading, and observed them in class and around the school.  Inspectors considered a wide range of school documentation including: information relating to the attainment and progress of pupils from entry to the school and across different years; the performance management of staff; records of lesson observations; the school’s website; the

p.2

Information about this inspection

school’s development plans; its checks on how well it is doing; minutes from governing body meetings; and behavioural records, risk assessments and safeguarding information.

p.2

Inspection team

Najoud Ensaff, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Raymond Prentice Additional Inspector Patricia Underwood Additional Inspector

p.2

Information about this school

 Ravenstone Primary School is larger than the average-sized primary school.  Almost half of pupils come from White British backgrounds and others come from a range of minority ethnic backgrounds.  The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is above the national average.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs supported through school action is just below average. The number supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is increasing and is now well above the national average.  The proportion of pupils eligible for the pupil premium (those known to be eligible for free school meals, in the care of the local authority or with a parent or carer in the armed services) is broadly in line with the national average. There are no children from service families currently on roll.  There have been a number of changes to staff since the last inspection. and a number of long-

p.3

Information about this school

term staff absences due to illness.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise the quality of teaching to good by ensuring that teachers:  consistently use accurate assessment information to set work at the right level for pupils, particularly more-able pupils and pupils supported through school action and school action plus  always provide pupils with challenging long term targets, which are reviewed regularly and based on accurate and up to date assessment information  always provide pupils with precise guidance about how to improve their work and give pupils time to respond to teachers’ comments.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise the effectiveness of leadership and management to good by ensuring that:  leaders at all levels, including governors, have a good understanding of assessment information and use this effectively to identify gaps in learning for groups of pupils so that support can be put in place quickly in order that progress accelerates particularly for some pupils supported through school action, school action plus and pupil premium funding and from minority ethnic backgrounds  targets in whole school development plans are always precise, specify clear responsibilities and time deadlines and make sure that targets relating to the quality of teaching are always measured against pupils’ achievement  targets for the performance management of staff are always specific and easy to measure  leaders monitor behaviour in lessons and around the school to ensure that behaviour is always well managed and patterns or trends easily identified, in order that appropriate actions can be

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

An external review of governance should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and governance may be improved.

p.3

The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 The majority of children enter Nursery and Reception classes with skills which are in line with the levels expected for their age. A small minority enter with skills below those expected. They enter Key Stage 1 with skills which are broadly in line with those expected. Current assessment information suggests that pupils made good progress across Key Stage 1 classes but that progress slowed across Key Stage 2 classes in 2013.  Although pupils’ attainment by the end of both Key Stages 1 and 2 is now above average, their attainment in reading is stronger than in writing and mathematics.  Attainment for pupils supported through pupil premium funding varies across different years. While gaps in attainment between Year 6 pupils supported through pupil premium funding and their peers narrowed in 2011 and 2012, current assessment information indicates that there remain gaps of up to 3 terms between these pupils and their peers, particularly in some Key

p.4

The achievement of pupils requires improvement

Stage 2 classes.  Progress for disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, is not consistently good. While some pupils supported through school action make good progress, others do not make enough progress. Pupils supported through school action plus made good progress across Key Stage 1 classes in 2013 but their progress across Key Stage 2 is not always as good as it should be. Not all pupils with a statement of special education need make good progress.  This variability in progress is because teachers do not always use accurate assessment information to set work at the right level for these pupils. The progress of pupils eligible for the pupil premium is not always as good as that of their peers in both English and mathematics.  More-able pupils do not always make as much progress as they could, particularly in writing, because they are not challenged sufficiently well in lessons and targets set are not as

p.4

The achievement of pupils requires improvement

challenging as they need to be.  Pupils who speak English as an additional language often make similar or better progress than their peers; those from minority ethnic backgrounds do not always make good progress. This is because assessment information is not yet used rigorously or quickly enough to ensure good progress for all pupils.  Pupils performed better than others nationally in 2012 and 2013 in the check on pupils’ phonics skills (pupils’ ability to link letters to the sounds they make) and pupils spoken to during the inspection, indicated that they enjoy reading.  In 2011, Year 6 pupils made outstanding progress across Key Stage 2 and in 2012 boys in Year 6 also made outstanding progress across Key Stage 2 from starting points which were below average. However, current school data indicate that while some pupils across different years have made good or better progress over time, others have not. Work in pupils’ books supports

p.4

The achievement of pupils requires improvement

this view of progress that is not consistently good over time.

p.4

The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teaching is not yet consistently good across all classes and for all groups of pupils. As a result, pupils do not make sustained good progress across the school. Teachers do not have consistently high expectations or set work at the right level for pupils, so that sometimes more- able pupils are not challenged enough and pupils with special educational needs, as well as those who are eligible for pupil premium funding, are not always supported well in their learning.  The pace of learning in lessons is not consistently fast enough. This is because teachers sometimes spend too long explaining tasks or do not adapt them in response to pupils’ needs. As a result pupils sometimes spend too long on undemanding tasks.  Where teaching is better, teachers have high expectations. They use accurate assessment information to build effectively on pupils’ prior learning and actively involve pupils in their

p.4

The quality of teaching requires improvement

learning. For example, in a literacy lesson in Year 5, pupils made particularly good progress because the teacher used video footage to engage and motivate pupils well. She carefully considered the range of pupils’ abilities within the class and challenged them effectively to discuss their learning and to create ‘list’ poems using devices such as metaphor and personification.  While there are targets in pupils’ books, these are not always challenging because they are not based on accurate up-to-date assessment information and they are not always reviewed. As a result pupils do not always know the level at which they are working or what they need to do to move up to the next level of attainment.  Teachers mark pupils’ work regularly, often correcting spelling and punctuation or providing praise and suggestions about how to improve, but they do not always provide pupils with specific enough guidance about their next steps in learning, linked to pupils’ long term targets.

p.4

The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Although pupils often correct spelling mistakes they are not given enough opportunities to respond to comments in marked work by, for example, extending or editing what they have written.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils report that they feel safe at the school because staff and other pupils take care of them and the site is secure. They have a good understanding of how to keep safe when travelling to and from school? and when using the internet.  Pupils say that they enjoy attending school, and attendance is now above average.  Pupils understand about different forms of bullying including verbal, physical, emotional, racist and cyber bullying, and they report that rare instances of bullying are handled well by the school.  Most parents and carers who responded to the Parent View survey said that their children are happy at the school and almost all believed that their children were safe and well looked after. Individual parents wrote of the ‘safe and nurturing’ environment of the school.  It is because the vast majority of pupils have positive attitudes to learning that they are able to make at least some progress in lessons where teaching is not strong and good progress where

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

teaching is better.  Pupils are friendly, polite and respectful to each other and to adults, demonstrating good social and moral development. They actively raise money for charities both in the United Kingdom and abroad.  Behaviour is not yet outstanding because some pupils in particular year groups reported that their learning is sometimes disrupted by a few pupils who become bored in lessons where teaching is not strong.  Leaders do not monitor how consistently well staff manage pupils’ behaviour or look closely at incidents to identify patterns or trends, so that appropriate actions can be taken.

p.5

The leadership and management require improvement

 Leaders and managers have not yet ensured that all groups of pupils make good progress across the school. While some pupils make good and sometimes better progress, this is not consistent across all groups currently at the school. There remain gaps in attainment between pupils eligible for pupil premium funding and their peers. More-able pupils, pupils with special educational needs and from minority ethnic backgrounds do not always make as much progress as they should.  Leaders at all levels do not all have a good understanding of assessment information. While leaders have systems in place to monitor the attainment and progress of pupils across the Early Years Foundation Stage and at the end of Key Stages 1 and 2, they do not use these effectively to monitor the progress of all groups of pupils. As a result they do not always put support or challenge in place early enough to ensure that pupils’

p.5

The leadership and management require improvement

achievement is consistently good.  Governors are not as well informed about the achievement of all groups of pupils as they need to be in order to offer effective challenge to the school, or hold staff fully to account for pupils’ achievement.  The local authority has offered light touch support to the school, focusing mainly on helping the school to accommodate the increasing number of pupils with statements of special educational needs.  The monitoring of teaching identifies accurately some key strengths and areas for development, but leaders’ evaluations of teaching and achievement over time are not based on the achievement of all groups of learners.  While school development plans identify appropriate priorities for the school, and list relevant actions that will be carried out, personnel responsible for these actions are not identified and time deadlines are not specified. The way that the success of actions

p.6

The leadership and management require improvement

relating to the quality of teaching is measured is not always linked to pupils’ achievement.  Targets in the school’s development plans and for the performance management of staff are not always as specific as they need to be to ensure good achievement and teaching.  Termly pupil progress review meetings take place across Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2, and these have helped the school to improve teaching across Key Stage 1. Although they have helped pupils on some occasions to make good or better progress, these have not ensured that progress for all pupils is consistently good.  Because the achievement of pupils varies between individuals and groups, leaders and managers promote equality of opportunity adequately, rather than well.  While leaders ensure that records of behaviour in the playground are kept and that pupils with challenging behaviour are supported, they do not monitor closely enough whether

p.6

The leadership and management require improvement

staff are managing pupils’ behaviour consistently well in lessons or look closely enough at behavioural incidents to spot patterns or trends.  Although some parents and carers who responded to the Parent View survey indicated that they were not satisfied with the way the school had responded to their concerns, most parents and carers were very positive about their experiences with the school, and a few wrote positively about, amongst other things, the headteacher’s visible presence on the playground.  Leaders and managers have ensured that pupils’ performance in the phonics check is above average, that the number of pupils attaining Level 6 has increased and that in 2013 the proportions of Year 6 pupils who made expected and better progress was close to the national average. For these reasons, capacity for sustained improvement is secure.  Links with other schools, sports leadership opportunities, and a wide range of extra-

p.6

The leadership and management require improvement

curricular sports, musical, international and fundraising activities, as well as other educational visits help to promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural skills well.  The governance of the school:  Governors have formalised the way in which they carry out their visits to the school. They show some understanding of the school’s performance, and of the quality of teaching in the school, but until recently they offered limited challenge to the school. This is partly because they are not provided with enough information about the progress and attainment of all groups of pupils across the school and partly because much of the governing body’s attention has been focused on matters relating to staffing and the increasing number of disabled pupils and of those with special educational needs. Governors are not actively involved in the school’s evaluation of its effectiveness, and the way in which teachers’ performance leads to pay progression,

p.6

The leadership and management require improvement

although they are beginning to ask searching questions about this and about the way in which pupil premium funding is spent. The governing body had no knowledge of how the extra funding for sport would be spent. The governing body understands the need to ensure staff and pupils work in a safe environment, and it does not tolerate discrimination of any kind.

p.6

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

p.7

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.

p.7

School details

Unique reference number 101017 Local authority Wandsworth Inspection number 425605

p.8

School details

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

p.8

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 447 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Leah Milton Headteacher Alan Millington Date of previous school inspection 24 October 2008 Telephone number 020 8673 0594 Fax number 020 8673 8277 Email address info@ravenstone.wandsworth.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 .

p.8

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.

p.9

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

p.9

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

p.9

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’.

p.9

School details

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

p.9