Setting

Mrs Helen Thomas Headteacher Ravenshead CofE Primary School Swinton Rise Ravenshead Nottingham NG15 9FS

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Primary School

Following my visit to your school on 10 November 2014, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to report the inspection findings. Thank you for the help you gave me and for the time you made available to discuss the actions you are taking to improve the school since the most recent section 5 inspection.

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Primary School

The visit was the first monitoring inspection since the school was judged to require improvement following the section 5 inspection in July 2014. It was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.

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Primary School

Senior leaders and governors are taking effective action to tackle the areas requiring improvement identified at the recent section 5 inspection. The school should take further action to:

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Primary School

 develop the skills of leaders of subjects, other than English and mathematics, in checking on the quality of teaching in their areas of responsibility  ensure that governors are provided with more precise information about the achievement of the different prior attaining groups of pupils  ensure that the school improvement plan has clear milestones linked to pupils’ achievement so that governors can check the rate of improvement. Serco Inspections Colmore Plaza 20 Colmore Circus Queensway Birmingham B4 6AT T 0300 123 1231 Text Phone: 0161 6188524 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk www.ofsted.gov.uk Direct T : 0121 679 9162 Direct email : peter.willetts@serco.com

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Evidence

During the inspection, meetings were held with senior leaders, members of the governing body and a representative of the local authority, to discuss the action taken since the last monitoring inspection. I evaluated your plans for improvement. I reviewed your most recent data relating to pupils’ achievement. I visited each class and considered the quality of pupils’ learning in a range of subjects. I looked at your records from your checks on the quality of teaching. I looked at the school’s documentation relating to the safeguarding of pupils.

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Context

The governing body has made three appointments since the previous section 5 inspection. Two teachers commenced their roles in September 2014: a recently qualified teacher to teach pupils in Year 4; and a newly qualified teacher to teach pupils in Year 3. An experienced teacher took up post in October 2014 and teaches pupils in Year 6 to cover a maternity leave. There are currently two teachers who are on maternity leave at the school.

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Main findings

You have sharpened teachers’ skills in setting work which is more challenging for pupils of different abilities. Pupils say that they know what they are expected to achieve by the end of each lesson because there are clearer learning intentions for different groups of pupils. This is helping to motivate pupils to achieve their targets during lessons. Pupils favour the new approach to marking. Pupils’ books, particularly in English and mathematics, show that teachers are providing clearer guidance to pupils. They are checking more closely that pupils are responding to marking to show improvements in their work. Staff have benefited from training on how to promote the learning for disabled pupils and those with special educational needs. This is helping potentially vulnerable pupils to make better progress, especially during whole-class lessons. Senior leaders are undertaking more frequent and rigorous checks on the quality of teaching, especially in English and

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Main findings

mathematics, through considering the quality of teachers’ planning and the work in pupils’ books. Staff are responding positively to guidance which they are receiving. Despite recent changes to staffing, these developments are helping to strengthen the quality of teaching.

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Main findings

Leaders of subjects, other than English and mathematics, remain at an early stage in developing their skills to check on the quality of teaching. Consequently, they are limited in the extent to which they can drive and secure improvements in their respective subjects. Governors have undertaken more frequent visits to the school to check on the rate of improvement. This has helped them to have a much better understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for improvement. Although governors are involved in setting the targets for pupils for the end of each academic year, they acknowledge that they are not able to check closely enough if the school is on track to achieve them. This is because: governors are not provided with sufficiently detailed information about the achievement of the different prior attaining groups of pupils; and the school improvement plan does not contain milestones relating to pupils’

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Main findings

achievement so they can check the rate of improvement.

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Main findings

Ofsted may carry out further visits and, where necessary, provide further support and challenge to the school until its next section 5 inspection.

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External support

The recently appointed local authority advisor is already providing effective support to the school. He has supported senior leaders in making more rigorous checks on teaching through scrutinising pupils’ work. This has helped to provide clearer guidance to staff on where they need to improve.

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External support

The school has benefited from working with the headteacher of Ernehale Junior School. This has helped the leader of special educational needs to provide professional development to staff on how they can provide more effective support to potentially vulnerable pupils.

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External support

I am copying this letter to the Chair of the Governing Body, the Diocesan Director of Education for Southwell and the Director of Children’s Services for Notinghamshire.

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Her Majesty’s Inspector

The letter should be copied to the following:

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Her Majesty’s Inspector

 Chair of the Governing Body  Local authority  Diocese

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