Ravensworth Church of England Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Ravensworth Church of England Primary School Ravensworth, Richmond, North Yorkshire DL11 7ET

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Outcome

Ravensworth Church of England Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and governors make certain that all pupils in this very small, rural school have the best chance to succeed. The school’s Christian ethos, ‘Building futures with love’, underpins every aspect of Ravensworth Church of England Primary School. This encourages pupils to be confident, articulate and polite.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There is little low-level disruption in lessons. Staff swiftly and respectfully address any issues with behaviour. Pupils do not fear bullying because they feel well cared for and protected by staff. Pupils trust staff to help if there is a problem.

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What is it like to attend this school?

From the early years through to Year 6, teachers make the most of the wonderful environment that surrounds the school. For example, pupils develop their scientific, geographical and historical knowledge through exploration of the school’s forest area and the local environment.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers are highly supportive of the school. They appreciate the care and attention staff give to their children. A typical comment from a parent stated that staff know each child as an individual and care about them, helping them achieve their best.

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

The executive headteacher and governors have successfully led the school through a period of significant change. They have ensured that the curriculum is ambitious and engaging for all pupils. Subject leaders, across the four schools in the collaboration, have identified what they want pupils to learn in most subjects from early years to Year 6. This important knowledge is clearly organised and logically sequenced.

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

The phonics leader is passionate about ensuring that every child is a fluent, speedy reader. The introduction of a systematic phonics scheme is now ensuring that pupils who 28 April 2022

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had fallen behind are catching up quickly. All staff in school have been trained to teach phonics. As a result, phonics is taught well and suitably assessed. Staff accurately match the books pupils read to their phonics knowledge. Teachers have high expectations in terms of reading and writing in key stage 2. They use high-quality novels effectively to engage and challenge pupils. This prepares pupils well for their next stage in learning English.

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The mathematics curriculum clearly sets out the knowledge pupils need at each stage. Teachers identify the small steps needed to enable pupils to succeed. For example, teachers do not assume that pupils are able to solve problems or calculate area. They teach pupils the prior knowledge they need and show how to apply it. There is a strong focus on securing the essential basic knowledge from Reception to Year 6. It is early days, but the impact of the leaders’ actions is that pupils’ mathematical knowledge is improving.

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The revised science curriculum is planned for pupils to build knowledge sequentially so that they develop deep understanding. End points for each topic identify precisely what knowledge pupils need at each stage. This precision is helping teachers to target their teaching to ensure that pupils learn and remember more. It is also helping them to assess whether pupils are keeping up with the curriculum. Consequently, pupils are building deeper knowledge. They are increasingly able to think scientifically. For example, they relate their knowledge about habitats to their understanding of adaptation.

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Staff are determined that all pupils will succeed. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive the support they need. Teacher assessments accurately identify gaps in learning, so that pupils get the help they need to catch up.

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There are high expectations for behaviour. Pupils know what staff expect of them. They are happy, confident and self-assured. Any incidents of challenging behaviour are managed effectively.

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Due to the rural nature of the school, some pupils have limited experiences beyond the community. During the periods of lockdown, some pupils became more isolated. The school provides a wide range of trips and visits to broaden pupils’ horizons. Such experiences are woven through the curriculum. This supports pupils’ wider development well.

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Staff say they are proud and happy to work at Ravensworth Church of England Primary School. They appreciate the support they receive from school leaders and governors to carry out their roles effectively and to manage their workload.

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Governors and the multi-academy trust know the school well. They provide regular training and consider staff’s well-being. Governors fulfil their statutory responsibilities well. 28 April 2022

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

There is a strong culture of safeguarding in school. Checks are in place to ensure that staff are suitable to work with children. Leaders ensure that there is regular safeguarding training for staff. Leaders and staff are quick to identify any concerns. Governors have had training to ensure that they oversee safeguarding effectively. Pupils feel safe and know how to keep themselves safe online. Leaders put effective provision in place to support pupils’ mental health.

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Safeguarding

Parents value the help the school has given them, particularly during periods of lockdown.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Although curriculum plans are in place for most subjects, the implementation of these plans has not been fully embedded. Consequently, pupils are not achieving as well as they could be in some subjects. Leaders should continue to implement these plans to ensure that pupils gain the knowledge they need for all subjects. For this reason, the transitional arrangements have been applied.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called a section 8 inspection of a good or outstanding school, because it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the section 8 inspection as a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the predecessor school, Ravensworth Church of England Primary School, to be good in December 2012.

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school. 28 April 2022

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If you are the school and you are not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted .

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. 28 April 2022

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School details

Chair of trust Right Reverend Paul Ferguson

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Ravensworth Church of England Primary School converted to become an academy school in December 2017. When its predecessor school, Ravensworth Church of England Primary School, was inspected by Ofsted in December 2012, it was judged to be good overall.  The school has undergone significant staffing and leadership changes since the last inspection.  The school is a member of the Dales Academies multi-academy trust.  The school uses no alternative provision.  The school’s religious character is Christian. The diocese inspects this separately under section 48 of the Education Act 2005.  The school’s last section 48 inspection took place in January 2018. It was judged to be outstanding. 28 April 2022

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors met the executive headteacher and the deputy headteacher, who is the base leader for this school. The base leader is the teacher in charge of this school when the executive headteacher is out of school. The special educational needs coordinator and phonics leader are employed to work across the collaboration.  Inspectors also met the English, mathematics and science leaders.  The chief executive of the multi-academy trust met inspectors in person. The lead inspector spoke to the adviser representing the Diocese of Leeds on the telephone.  The lead inspector met a group of four governors, including the chair of the local governing body.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and

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Information about this inspection

science. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  An inspector checked the single central record and met the executive headteacher to discuss the school’s safeguarding arrangements. Inspectors also met with pupils to explore their knowledge of how they keep themselves safe.  The inspectors looked at the 18 responses to Ofsted’s parents’ survey, Ofsted Parent View, and spoke to several parents.  Inspectors looked at the six responses to the staff survey and the 20 responses to the pupil survey.  The lead inspector checked all pupil leavers and their destinations to rule out off- rolling.

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Inspection team

Lucie Stephenson, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Sandy Hayes Her Majesty’s Inspector 28 April 2022

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regulates and inspects to 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 and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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