Raeburn Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Raeburn Primary School Morland Avenue, Bromborough, Wirral, Merseyside CH62 6BD

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Outcome

Raeburn Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff provide a warm welcome for pupils as they arrive each morning in the playground. Pupils are eager to get into their classrooms to start their lessons. Pupils said that staff help them when they have worries or problems. Pupils, including children in the early years, feel happy and safe at school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud of their school. They work hard in lessons and most pupils take pride in their work. Pupils behave well in lessons, when moving around the school and at breaktimes. They said that bullying is rare, and should it happen, staff deal with it quickly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are motivated by the curriculum. Leaders have high aspirations for pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils across the school achieve well. They also enjoy the wide range of trips and visits that support their learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Older pupils enjoy their responsibilities as reading buddies, school councillors, lunchtime helpers, play leaders and members of the healthy mind and healthy body team. They organise activities to provide other pupils with plenty to do at breaktimes. The eco- committee members check that the school recycles its rubbish and does not waste energy.

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

Leaders ensure that the importance of reading is prioritised by all staff. Pupils read widely and often and they enjoy the books read to them by teachers. Pupils talk about their favourite authors and they enjoy discussing the stories that they have read.

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

Staff deliver the suitably ordered phonics curriculum with confidence. Teachers make regular checks on the sounds that pupils remember. Staff use this insight to make adaptations to the delivery of the phonics curriculum. When pupils fall behind, they are given support from staff so that they catch up. As a result, all pupils become confident, fluent readers. This helps them to learn successfully across the curriculum. 2 and 3 February 2023

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Leaders are ambitious for what pupils, including children in the early years, should achieve. In most subjects, leaders have clearly defined what they want pupils to learn and when this content should be taught. For example, leaders have carefully ordered the development of pupils’ vocabulary. Pupils use subject-specific vocabulary well when talking about their learning. However, in a small number of subjects, leaders are still finalising what pupils should learn. This hinders some pupils in making links between new learning and what they know already.

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Staff provide opportunities for pupils to practise and consolidate what they have learned. For instance, children in the early years regularly revisit their knowledge of number bonds in mathematics. Teachers make frequent checks on pupils’ learning. This helps them to identify those pupils who need more help or guidance. Leaders have a clear understanding of how the curriculum helps pupils to build their knowledge successfully.

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The needs of pupils with SEND are quickly identified by staff when children join the school in the early years. Leaders ensure that pupils with SEND receive the support needed to access the same curriculum as their peers. This group of pupils are actively involved in all aspects of school life.

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Leaders have prioritised pupils’ wider development. Pupils have a well-developed understanding of the importance of diversity. They enjoy learning about different cultures and religions. Pupils understand the school’s values and they enjoy working towards the school’s citizenship award. There is an extensive range of clubs available to pupils to enable them to explore and further their talents. For example, all pupils can take part in competitive sporting activities and many represent the school in local competitions.

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Teachers use leaders’ systems to manage pupils’ behaviour consistently well. This means that pupils’ learning is rarely disrupted by the behaviour of their peers.

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Staff said that leaders are supportive and understanding of their workload and well-being. Staff appreciate the well-thought-out professional development that they receive. This enables them to develop a deep understanding of the subjects they teach.

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Governors know the school and the community it serves well. They ensure that they receive the training needed to be effective in their roles. For example, when recruiting new members of the governing body, they consider how to broaden the experience of the governing body as a whole. Leaders value both the challenge and support provided by governors.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have established a strong culture of safeguarding. Staff are well trained. They spoke with confidence and consistency about how to respond if they have any concerns about pupils’ safety and welfare. Leaders keep detailed safeguarding records. They are alert to the signs that may indicate that a pupil may be at risk of harm. 2 and 3 February 2023

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Leaders work closely with other agencies to ensure that pupils and their families can access the support that they need. Pupils are taught about the risks that they might face, both in the wider community and when online.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few subjects, leaders have not finalised their curriculum thinking and made the knowledge that pupils should know and remember clear enough to teachers. This hinders some pupils in making links between new learning and what they know already. Leaders should ensure that they are clear about the knowledge and skills that pupils should learn in these subjects.

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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 an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in February 2018.

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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.

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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. 2 and 3 February 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10269042 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 13 and 14 February 2018, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school nursery was opened in September 2022.  Leaders do not make use of any alternative provision for pupils.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and has taken that into account in the evaluation of the school.  During the inspection, the inspector spoke with representatives of the governing body and a representative of the local authority. The inspector also spoke with the headteacher, members of the leadership team, other staff and parents and carers.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons, when moving around the school and at breaktimes. He spoke with pupils about behaviour and bullying.  The inspector reviewed a range of documentation relating to safeguarding. The inspector spoke with members of the governing body, leaders, staff and pupils to evaluate the culture of safeguarding in the school. 2 and 3 February 2023

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 The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and Spanish. The inspector met with subject leaders, visited lessons and spoke to staff. He also spoke to pupils about their learning and their experiences of the school.  The inspector considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments. He also spoke with parents at the end of the school day. The inspector considered the responses to Ofsted’s online survey for staff and pupils.

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Inspection team

Keith Pullen, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 2 and 3 February 2023

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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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