Ranworth Square Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Ranworth Square Primary School Ranworth Square, Norris Green, Liverpool, Merseyside L11 3DG

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Outcome

Ranworth Square Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils and their parents and carers are proud to be part of this very inclusive school. Staff are welcoming and friendly. Pupils trust staff to listen and to try to help with any problems they may face. Pupils are happy and feel safe at school. They feel that is easy to make new friends and say that their teachers always encourage them to try something new. If bullying should happen, leaders resolve it quickly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. Pupils behave well. They are polite to adults and to each other. In lessons, pupils are keen to learn and most settle down to tasks quickly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders aim to give all their pupils the best start in life, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who are disadvantaged. Staff expect them to work hard and achieve well and they rise to these expectations. Most pupils achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils appreciate the great breadth of opportunities they have to enrich their learning through extra-curricular activities. Older pupils help lead some of the activities alongside staff. Leaders go to great lengths to ensure that all pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, experience a rich diet of cultural visits and sports competitions. A highlight for older pupils is the school residential in north Wales.

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

Leaders and governors have ensured that the curriculum is ambitious. They have thought carefully about the main themes of the curriculum and have made sure that it meets the needs of their pupils and reflects the local area. The curriculum provides strong foundations for learning in reading and mathematics. Leaders and teachers have a secure understanding of what children in the early years need to know so that they are well prepared for the key stage 1 curriculum. 6 and 7 June 2023

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In most subjects, teachers deliver the curriculum well. They have strong subject knowledge and they explain topics and concepts clearly to their pupils. Teachers in the early years and key stages 1 and 2 use a wide range of teaching strategies to capture the interest of their pupils. However, in a few subjects, teachers do not teach the important knowledge and ideas in enough depth and detail. This means that in those subjects pupils do not build the essential knowledge and skills they need to be prepared for the next stage of their education.

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Teachers know their pupils well. They circulate around their classrooms to check regularly that each pupil understands what they have taught. Pupils listen carefully to the advice that staff give them and, in most cases, respond by improving their work. Staff provide effective support for any pupils who find learning difficult.

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Reading is a priority across the school. The library is at the centre of the school. Staff and pupils are, rightly, proud of its attractive design and extensive range of enjoyable high- quality fiction and non-fiction. Pupils said they enjoy reading and read frequently. Older pupils who are part of the Bookworm committee actively promote reading through their newsletter and book trolley, which they take to different parts of the school. Leaders have developed an effective phonics curriculum so that pupils, including those with SEND, learn to read with fluency and accuracy. Staff are quick to spot those pupils who struggle to read. Well-trained staff provide support to help them keep up with their peers.

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Leaders accurately identify the needs of pupils with SEND. They provide staff with the information that they require to enable them to help these pupils. Staff know all pupils with SEND well and use appropriate strategies to help them to succeed.

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Children in the early years settle quickly and learn to follow the routines and rules of the school day. They play and socialise together in the well-resourced classrooms and outside areas. They participate enthusiastically in the carefully designed activities prepared by their teachers. Across the school, pupils behave well, both in their classrooms and in the attractive playground areas. However, occasionally, the behaviour of a small minority of pupils falls below the high expectations of their teachers and spoils the learning for others.

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Leaders take every opportunity to provide very enriching opportunities which enable pupils to expand their range of cultural experiences and to become responsible citizens. Leaders set an example to their pupils. They have engaged staff and pupils in many charitable initiatives to help local families who have fallen on hard times. They have also developed a wisely designed personal development programme. Through the programme, pupils learn how to discuss openly their thoughts about a wide range of issues which affect their lives. They enjoy celebrating cultures, societies and lifestyles that are different from their own. They learn about healthy and safe relationships in an age-appropriate way.

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Governors have a strong understanding of the strengths and areas for development of the school. They visit the school regularly and meet with staff to deepen their understanding of the curriculum. They use their different areas of expertise to support and challenge leaders. 6 and 7 June 2023

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Leaders take the workload and well-being of staff into account when making decisions. Staff appreciate the opportunities for professional development which the school offers them. They like the way that leaders listen to them and find solutions for problems that they may face.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders take their safeguarding responsibilities very seriously. They have a thorough understanding of the issues that pupils may face. Leaders and staff know pupils and their families very well. Staff are trained to spot the signs that pupils may be at risk of harm. They report any safeguarding concerns quickly, so that pupils can get the timely help that they need. Staff work closely with other agencies where needed.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that pupils learn how to keep themselves safe. They are aware of the issues which sometimes arise in the local community and give prominence to these issues in assemblies and personal development lessons.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

In a few subjects, there is variation in the rigour in which the curriculum is implemented by teachers. As a result, in these subjects, pupils do not learn some of the key knowledge, concepts and skills in the depth required for the next stage of their education. Leaders should ensure that there is greater consistency in the delivery of these subjects by teachers so that pupils develop their knowledge, understanding of concepts and skills at the appropriate level of rigour and depth in all 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 January 2018. 6 and 7 June 2023

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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. 6 and 7 June 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10268864 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 23 and 24 January 2018, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Leaders do not use any alternative provision.

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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 school leaders and has taken that into account in his evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the headteacher, senior leaders, middle leaders and a range of teaching and support staff. The inspector spoke with seven members of the local governing body, including the chair of governors.  The inspector met with the school improvement partner.  As part of this inspection, the inspector carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics and geography. The inspector met with subject leaders, visited some lessons, looked at pupils’ work and spoke with pupils and teachers. The inspector observed individual pupils reading to their teachers.  The inspector met with groups of pupils from Years 1 to 6. He also observed breaks and lunchtime. 6 and 7 June 2023

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 The inspector checked the school’s safeguarding procedures and the checks made on staff. The inspector met with leaders, staff and pupils to evaluate the culture of safeguarding.  The inspector reviewed a range of documentation, including that relating to the school development plans, self-evaluation documents, curriculum documentation and behaviour records.  The inspector considered the responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for staff and for pupils.  The inspector also considered the views of the parents and carers who responded to Ofsted Parent View, Ofsted’s online survey. This included the comments received via the free-text facility.

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Inspection team

Timothy Gartside, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 6 and 7 June 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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