Ravensdale Junior School

Inspection of Ravensdale Junior School Devonshire Drive, Mickleover, Derby, Derbyshire DE3 9EY

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Inspection dates: 13 and 14 September 2023

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Overall effectiveness Good

The headteacher of this school is Zoe Cannon. This school is part of Transform Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Rebecca Meredith, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Peter Munroe. 13 and 14 September 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and safe at this school. They enjoy studying a wide range of subjects. Pupils also benefit from learning about how to have good physical and mental health.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff have high expectations for all pupils. Pupils achieve well. Staff are working hard to ensure that all pupils have a love of reading. However, not all pupils value reading. Enjoyment of reading is a top priority for this school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is a calm place to learn. Effective strategies are in place that help pupils to behave well. Pupils understand the new anti-bullying policy. They say there is less bullying in school now. Where bullying does happen, teachers deal with it quickly. Pupils know and understand the school values. Teachers help them with ‘learning to live and living to learn’. Pupils know that respect is important. They learn about tolerance and understanding.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school provides a caring environment for pupils. Parents and carers, and pupils, value this greatly. They say it is a ‘safety net’ when they need it most.

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better?

A broad curriculum is in place for all subjects. The curriculum is organised so that pupils learn and remember over time in all subjects. Teachers help pupils remember by revisiting important knowledge. They check understanding with assessments.

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better?

Pupils achieve well, particularly in mathematics. Teachers are subject experts. They plan lessons to ensure that pupils enjoy learning and develop their knowledge.

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better?

Sometimes, pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), do not remember what they have studied. Teachers identify pupil needs. However, they do not always ensure that learning is broken down into appropriate steps for pupils with SEND.

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better?

Reading receives priority. Strategies are in place to promote a love of reading. Some pupils do not enjoy reading and cannot recall authors or books they have read. Teachers share important techniques to help pupils improve the accuracy of their reading. Pupils read books across the subjects they learn, for example in history. Those who struggle with reading receive support to catch up. They get extra help to close gaps in knowledge. Despite this, pupils do not always catch up quickly, right from the start of early reading. Sometimes teachers do not teach the plans they have well enough.

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better?

Pupils behave well. They are courteous and they show good attitudes to one another. A small minority occasionally use disrespectful language. Teachers manage this well. They do not accept poor behaviour choices. Incidents of bullying have reduced. The school invests time in ensuring good attendance, which is improving. 13 and 14 September 2023

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Staff are ambitious for pupils’ personal development. They remind pupils about school values in assembly. They help them with pastoral support. There is a well- sequenced curriculum in place for personal, social, health and economic education. Pupils learn about a range of topics, including positive relationships and online safety. Pupils can talk about protected characteristics and life in modern Britain. They are less secure in talking about different faiths. Pupils enjoy attending clubs and taking part in educational visits. Not all pupils are encouraged to take part in wider opportunities.

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There is a range of training opportunities available to all staff. They value these. They say it is improving their teaching. Teachers value how their workload has reduced over time.

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Governors and trustees work with clear plans for checking the quality of the provision. They work hard to engage with parents. Governors understand their roles. They challenge and support leaders to improve the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 A small number of teachers are not as confident about the most effective strategies to use consistently when teaching pupils to read. As a result, pupils do not always develop the knowledge of texts and authors, and the ability to read fluently, as quickly as they could. Leaders should ensure that all staff have the knowledge they need to select and use the most effective strategies when teaching pupils to read.  Teachers do not always adapt the curriculum as effectively as they could to meet the needs of all pupils in all subjects. Some pupils, including those with SEND, do not keep up with their peers in a small number of subjects. Leaders should ensure that teachers have the information they need to adapt their teaching so that all pupils learn the intended curriculum.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to 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. 13 and 14 September 2023

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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’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 13 and 14 September 2023

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Ravensdale Junior School converted to become an academy on 1 September 2019. When its predecessor school, Ravensdale Junior School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be good overall.  The school operates a before- and after-school club.  The designated safeguarding lead took up their post in September 2023.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, senior leaders and teachers in school. They met trust central team associate headteachers and a governance professional 13 and 14 September 2023

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who all support the school. They spoke with local governors, trustees and the CEO.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, physical education and science. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also discussed the curriculum in religious education and history. Inspectors looked at books in a number of subjects across the curriculum.  Inspectors met with leaders responsible for the provision for pupils with SEND, behaviour, attendance and pupils’ personal development.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive

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culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first. The inspectors also considered the views of parents.

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Inspection team

Donna Moulds, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Liz White Ofsted Inspector 13 and 14 September 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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