Ravensworth Terrace Primary School

Inspection of Ravensworth Terrace Primary School Mount Pleasant Road, Birtley, Chester le Street, County Durham DH3 1AY

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Inspection dates: 14 and 15 February 2024

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Good

The school was last inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 twelve years ago and judged ‘Outstanding’ under a previous inspection framework. This reflected the school’s overall effectiveness under the inspection framework in use at the time.

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Overall effectiveness Good

From then until November 2020, the school was exempted by law from routine inspection, so there has been a longer gap than usual between graded inspections under section 5 of the Act. Judgements in this report are based on the current inspection framework, and also reflect changes that may have happened at any point since the last graded inspection. 14 and 15 February 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to be part of this highly inclusive school. Leaders have established an influential set of values including respect, perseverance and kindness. Staff consistently demonstrate these values for pupils. Pupils are inspired to live out the values through their conduct and attitudes to learning. Ravensworth Terrace Primary School is a vibrant and happy place to learn.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has implemented a curriculum that helps pupils to secure their knowledge of the subjects that they study. Pupils exhibit an impressive understanding across a number of subjects. For example, pupils explain why Hadrian’s wall was built by the Romans and the function of plasma and platelets in the human blood supply. Some aspects of the curriculum are in the earlier stages of development. Pupils’ knowledge in these areas is less well developed.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Adults help pupils to manage their own feelings and to behave well. Staff apply the school’s behaviour policy consistently. As a result, pupils behave well most of the time. When behaviour slips, staff immediately help pupils to get back on track. This means pupils can focus on their learning with few distractions.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders make sure pupils and families understand why attending school is important. Staff provide lots of support to help pupils attend every day. This is leading to high levels of attendance for most pupils.

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better?

Leaders have established an ambitious curriculum that identifies the important knowledge that pupils need. The school is in the process of checking that this knowledge is clearly identified in all subjects. In art and design, pupils develop their understanding of cross hatching and shading techniques before making complex drawings of people in different poses. In mathematics, adults make sure that pupils refresh their previous learning every day. This is a common approach across a number of subjects and is helping pupils to remember important knowledge. In history, pupils are using this knowledge to make links between different historical periods. For example, during the inspection, pupils explained in detail the way that cultures traded during different periods in history. However, the school’s ambition for the curriculum has not been fully realised in all subjects. Where subjects are at an earlier stage of development, there is less clarity about the knowledge that pupils

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better?

need and how this should be taught. In these subjects, pupils’ knowledge is less well developed.

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better?

Leaders have made reading a priority. They make sure that staff get the training that they need to help pupils to learn to read. In early years, adults help children to get off to a superb start by learning phonics and beginning to read simple words. The books children read are matched to the sounds that they know. Leaders ensure all pupils practise reading every day. When pupils struggle, skilled adults provide just the right support to help them to catch up. The quality of this support is exemplary. 14 and 15 February 2024

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Pupils quickly master phonics and become fluent readers. Adults read to the pupils every day. They bring these stories to life for the pupils in their care. This inspires pupils to practise reading with fluency and expression.

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In early years, staff help children to build positive relationships. Children cooperate consistently well with each other. The children show positive attitudes to their learning. They are able to concentrate well in order to complete the activities that they are given. However, the curriculum for early years is not precisely focused on the learning children need to acquire. Some of the activities that the school provides for children do not help them to develop their learning well enough.

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The support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is exemplary. Most pupils learn the same ambitious curriculum as their peers. Where pupils need a different approach, this is precisely matched to their needs. This is helping pupils with SEND to develop academically and socially. Leaders place no limits on what pupils can do and achieve. Pupils with SEND are flourishing.

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The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development is exceptional. Pupils develop a deep understanding of relationships, well-being and how to stay safe online. Pupils talk about issues like consent and healthy relationships with considerable maturity. Pupils explain how they are encouraged to be a ‘better person’ by contributing to the running of the school. Pupils take these leadership roles very seriously, serving their school as eco councillors, school councillors and/or buddies. The school deliberately broadens pupils’ experiences. For example, pupils visit Beamish Museum to learn about local heritage. Others visit a local farm to find out about food production. These opportunities bring learning to life for pupils. The school’s work to support the mental health of pupils and families is also exemplary. Some families have taken part in a project to help to support their children’s mental

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health at home. All of this work informs the close connection that the school has established with the community that it serves.

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Those responsible for governance are knowledgeable about the school. They check that leaders’ actions impact positively on pupils’ outcomes. The workload and well- being of all staff is a priority. Staff are proud to work at this school. One member of staff reflected the views of others, saying, ‘we are not just seen as employees. We are seen as human beings’.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Where subjects are at an earlier stage of development, there is less clarity about the knowledge that pupils need and how this should be taught to pupils. In these subjects, pupils’ knowledge is less well developed. The school should make sure 14 and 15 February 2024

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that staff have the support that they need to help pupils to learn important knowledge in all subjects.  The curriculum for early years is not precisely focused on the learning children need to acquire. Sometimes, the planned activities do not help children to develop their learning well enough. The school should make sure that the activities that children do help them to develop the learning that they need.

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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.

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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). 14 and 15 February 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 28 and 29 November 2011

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Information about this school

 This is a larger than average-sized primary school.  The school runs a breakfast club for pupils.  The school runs a forest school provision for pupils in the school.  There have been several changes in the leadership of the school since the last inspection.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school's education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 14 and 15 February 2024

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 Inspectors met with senior leaders, subject leaders and teachers. The lead inspector held additional meetings with the local authority’s adviser and headteacher.  The lead inspector held a meeting with representatives of the governing body, including the chair of the governing body.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, history, art and design, and 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. The lead inspector also listened to a sample of pupils read to a familiar adult.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, 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.  Inspectors scrutinised a range of other documentation, including governor meeting minutes and leaders’ evaluation of the school.  Inspectors also spoke informally to pupils to gather their views on school life.  To gather parents’ views, inspectors took account of the views of parents from the Ofsted Parent View survey, including any free-text comments.  To gather the views of staff, inspectors took account of the staff survey.

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Inspection team

Jen Sloan, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Tracy Duffy His Majesty's Inspector 14 and 15 February 2024

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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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