Raughton Head CofE School & Nursery

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Raughton Head CofE School & Nursery Raughton Head, Carlisle, Cumbria CA5 7DD

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Outcome

Evidence gathered during this ungraded (section 8) inspection suggests that the school’s work may have improved significantly across all areas since the previous inspection. The school’s next inspection will be a graded inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils thrive and feel happy at this delightful school. Relationships between adults and pupils are remarkably strong and caring. Pupils are proud of their inclusive and harmonious school. The environment is welcoming to all, and staff nurture pupils’ individual talents well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is highly ambitious for all pupils to succeed, including disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils are curious and keen learners. They have a strong appetite to improve their knowledge. Pupils achieve exceptionally well. They are thoroughly prepared for the next stage of their learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ behaviour is excellent. In the early years, children settle quickly into school routines. Older pupils serve as excellent role models. They enjoy working and playing alongside younger pupils. Classrooms are calm and purposeful. Pupils quickly learn to be respectful, confident and articulate when expressing their thoughts and views.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from impressive and wide-ranging experiences that enrich their personal development. They take great pride in their responsibilities, for example as school councillors and helping younger pupils during the day. A rich variety of visits and after- school activities enhance pupils’ learning across the curriculum. For example, pupils compared their well-developed understanding of equality and diversity to areas of the world where this is less positive. 17 December 2024

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

The school’s values are strongly realised. Governors are highly skilled and know the school well. They are fully informed regarding the impact of the curriculum on pupils’ achievement. The school builds highly positive relationships with parents and carers from the start of their children’s learning journey. This helps children to get off to a flying start in the early years.

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

The school has designed an ambitious curriculum that meets the needs of pupils exceptionally well. The curriculum carefully sets out the knowledge and vocabulary that pupils should learn across all year groups. Pupils can explain in detail the work that they are doing.

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

Staff deliver the curriculum skilfully. Teachers have secure subject knowledge. The methods that they use help pupils to secure and recall their learning effectively. Teachers regularly revisit prior learning. This helps pupils to build a secure understanding of new concepts and make links across and within subjects. Pupils’ knowledge and understanding are checked before they move on to new curriculum content. Any misconceptions are identified swiftly and addressed successfully. This helps pupils to develop deeper and richer knowledge over time.

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

Learning to read and write is a priority. Children develop their love of reading from the beginning of their time in the Nursery class. In later years, staff deliver the well-ordered phonics programme effectively. They make sure that children in the early years, and pupils in key stage 1, read from books that include the sounds that they know. Teachers are quick to spot any pupils who are not keeping up with the programme and help them to catch up swiftly. As a result, all Year 1 pupils met the phonics screening check in 2024. They can successfully apply this knowledge to their reading and writing across the curriculum.

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

The school precisely identifies the additional needs of pupils with SEND at the earliest possible opportunity. Staff check carefully that appropriate support is in place for these pupils as they move through the school. Pupils with SEND participate in all aspects of school life and achieve very well.

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

Pupils are respectful, determined, focused and they work hard in lessons. The school has developed clear procedures to manage pupils’ attendance and punctuality. As a result, most pupils attend school regularly and on time.

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

The programme to support pupils’ personal development is exceptional. The school has thought carefully about the qualities and values that it wants to instil into pupils. It ensures that pupils develop into caring and considerate individuals, with a strong sense of moral and social purpose. Pupils visit different places and locations, for example the Lake District and London. Pupils value the wide range of leadership opportunities available to them, such as through the school council. Pupils develop a deep understanding of healthy lifestyles and online safety. It supports them to be exceptionally well prepared for life beyond school. 17 December 2024

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The school has created a culture of ambition and continuous improvement for staff and pupils alike. Staff are extremely proud to work at the school. They value the strong relationships that they forge with their colleagues. The school considers staff’s workload very carefully to help them to fulfil their responsibilities.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted’s website. From September 2024, graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade. This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

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Background

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. 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’s work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection 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 for overall effectiveness in July 2019.

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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. 17 December 2024

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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). 17 December 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 9 and 10 July 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Raughton Head CofE School and Nursery is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  The school is a voluntary controlled Church of England primary school. The most recent section 48 inspection of the school’s religious character took place in March 2022.  The school has provision for three-year-old children.  The school does not use any alternative provision for its pupils.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation 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 the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 17 December 2024

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 Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher and other members of staff. In addition, they met with representatives of the governing body, the local authority and the diocese.  The inspectors visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. They also considered documents and spoke to some staff about the curriculum, SEND, attendance, safeguarding, personal development and behaviour.  Inspectors considered how the school prepares pupils for life in modern Britain, which included reviewing the curriculum for personal, social, health and economic education.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around school.  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 culture around

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safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The responses to Ofsted Parent View were reviewed. This included the free-text responses.  The responses to Ofsted’s staff and pupil questionnaires were also considered.

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Inspection team

Keith Wright, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Garry White Ofsted Inspector 17 December 2024

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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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T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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