Ray Lodge Primary School

Ray Lodge Primary School

Address: Snakes Lane East, Woodford Green, Essex, IG8 7JQ Unique reference number (URN): 145045

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, pupils are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect schools for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The school has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. All legal requirements are met. Not met: The school has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

The school’s vision of 'striving for excellence' is brought to life through the 'Ray Lodge Pledge'. This is a deliberately curated and sequenced programme of enrichment that builds aspiration and broadens pupils’ horizons. This approach is well considered and age- appropriate. It sets out a progression of opportunities that deepen pupils' cultural experiences, strengthen their personal development and extend their understanding of the world beyond school. For example, in Year 3, pupils visit a restaurant to explore nutrient-rich foods, practise social communication in a real-world setting and encounter early career concepts, such as becoming a chef. Each opportunity is intentionally planned so that pupils develop the skills, confidence and self-belief needed for the next stage of their education. The cumulative effect is a coherent programme that nurtures pupils' ambition and supports pupils to see themselves as active, capable learners with a wide range of future possibilities.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

The personal development and wellbeing programme is highly effective in supporting disadvantaged pupils, including those known to children’s social care. Leaders address any barriers to participation by adapting experiences to ensure that they are accessible. All pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, can take part fully. As a result, pupils feel valued and are supported to develop confidence, resilience and independence.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Pastoral care is a key aspect of the school's work. Staff know pupils very well and model empathy and tolerance in their daily interactions. They provide thoughtfully tailored emotional support so that pupils feel secure, understood and ready to learn.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Through a carefully planned and age-appropriate relationships and health education curriculum, pupils demonstrate detailed knowledge about important issues, such as consent and diverse family structures. They talk confidently about equality, kindness and fairness. Pupils have a secure understanding of the fundamental British values, such as democracy, tolerance and respect.

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Achievement Expected standard

Pupils at this school achieve well. They make steady progress because they secure the essential knowledge that underpins their learning across the curriculum, particularly in reading and mathematics. A significant proportion of pupils achieve above national expectations in the end of key stage 2 assessments. For disadvantaged pupils, national assessments show outcomes that are closer to national averages in reading and mathematics. Leaders recognise this and have taken appropriate action to begin to reduce the gap between disadvantaged and non ‑ disadvantaged pupils' achievement.

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Achievement Expected standard

Work in pupils' books and in lessons shows that they apply what they have been taught accurately. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and those pupils known to children’s social care, progress appropriately from their starting points. Typically, adaptations made to teaching reduce barriers to learning and help pupils to access the same curriculum as their peers. By the end of Year 6, pupils feel well prepared for secondary school and speak confidently about their next steps.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Leaders are ambitious and committed to securing pupils' high attendance. They analyse attendance information carefully to identify patterns and act when concerns emerge. Leaders work closely with families to remove barriers to regular attendance. They do this through clear communication and family-centred support to build trust and shared responsibility. This approach is successful and results in a very high proportion of pupils having regular attendance, including those who are disadvantaged or those with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Leaders set high expectations for pupils' behaviour. These are underpinned by positive relationships and clear rules that are generally understood well by both staff and pupils. This approach promotes a supportive and orderly environment. Positive conduct is the norm and it is valued throughout the school community. Staff make sensible adjustments for pupils with additional needs to support them effectively. Any forms of discrimination are dealt with quickly and appropriately. Leaders have established systems for reporting and recording behaviour incidents. These are used to ensure that issues are addressed promptly. However, these systems do not consistently enable detailed analysis of the impact of all actions taken. As a result, leaders are not yet consistently able to identify and respond to less visible patterns in behaviour over time.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders have an accurate understanding of the quality of the curriculum and teaching. The clearly designed curriculum sets out the logical sequence of subject content that pupils should learn. Leaders ensure that the curriculum reflects the school’s context and takes account of pupils’ interests. As a result, pupils are excited and interested in their learning.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The curriculum is broad and balanced. Teachers have secure subject knowledge. Leaders have established a clear approach to teaching that gives staff a secure foundation from which to plan and deliver learning effectively. Pupils revisit past learning routinely. This helps them to build on their prior understanding and remember new content. In English, leaders have strengthened the focus on vocabulary, oracy and early writing. Pupils gain the essential knowledge that they need to build their learning securely.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders provide guidance for staff, for example through coaching, modelling and appropriate training. This supports consistency in the approaches that staff use to deliver the curriculum. However, some variation remains in how well teachers check pupils’ understanding and introduce new vocabulary.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The early skills of reading, writing and mathematics are prioritised. The books that pupils read match closely to their phonics knowledge. Staff typically make thoughtful adaptations for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and for others who need additional support. This enables them to take part fully in lessons.

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Early years Expected standard

The early years environment is calm, caring and well organised. Children feel safe, settled and ready to learn. Staff build warm relationships with children. This helps children to grow in confidence and independence. The early years provision is well resourced and supports children's development in early communication, mathematics and social interactions. Routines are clear. This supports children to stay involved in their learning and move smoothly between activities. However, teaching does not support some children to develop their vocabulary as fully as leaders intend. This means that there are times when they are unable to use and apply new language with confidence.

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Early years Expected standard

Staff know children well, including those who are vulnerable or who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff interact with children positively. They provide caring and responsive support. Leaders place a clear focus on engaging with families, external agencies and staff to support children's needs.

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Early years Expected standard

The school has put in place a new phonics programme. Children begin to learn phonics as soon as they start in the Reception Year. Staff enable children to develop important reading skills. For example, children learn to break words into sounds to help them read. This helps build their early reading skills. Children listen carefully and enjoy stories, rhymes and songs. They join in with enthusiasm. Overall, children are well prepared to move to Year 1 when the time comes.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders have established an inclusive culture that supports pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) well. Leaders identify pupils’ needs swiftly through a robust approach. Typically, staff use this information to adapt teaching and ensure that learning is accessible for pupils. As a result, pupils, including those with SEND, learn well. They develop positive attitudes to learning from the early years onwards.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders work closely with families, professionals and external agencies to build a precise understanding of each pupil's needs. This knowledge is used accurately to inform the support that pupils receive. Overall, staff implement thoughtful interventions and well- considered adaptations that enable pupils to access the full curriculum alongside their peers. Staff are well trained to provide this support, including the use of strategies that promote pupils’ independence. Leaders monitor pupils’ progress closely and evaluate the impact of provision. They ensure that the support that staff provide remains responsive to pupils' needs. Consequently, pupils make progress from a wide range of starting points.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders use additional funding carefully to reduce any barriers to learning and promote pupils’ academic and personal development. Disadvantaged pupils benefit from access to additional opportunities, including clubs, that enhance their wellbeing and support their future success.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The trust and school work together in a mutually beneficial and well-established partnership. For example, the trust provides effective support for the school’s ongoing curriculum development. This ensures that changes to curriculum design and delivery are underpinned by subject expertise and research. Teachers engage with the trust’s extensive training and networking opportunities. This enhances their professional knowledge and promotes consistency of practice. School staff also contribute meaningfully to trust-wide development. For example, staff share effective approaches to supporting pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. This reciprocal relationship benefits provision in school, with a clear focus on improving pupils' outcomes and experiences.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Governors receive the information that they need to make strategic decisions and hold leaders to account. Leaders and those responsible for governance are attentive to staff wellbeing. They ensure that workload is manageable and expectations of staff's actions are realistic. As a result, staff feel valued, motivated and proud to work at the school. Staff contribute to a positive culture that benefits pupils’ learning, both academic and beyond. Leaders understand the school's strengths and assure themselves that systems are working as intended. They provide opportunities for staff to contribute their views to inform improvements and shape change.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils are happy and confident at Ray Lodge Primary School. This is reflected in the way that they embody the school's values. These values, such as aspiration, resilience and emotional awareness, are lived out daily by pupils and staff. Pupils speak warmly about the kindness of their teachers. Pupils are confident that they will receive help when they need it. Most parents and carers agree that their children enjoy learning and feel safe at the school.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils learn effectively through a carefully considered curriculum. Typically, teachers support pupils to develop secure knowledge across the curriculum. Leaders work closely with the trust to identify, with precision, any areas of the curriculum where pupils do not achieve as highly as they could. Pupils are encouraged to 'strive for excellence' throughout their school life. They are supported to achieve well in national tests, including pupils who are disadvantaged. Consequently, pupils are well prepared for their next steps in education.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Behaviour is calm and respectful. Bullying is very rare and dealt with effectively. Staff support pupils to manage their emotions effectively. Staff ensure that any pupils with barriers to learning, including those who are disadvantaged, receive the help that they need to be ready to learn.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

The school is a place where pupils flourish beyond the classroom. Pupils relish opportunities to explore the wider world. They speak highly of 'the pledge'. Through this, the school provides a set of culturally enriching experiences to broaden pupils' understanding. The school supports pupils' personal development very effectively and helps prepare pupils well for life in modern Britain. Pupils are knowledgeable about online safety. For example, they

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Team inspectors:

Allan McLean, Ofsted Inspector Harvey Webb, Ofsted Inspector Diana Valcheva, Ofsted Inspector understand the risks of 'too good to be true' digital scams. Pupils' readiness for life beyond school and to play an active part in society is well planned for and supported.

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Next steps

Leaders should ensure that staff enhance opportunities for high-quality talk and interaction with pupils, including in the early years, so that pupils improve their understanding and use of language and vocabulary. Leaders should further strengthen consistency in staff's understanding and use of adaptive teaching practices, so that pupils build securely and in depth on what they already know. Leaders should further develop their approaches to overseeing behaviour, so they have a clearer overview of trends and evaluate the impact of their actions more precisely.

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About this inspection

This school is part of Strive4 Academy Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Amanda Jennings, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Alex Macneill.

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About this inspection

Inspectors carried out this full inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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About this inspection

Following our renewed inspection framework, all inspections are now led by His Majesty’s Inspectors (HMIs) or by Ofsted Inspectors (OIs) who have previously served as HMIs.

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About this inspection

Inspection activities: Inspectors spoke with the executive headteacher, the head of school and other senior leaders. They also met with members of the trust and local governing body. Inspectors also spoke with several pupils, staff, parents and carers.

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About this inspection

The inspectors confirmed the following information about the school: The school uses one alternative provision.

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Facts and figures used on inspection

The data was used by the inspector(s) during the inspection. More recent data may have been published since the inspection took place.

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils currently at this school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils who can attend the school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years. National average: 26.3%

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with an education, health and care plan. This covers pupils with more support than is available through special educational needs support.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with reported special educational support needs at the school.

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What does this mean?

Based on the English Indices of Deprivation (2019) and the school's location, we have calculated whether the school is located in a more or less deprived area.

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What does this mean?

Whether school has Resourced Provision or SEND unit (if applicable).

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standards in a combined reading, writing and mathematics measure.

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in reading.

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average

2023/24 (final) 80% 74% Close to average

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average

2022/23 (final) 74% 73% Close to average

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing.

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics.

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average

2024/25 (revised) 80% 74% Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after.

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mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics.

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average

2024/25 (revised) 36% 47% Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading.

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average

2024/25 (revised) 64% 63% Close to average

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average

2023/24 (final) 68% 62% Close to average

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average

2022/23 (final) 63% 60% Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher- assessed writing.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics.

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average

2022/23 (final) 70% 59% Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance gap

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after. The school disadvantage gap is the difference between the performance of the school's disadvantaged pupils compared to the performance of all non-disadvantaged pupils nationally.

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mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics, including the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading and the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher- assessed writing and the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics and the disadvantaged gap.

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Overall absence

The percentage of all possible mornings and afternoons missed due to absence from school (for whatever reason, whether authorised or unauthorised) across all pupils.

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Persistent absence

The percentage of pupils missing 10% or more of their possible mornings and afternoons.

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other schools can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The school reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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Expected standard

The school is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The school needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

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Urgent improvement

services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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