Ravenor Primary School

Inspection Report Ravenor Primary School

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101885 Unique Reference Number Ealing Local Authority 286207 Inspection number 13 °14 December 2006 Inspection dates George Rayner Reporting inspector

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Greenway Gardens School address Primary Type of school Greenford Community School category UB6 9TT 3 °11 Age range of pupils 02085781654 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 02087477968 Fax number 466 Number on roll (school) Mrs Diana Pagan Chair The governing body Appropriate authority Ms Sally Crowley Headteacher 29 October 2002 Date of previous school inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 286207 13 °14 December 2006 3°11 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

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Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied.

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by three Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

This school is larger than most primary schools. Entry standards vary from year to year, but are generally below average, with an above average proportion of pupils having learning difficulties and disabilities. The majority of pupils come from minority ethnic communities, mainly with African, Caribbean, Indian and Pakistani backgrounds. Almost half of the pupils have a language other than English, although few are at an early stage of learning English. A much higher proportion of pupils than normal enters or leaves the school other than at the usual times. Since the last inspection, the school has been completely rebuilt.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Ravenor Primary School, 13 °14 December 2006

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Grade: 4

The overall effectiveness of the school is inadequate because the leadership's focus and impact on raising pupils' standards is unsatisfactory. Good provision in the Foundation Stage results in good progress there. Progress is slower in Years 1 to 6, although achievement is satisfactory. The leadership is committed to and effective in the pastoral care of pupils. The school is a happy, secure place, which pupils say emphatically that they enjoy. Good care and sensitive consideration of individuals ensure that pupils' personal development and well-being are good. As a result, pupils competently explain why healthy diets and exercise are important and back this up by readily eating their fruit and vegetables and taking plenty of physical exercise. They enthusiastically join in activities, support the work of the school and give their ideas when asked. The leadership does not monitor or evaluate the school's performance with sufficient

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Grade: 4

rigour. Consequently, it does not provide a clear enough direction and impetus to improve standards and to raise the quality of teaching. Leaders do not promote a self-critical approach that would clearly identify the areas in which teachers could improve. Most of the teaching is satisfactory, but there is insufficient teaching of sufficient quality to provide good challenge for pupils. As a result, standards in writing and mathematics are not as high as they could be. Academic guidance and support is satisfactory. Some teachers use assessment well to show pupils how they can improve, but this is not consistent in all classes. Conversely, the leadership has set clear direction in improving some aspects of the school's work which illustrate its satisfactory capacity to improve. These include transforming the accommodation and significantly improving the provision for information and communication technology (ICT). Strengths in the Foundation Stage,

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Grade: 4

personal development and pastoral care have been maintained. The school has planned appropriate training for next term to improve subject leaders' capacity to monitor and improve standards in their areas. In accordance with section 13 (3) of the Education Act 2005, HMCI is of the opinion that this school requires significant improvement, because it is performing significantly less well than in all the circumstances it could reasonably be expected to perform. The school is therefore given a Notice to Improve. Significant improvement is required in relation to leadership and management in order to have more impact on raising standards by identifying more effectively where improvements are needed and how these can be secured.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Improve several important aspects of leadership and management, especially in establishing robust procedures to monitor and evaluate teachers' and pupils' performance. • Raise standards in writing and mathematics. 2 Inspection Report: Ravenor Primary School, 13 °14 December 2006 • Lift the quality of teaching ensuring that all staff plan more effectively and provide more challenging and interesting tasks for pupils. • Use assessment more effectively to identify where pupils need to improve and provide better guidance on how they might be more successful.

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Grade: 3

Achievement is satisfactory, but standards are below average. Children make good progress in the Foundation Stage although most are working at levels below those expected for their age. The adults provide interesting and enjoyable activities that encourage the children to learn by playing and exploring. As a result, children's social skills and ability to use language and number develop well. By the end of Year 2 standards are below average in reading and mathematics and well below average in writing. Because of some inconsistencies in teaching and lack of robust assessment standards remain below average in English, mathematics and science at the end of Year 6. Pupils' writing and ability to use mathematics to solve problems are their weakest areas. The needs of pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities, those whose first language is not English and those with different ethnicities, are carefully identified and they are well supported to make similar progress

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Grade: 3

to their classmates. In many lessons, the level of challenge for the more able pupils does not give them the opportunity to show what they are really capable of.

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Grade: 2

Most pupils behave well and are courteous and considerate to each other, staff and visitors. They say that teachers encourage them by praising the good things that they do and that this helps them to mature well and become confident. They recognise that a few pupils misbehave at times, but think that the teachers handle this well. Pupils say that they are often asked for their ideas and think that they are listened to, for example in making improvements to the playground so that it is an exciting place to be. Pupils know about people less fortunate than themselves and often raise money for charity. They build up their self-esteem by learning to perform well in sports and cultural activities, celebrating their successes in assemblies and being proud of their cultural heritage. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. Pupils value the racially diverse community in which they live and the benefits this brings to the

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Grade: 2

school, which prepares them adequately for the future. Attendance is lower than average, but the school does all it can to encourage parents to bring their children to school regularly. 3 Inspection Report: Ravenor Primary School, 13 °14 December 2006

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Grade: 3

Teaching and learning are satisfactory. Teachers successfully establish positive working relationships. As a result, pupils are willing to work and eager to answer questions and join in with discussions. Teachers make clear what they expect from pupils in terms of effort and explain tasks clearly. Consequently, pupils make good progress in their social and moral development. They have positive attitudes and waste little time during and between activities. On the few occasions that pupils misbehave, teachers remain calm but assertive and quickly resolve problems. There are some areas for development. Planning does not cater well for the needs and abilities of all pupils. Some tasks are open ended, so that there is satisfactory scope for the most able pupils to respond by producing their best work. However, there is limited challenge in some lessons which slows the pace of learning. In many lessons, there is an over use of undemanding worksheets, which limits the variety of tasks and

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Grade: 3

opportunities for pupils to be independent and creative. Teachers mark work regularly and make encouraging comments to boost pupils' confidence and motivation. A few teachers give pupils good guidance on how to improve their work, but this is not consistent in all classes.

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Grade: 3

The curriculum is satisfactory, with some good features. It is interesting and varied, so that pupils enjoy most lessons. There is good emphasis in the Foundation Stage on exciting practical activities, which helps children to learn well through playing and exploring. Although in Years 1 to 6 the curriculum is satisfactory, planning is not consistent or focussed enough on setting sharp challenges for all abilities. Links between subjects are not sufficiently established to support pupils' learning by giving them opportunities to develop and use what they know in different contexts. The school has improved its information and communication technology (ICT) resources since the last inspection and these are beginning to have a good impact on pupils' learning. The attractive working environment makes learning a pleasant experience, contributes well to pupils' self-esteem and includes good resources in many areas. The

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Grade: 3

library is not yet operational. Consequently, although pupils have access to adequate numbers of books in their own rooms, they are unable to develop good research skills by working in a library. The curriculum is enriched well through a programme of school visits, a variety of well-attended clubs and a residential visit in Year 5. All of these aspects contribute well to pupils' personal, social and emotional development. 4 Inspection Report: Ravenor Primary School, 13 °14 December 2006

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Grade: 3

Care, guidance and support are satisfactory overall, and pastoral care is good. Staff and pupils work hard to ensure that newcomers are made to feel welcome and quickly settle in. Pupils are confident to turn to adults if they are upset. As one said, 'If I have a problem I know my teacher will sort it out.' Child protection and health and safety procedures are effective. Pupils therefore feel safe and secure. The school works closely with a wide range of professionals to find the right support for needy and vulnerable pupils. Careful analysis of the needs of pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities and those for whom English is an additional language, means that they are given accurate and effective support from teaching assistants. Academic guidance and support is satisfactory, Most teachers use records satisfactorily to guide pupils and a few use these well.

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Grade: 4

Resources are used sensibly to provide satisfactory achievement for pupils. Leadership and management provide satisfactory direction in promoting pupils' pastoral care and well-being and in ensuring a safe environment. They do not have a strong enough focus on raising academic standards. The school's self-evaluation is inadequate as it has not been rigorous, focused, or systematic enough to give all responsible for leading it forward an accurate view of its performance. This shows itself most markedly in the weak monitoring of teaching and learning and results in some uneven progress in pupils' learning. The school improvement plan identifies some appropriate targets but there is a lack of incisiveness in measuring how well the school is meeting these. The good practice and leadership in the Foundation Stage is not shared widely enough. Although the school has succeeded in maintaining a stable staff, reorganisation of

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Grade: 4

leadership responsibilities has only recently taken place and has had insufficient impact on raising standards. Subject leadership, which was unsatisfactory at the time of the last inspection, has not improved sufficiently. Many subject leaders are unclear of their part in raising standards. Governors are supportive and are about to undertake training to improve their effectiveness. They are inadequately involved in monitoring the school's performance and in holding it to account. 5 Inspection Report: Ravenor Primary School, 13 °14 December 2006 .

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Grade: 4

set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: Ravenor Primary School, 13 °14 December 2006

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Inspection judgements

School Overall Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate

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Overall effectiveness

How effective, efficient and inclusive is the provision of education, integrated care and any extended services in meeting the needs of learners? How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? 3 The quality and standards in the Foundation Stage 4 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 3 The capacity to make any necessary improvements No Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

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Achievement and standards

3 How well do learners achieve? 3 The standards 1 reached by learners How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 3 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

2 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2 The behaviour of learners 3 The attendance of learners 2 How well learners enjoy their education 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 2 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 3 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

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and interests of learners?

3 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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and interests of learners?

Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average to below average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low. 7 Inspection Report: Ravenor Primary School, 13 °14 December 2006

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and supporting all learners?

How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can How effectively and efficiently resources, including staff, are deployed to achieve value for money The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities Yes Do procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements? No Does this school require special measures? Yes Does this school require a notice to improve? 8 Inspection Report: Ravenor Primary School, 13 °14 December 2006

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Thank you for welcoming us to your school recently. We could see that although some things are satisfactory and your personal development is good much remains to be done to improve the school. We have given it a Notice to Improve which means that inspectors will visit your school again to check on how well it is improving. The best thing about your school is that it helps you to grow up well. We could see that it is a happy place and lots of you told us that you enjoy being there. The adults who run the school have made sure that you have a lovely building and good equipment, such as computers. They need to give you a library as soon as possible though, so that you can learn to use one for your own research. The adults care for you and look after you well. They make sure that you know the difference between right and wrong and how to be safe and healthy. You help them a lot by behaving well and being willing to join in. One way to help them even more is to make sure

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

you are away from school as little as possible. At present, your attendance is a bit lower than most other schools. The most important thing the school needs to do is ensure you learn as much as possible. This is important because standards in your school are lower than they should be, especially in writing and mathematics. Another important area to improve is to make sure that all your lessons are interesting and challenging. Teachers also need to make sure that they always give you good tips on how to improve when they mark your work. I am sure that the adults will work hard to make sure that the school keeps its strengths and improves where it needs to and that you will continue to help them. Our very best wishes for your success. George RaynerLead inspector 9 Inspection Report: Ravenor Primary School, 13 °14 December 2006

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