Ravensthorpe Primary School told it requires improvement by Ofsted - but inspectors highlight progress is being made

Ofsted inspectors have said a Peterborough primary school requires improvement – as staff at the school have vowed to ‘continue on their journey towards excellence.’

Ravensthorpe Primary School, part of the Peterborough Keys Academies Trust, (PKAT), was given the ‘Requires Improvement’ grading following the inspection last month.

However, the inspectors praised the school, pupils and teachers in a number of areas, saying: “Ravensthorpe Primary School is an improving school. The new leadership team is working at pace to bring about the changes needed. This is beginning to have a positive impact on pupils’ achievement. However, there is more work to do to ensure pupils receive a good quality of education.”

The leadership team at the school said the report showed that progress is already being made.

Headteacher, Emma Ward expressed immense pride in the school's accomplishments, stating: "We are delighted with the progress so far highlighted in the Ofsted report. This success is a result of the collective effort of our dedicated staff, hardworking students, and supportive parents. We are committed to building on this momentum and continuing our journey towards excellence."

Personal Development was rated as Good as the school is recognised for fostering personal development among its pupils. With a range of trips, visitors, and extracurricular activities, including sports clubs like dodgeball, cricket, and football, pupils have ample opportunities to broaden their horizons and develop new skills.

Leadership and Management was rated as Good, where the leadership team, under the stewardship of Mrs Ward, has been pivotal in driving positive changes at the school. The team’s efforts are beginning to yield tangible improvements in pupil achievement, despite the overall rating of "Requires Improvement" in the quality of education.

The inspectors said: “The school has developed a broad and balanced curriculum. They have identified the important knowledge pupils learn from early years to Year 6. In some subjects, such as reading and physical education, this is well established. Here, pupils learn content which builds upon previous learning. This helps pupils to secure their knowledge over time.”

Dr Ian Young, CEO of PKAT said: “The report is very positive about the improvement journey that the school has been on over the past year. It confirms that the school has been rated ‘Good’ for the categories of Behaviour and Attitudes, Personal Development, Leadership and Management and Early Years. The report does find one area to be rated ‘Requires Improvement. We agree with that assessment, and we are already addressing those concerns.”

The inspectors gave the school two areas to work on, saying: “In subjects where the curriculum is new, pupils have gaps in their knowledge.

This makes it hard for them to access new learning and build their knowledge over time. The school should ensure staff address pupils’ gaps in knowledge, so pupils better secure their knowledge over time.

“There are inconsistencies in how well staff teach the curriculum. Staff do not consistently present important information clearly enough to pupils. This prevents pupils from securing their understanding of important knowledge over time. The school should ensure staff have the support they need to develop their pedagogy. This is so they routinely present information clearly to pupils.”

The report is available to read in full at https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/provider/21/145266