Ravenscliffe High School

Overview

Ravenscliffe High School continues to be an outstanding school, providing a highly bespoke curriculum that fully meets the needs of all learners. Leaders and staff maintain high expectations, working tirelessly to support pupils with special educational needs and disabilities, resulting in exceptional outcomes and a joyful, inclusive atmosphere.

Strengths

• The curriculum is “highly bespoke” and carefully planned, enabling pupils to make “strong progress” and achieve qualifications, including a recent GCSE in mathematics.
• Significant strides have been made in developing pupils’ reading through a new phonics programme, with additional intervention helping pupils feel “more confident.”
• The work-related learning curriculum is “exceptionally well planned,” leading to successful paid employment for several students and high-quality work experience.
• Pupils behave consistently well, forming “true friendships” across all groups, while staff are quick to resolve any rare incidents of unkindness.
• Governors are “forward-thinking and highly effective,” actively supporting and challenging the leadership team to ensure continual improvement.

Areas to improve

• Leaders have identified the need to further develop provision for pupils with autistic spectrum disorder and severe communication difficulties, with a strong development plan in place.
• The increasing number of pupils is placing “extreme pressure” on the already crowded main school building.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective, with leaders ensuring that keeping children safe is “at the heart of everything they do” and providing comprehensive staff training focused on the specific needs of pupils with SEND.