Ravensfield Primary School

Ravensfield Primary School remains in a difficult position after its February 2026 full inspection. This June 2026 monitoring visit found safeguarding standards met and some early signs of improvement, especially in leadership, behaviour systems and early reading, but the school still requires significant improvement. Achievement, attendance and behaviour, curriculum and teaching, and inclusion remain urgent priorities, while early years, leadership and governance, and personal development and wellbeing still need attention. The school is larger than average, has high levels of disadvantage and a well-above-average proportion of pupils with SEN support, and is part of the Changing Lives in Collaboration Academy Trust. Leaders are described as taking the right actions and having an accurate understanding of weaknesses, with trust support beginning to help some classrooms and a new behaviour policy starting to reduce suspensions. Phonics is taught well, early years routines are warm and settled, and some pupils benefit from tailored provision and external agency support. However, pupils still achieve poorly, especially in writing and mathematics, and many leave Year 6 without expected standards. Teaching often lacks challenge and adaptation, pupils' needs are identified too slowly, disadvantaged pupils' gaps are widening, attendance is declining, and name-calling and poor attitudes to learning persist. Staff relationships are fractured and parents are concerned about achievement, wellbeing and safety, although leaders are working to rebuild trust. The report makes clear that recent changes are at an early stage and that the road to recovery will not be quick; the school must raise expectations, implement the behaviour policy consistently, identify needs earlier, improve teaching and secure foundational knowledge in writing, communication and mathematics.

Strengths

• Safeguarding standards are met and pupils generally feel safe.
• Phonics and early reading are taught well.
• Early years has a clear curriculum and positive parent partnerships.
• Early years routines are well established and supported by warm relationships.
• Leaders have an accurate insight into the school's weaknesses.
• Recent leadership changes and trust support are beginning to make a difference.
• The new behaviour policy is starting to improve behaviour and reduce suspensions.
• Trustees understand the school's situation and provide support and challenge.
• Some pupils benefit from the 'thrive' provision, 'rainbow room' and external agency support.
• Pupils learn about keeping healthy and safe, including online.
• Pupils can access wider opportunities such as visits, charity events, theatre and sports clubs.

Areas for Improvement

• Pupils do not achieve well, including in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.
• Teachers do not hold high enough expectations of pupils.
• Many pupils have poor attitudes to learning and low resilience.
• Teaching lacks challenge and is not adapted well to pupils' different needs.
• Pupils with SEND do not receive the help they need to overcome barriers.
• Gaps in pupils' writing and mathematics knowledge go unchecked.
• Early writing and number formation are not tackled quickly enough.
• Attendance is declining, including for disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND.
• Name-calling and bullying spoil some pupils' experience of school.
• Personal development is variable and not all pupils understand respect for difference.
• Disadvantaged pupils' academic gaps are widening.
• Staff relationships are fractured and parents are concerned about achievement, wellbeing and safety.
• Systems for identifying pupils' needs are at an early stage.
• Wider opportunities lack depth and are not shaped closely to pupils' needs.
• Early years improvements are not consistent across all classes.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Ravensfield Primary School attended 93.9% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 15.8% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 7.9% of pupils at Ravensfield Primary School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). One pupil was permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Ravensfield Primary School had 19.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 5.3% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 22.0% of pupils at Ravensfield Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 5.4% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Dukinfield · Tameside local authority: places and applications

Ravensfield Primary School is part of Changing Lives in Collaboration, which runs 7 schools. The nearest others:

• Dane Bank Primary School Stockport
• Lily Lane Primary School Manchester
• Crosslee Community Primary School Manchester
• Rolls Crescent Primary School Manchester
• Old Moat Primary School Manchester
• Chorlton Park Primary Manchester

What is Ravensfield Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Ravensfield Primary School is Urgent improvement, from an inspection in October 2026.

When was Ravensfield Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Ravensfield Primary School was last inspected in October 2026.

How many pupils does Ravensfield Primary School have?

Ravensfield Primary School has 386 pupils on roll.

What age range does Ravensfield Primary School cover?

Ravensfield Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

Where is Ravensfield Primary School?

Ravensfield Primary School is at Clarendon Street, Dukinfield, Cheshire, SK16 4JG.