SUMMARY OF THE INSPECTION REPORT RUFFWOOD SCHOOL

An average sized school in Knowsley inspected 1-4 March 2004 by an inspection team led by Terence Parish

OVERALL EVALUATION

The school is satisfactory overall but it has many good and some very good and excellent features. Pupils are very well cared for, taught well and enabled to achieve satisfactorily or better across a broad range of courses. All staff, from site maintenance to Headteacher work very hard and effectively to ensure pupils have a clean, safe, and very well resourced school in which they can do well. Unfortunately, too many parents appear not to provide enough support and encouragement to their children and this fosters non-attendance and low aspirations and holds back overall achievement. Standards of work range from above average to very low and are below average overall; standards are improving. Leadership and management are good overall and the leadership of the interim Headteacher is very good. Additional money from national and local sources tops up basic funding. This makes the school expensive but funds are used very effectively and the school gives satisfactory value for money.

The school's main strengths and weaknesses are:

• Teaching is good overall and many lessons are taught very well; learning is only satisfactory as too many pupils cannot or will not take opportunities to get on and learn for themselves.
• Though pupils achieve satisfactorily overall, and well in Years 7 to 9, girls do not achieve as well as they should and there is further room for improvement for many pupils in Years 10 and 11, and particularly for those choosing not to attend regularly; procedures to encourage attendance and tackle absence are excellent.
• Pupils' writing skills and talking skills are below average overall and poor for a significant proportion of pupils. Pupils with special educational needs achieve well; management of specialist educational needs areas within the school is very good but there are too few learning support assistants.
• Whilst the behaviour of a significant minority of pupils remains a concern and means behaviour is only satisfactory overall, behaviour of most pupils is most often good and relationships between pupils and others in the school, very good.
• Vocational aspects of the curriculum are excellent. However, music and drama have been given too little emphasis and requirements for religious education in Years 10 and 11 are not fully met.
• The care provided to support pupils' needs is very good overall and guidance for further study and careers is excellent. Links with the community and with other schools and colleges are very good and benefit both pupils and adults in the community; some initiatives are excellent.

Many subject areas have improved well since the last inspection; teaching is better overall. Provision for ICT is very much better. Monitoring and evaluation of the school's work are better. However, attendance, though improving, is still unsatisfactory, and pupils' personal development needs to improve further. Improvement since the last report is satisfactory overall.

STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Pupils achieve satisfactorily overall. Standards of work are below average overall. Pupils achieve well in Years 7 to 9 and satisfactorily in Years 10 and 11; absence seriously affects achievement, particularly in Year 11. Girls tend to do less well than boys. In Years 7 to 9, pupils achieve well in English and in Mathematics, and particularly well in science. Below average literacy skills, and particularly weak writing and speaking skills hold pupils back. Pupils with special educational needs (a third of the school) achieve well. Between Year 7 and Year 11, pupils achieve very well in art and design. Both pupils' standards of work and achievement in ICT are improving rapidly. Pupils in Years 10 and 11, who take advantage of provision made for them after school, are achieving above average standards in physical education. Older pupils taught off site are achieving very well.

Pupils' personal development, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, is satisfactory overall. Pupils' behaviour is satisfactory overall and allows many pupils to learn well in response to good teaching. Attendance is unsatisfactory but improving. Punctuality is unsatisfactory.

QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The quality of education provided by the school is good. Teaching is good; learning is satisfactory overall. The difference is that too many pupils are weak at working independently, taking the initiative and learning because they want to. The curriculum is good overall. Care, guidance and support are very good. Partnerships with other schools and the community are very good and are helping the school and community to improve. Vocational and enterprise links are exceptionally good and give opportunities to some pupils who have not attended school well previously and to others who need something different.

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management are good overall. The leadership of the interim Headteacher has been very effective in taking the school forwards rapidly. The management of the school is good overall and significant elements of it are very good; for example special educational needs, and community education. The governing body is working well to ensure the school continues to improve. Statutory requirements for religious education and a daily act of collective worship are not fully met.

PARENTS' AND PUPILS' VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Few parents commented about the school; those that did had mainly favourable opinions and thought the school suffered from an unsatisfactory reputation it did not deserve. Several said, "Teachers work hard, pupils let themselves down." Concerns were expressed about bullying on the journey to and from school. Pupils did not say much about the school; pupils spoken to in Year 7 think the school is `great' and express pride, while those in Year 10 think it is 'boring'. No pupils had any significant criticisms.

IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

The following are the most important things the school should do to improve are:

• Raise attendance further, particularly amongst older pupils.
• Tackle the reasons for poor writing and speaking skills rigorously and raise standards in both.
• Continue to adapt curriculum and teaching strategies to help raise the achievement of girls.
• Continue to raise standards of behaviour further through the use of the very good systems in place.
• Increase the number of learning support assistants for pupils with special educational needs, particularly those with behavioural problems, to raise those pupils' achievement further, for example in mathematics.
• Improve provision for music and drama.

and, to meet statutory requirements:

• Improve provision for religious education in Years 10 and 11.
• Provide appropriately for a daily act of collective worship.