Ralph Thoresby School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 25 October 2023

The school is proud of its inclusive nature. Pupils enjoy being part of the diverse school community. They value the wide variety of enrichment opportunities on offer. These include crochet and knitting, politics club and tabletop cricket. Pupils behave very well in lessons. Staff set high expectations, and pupils respond well to these. This contributes to a calm atmosphere, where pupils are keen to learn. However, the high standards of behaviour in lessons are not consistently replicated at social times. Pupils know that they have a trusted adult in school to turn to if they have any concerns. Pupils say that bullying does sometimes happen but are clear that the school supports them if it does. The school takes effective action to ensure that any instances of bullying are resolved. The school has recently introduced a coaching programme. This is where pupils meet in small groups with a coach and fellow pupils to reflect on their feelings and achievements. They also discuss personal safety, such as how to keep safe during Bonfire Night celebrations. Pupils value this time.

What the school should improve

• Pupils' behaviour during social times is weaker than it is in lessons, and this is a cause for concern for some pupils and parents. The school should take further action to improve pupils' behaviour outside of lessons and address the concerns of pupils and parents in this area.
• There is variation in the use of assessment. On occasion, teachers do not check pupils' understanding of important knowledge before moving on to new lesson content. This means pupils sometimes move on to new content before pupils are ready. Leaders should ensure that effective strategies are in place to check pupils understanding in lessons.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)