Park Walk Primary School

Age group 3–11 Inspection date(s) 25–26 January 2012 Inspection number 376405 Park Walk Primary School Inspection report

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Unique reference number 100486 Local authority Kensington and Chelsea Inspection number 376405 Inspection dates 25–26 January 2012 Lead inspector David Radomsky

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 247 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Mike Coelho Acting Headteacher Ben Foley Date of previous school inspection 17–18 June 2009 School address Park Walk King’s Road Chelsea SW10 0AY Telephone number 020 7352 8700 Fax number 020 7349 6444 Email address info@parkwalk.rbkc.sch.uk achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked

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after children, safeguarding and child protection. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when.

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You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk, or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out with two days’ notice. Inspectors observed 10 lessons taught by nine teachers of which three were joint observations with the acting headteacher. In addition, inspectors made short observations of seven sessions on the teaching of phonics (letters and sounds) and three small group support sessions. Meetings were held with parents and carers, with members of the governing body, staff and groups of pupils. Inspectors took account of the responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) in planning the inspection, observed the school’s work and looked at school documentation, including teachers’ planning, the school development plan, assessment information, safeguarding policies and samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors analysed 72 questionnaires from parents and carers and 100 from pupils .

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Information about the school

Park Walk Primary is an average-sized school. The proportions of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds and those known to be eligible for free school meals are well above average. The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is larger than average. Most of this group have speech, language and communication needs or behavioural difficulties. The number of pupils who speak English as an additional language is well above average with a high percentage of children entering the school with little or no English. The proportion of those who join or leave the school other than at the usual time is also well above average. There has been a sizeable turnover of teaching staff and most of the current senior leadership have been appointed since the previous inspection. The headteacher has been on long-term absence since September 2011 and the deputy headteacher has been acting headteacher since October 2011. The school has many

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Information about the school

accreditations, including since the previous inspection, the intermediate International Schools award. The school meets the current floor standard. Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Key findings

 This is a good school. Its overall effectiveness is good.  Leadership and management are good. Current priorities are well focused and the school has successfully addressed the required improvements identified at the previous inspection.  Pupils, their parents and carers confirm that pupils feel safe, behave well and develop very positive attitudes towards learning. As one pupil said, `I like school as I make friends and learn new things.’  The school promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral and social development well and enriches pupils’ experiences through visits to many of London’s museums, theatres and other cultural institutions. Pupils develop good social skills and grow greatly in confidence and self-esteem.  From very low starting points in the Early Years Foundation Stage, pupils make good progress overall. Attainment at the end of Year 2 is below average overall. With accelerated progress at Key Stage 2, pupils’ attainment at the end of Year

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Key findings

6 is consistently above average in English and mathematics. There are no significant or consistent differences between the achievements of any groups of pupils.  The school has a good system in place for the teaching of phonics in small ability groups. Pupils make good progress in learning sounds and applying these skills to reading and writing. Books used in ‘guided reading’ sessions are well matched to pupils’ abilities, but in a few instances this is not the case when pupils choose their own reading books.  A few parents and carers felt that they needed more guidance to help them support their children’s learning more effectively and inspectors agree that more could be done to support those parents and carers.  Most of the teaching is at least good and sometimes outstanding. In a few lessons, teaching is less effective so the pace of learning is slower. The marking of pupils’ work is mostly of high quality and gives pupils useful guidance on how

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Key findings

to improve. Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 By July 2013, raise attainment in reading, writing and mathematics especially in Key Stage 1 so that, by the end of Year 2, pupils’ attainment is comparable to the national average by:

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 improving planning so that teaching activities consistently meet the needs of all pupils and proceed at a good pace  ensuring that the books that pupils choose to read are well matched to their individual reading levels and that pupils have regular opportunities to read and discuss books with their teachers and other adults  improving communication and liaison with parents and carers so that all are better enabled to support their children’s learning at home.

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Achievement of pupils

Most parents and carers feel that their children make good progress and inspectors agree. One parent said, `We are very happy with the progress that our children are making. They are well looked after, learning new exciting things daily.’ Children make good progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage in relation to their often exceptionally low starting points. This is because of a well-resourced learning environment linked to good teaching and planning which ensures that children have many opportunities to develop a range of skills. By the time they enter Year 1, children’s skills in many areas of learning are close to age-related expectations. However, their attainment in reading, writing and their emotional development are less well developed. Inspectors saw children in the Nursery making independent choices, with some engaging in early writing activities such as mark-making with cotton buds. Planning identifies key vocabulary to be developed and, through skilful

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Achievement of pupils

interactions, adults help children develop their speaking and thinking skills well.

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Achievement of pupils

Achievement overall is good. Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 has improved since the time of the previous inspection in reading and mathematics, although it is still below, but not significantly below, average. Raising attainment further at Key Stage 1 remains a key priority for the school. Progress at Key Stage 2 is consistently good and often outstanding, resulting in attainment that is above average in reading, writing and mathematics. Occasionally, pupils’ progress in reading is slowed owing to a mismatch between their abilities and the texts which they choose for themselves and by having insufficient opportunities to read to an adult.

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Achievement of pupils

The school quickly assesses and identifies pupils who may require extra help with learning when they join the school and, where appropriate, carefully plans support from teachers and teaching assistants. As a result, disabled pupils, those with special Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Achievement of pupils

educational needs, those who speak English as an additional language and also those who join the school other than at the usual times during the school year, make the same good progress as all others.

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Achievement of pupils

Pupils enjoy school and learn a range of skills. In a Year 2 design and technology lesson, pupils were designing and making faces for a toy. Each face had to reflect a different mood. The teacher skilfully used this practical lesson to enhance pupils’ literacy skills as they had to write a description of the moods of the three faces each was designing. Pupils had to explain their designs to their peers, elaborating on their thinking and how it influenced the design. Pupils then gave feedback to each other and the teacher consistently asked pupils open questions about their work in order to deepen their thinking and develop their descriptive vocabulary.

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Quality of teaching

Teachers demonstrate good subject knowledge and skilfully use a range of creative resources to capture pupils’ imaginations in order to maintain their very good attitudes to learning. When teaching is at its best, teachers plan for the learning needs of all pupils, set a good pace and extend thinking through effective questioning. Lesson observations during the inspection confirmed that, occasionally, a few teachers miss opportunities to provide a sufficient range of learning activities appropriate for the full range of pupils’ abilities. As a result, pupils’ learning and progress are slower than in the more successful lessons. The marking of pupils’ work through self-assessment, peer assessment and teachers’ comments is well developed in most classes and effectively helps pupils to improve their work. In a few cases, teachers do not ensure that pupils always follow up on their comments.

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Quality of teaching

A scrutiny of pupils’ work confirmed that well-planned cross-curricular work helps pupils put their learning into context and use transferable skills. For example, Year 6 pupils extended their understanding of the Second World War on the first day of the inspection by visiting the Imperial War Museum. On the following day, an inspector observed an outstanding mathematics lessons which was based on the Morrison Shelters used to protect civilians from air raids during the war. Pupils were given the dimensions of a Morrison Shelter and a floor plan of a typical classroom in the school and they had to apply their mathematical skills to calculate how many could fit into each classroom and how many classrooms would be needed to give protection to the whole school community. The most able were given one set of data in metric units and the other set of data in imperial units, and the dimensions of a double Morrison

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Quality of teaching

Shelter. They demonstrably rose to the additional challenge and, with resilience, converted data so that they could make accurate calculations.

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Quality of teaching

Cross-curricular work is very effective in developing pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural awareness while, at the same time, developing their literacy and numeracy skills. For example, inspectors saw written work presenting pupils’ reflections on both sides of the argument as to whether it is right to use animals in circuses for entertainment. All year groups carry out extended projects using a range of skills Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Quality of teaching

including the use of information and communication technology (ICT). Currently pupils are learning about life in India, Africa and ancient Greece. These projects create good opportunities for collaborative work in school and for home learning and effectively enhance cultural awareness.

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Quality of teaching

The inspectors’ views of teaching match those of pupils, parents and carers who indicate that teaching is good.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Pupils say that they were actively involved in agreeing the school’s six ’golden rules’ for behaviour. They told inspectors that teachers make regular reference to these rules and that pupils respond well to the positive reward strategies for good work, behaviour and attendance.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

A large majority of parents and carers responding to the inspection questionnaire agreed that overall behaviour is good although a few expressed concerns about behaviour in a minority of lessons and at playtime. Good behaviour was evident in lessons, assembly and playtimes observed during the inspection. The inspectors talked to many pupils in the playground and more formally in group discussions. Pupils feel that, although learning slows occasionally in lessons that are less engaging, behaviour seldom disrupts the learning of the majority.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

A few parents and carers raised concerns about the way in which the school deals with bullying. Pupils said that they feel safe and know that the teachers and other adults in school will help with any problems if they arise. Although a few felt that rare instances of bullying did take place, they explained that it is more to do with boisterous behaviour during the lunch break in the overcrowded playground. They say that there is no racist or cyber bullying. The governing body and senior leaders are aware of the problem of overcrowding and are in discussions about how to resolve this issue.

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Leadership and management

Senior leaders and the governing body have high expectations of what pupils can achieve. They share a passionate vision to ensure that all pupils are fully supported to reach their full potential. Working together they have ensured that pupils’ needs are addressed on an individual basis and that all pupils have an equal opportunity to succeed. There is no evidence of discrimination of any kind. The governing body provides good support and challenge to school leaders to help drive improvement.

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Leadership and management

Effective strategies taken by the school have raised attendance since the time of the previous inspection and it is now getting closer to the average for primary schools. Punctuality has improved year on year and persistent absence has radically reduced. This has been an important factor in raising pupils’ attainment, especially in mathematics. These successes demonstrate that the school has a good capacity for Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Leadership and management

The school development plan is well focused on raising standards, especially at Key Stage 1, and on aspiring towards more outstanding teaching. Leaders support teachers well through a programme of classroom observations and professional development, including collaborating with outstanding schools in order to learn from good and outstanding practice.

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Leadership and management

The curriculum is good. It is broad and balanced with a wide range of extra- curricular opportunities. Well-planned enrichment activities such as the ‘international evening’, visits, and the harmonious relationships evident in the school ensure that provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. Arrangements for safeguarding pupils are robust and fully meet statutory requirements.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding These features are highly effective. An outstanding school provides exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. Grade 2 Good These are very positive features of a school. A school that is good is serving its pupils well. Grade 3 Satisfactory These features are of reasonable quality. A satisfactory school is providing adequately for its pupils. Grade 4 Inadequate These features are not of an acceptable standard. An inadequate school needs to make significant improvement in order to meet the needs of its pupils. Ofsted inspectors will make further visits until it improves.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Nursery schools 46 46 8 0 Primary schools 8 47 40 5 Secondary schools 14 38 40 8 Special schools 28 48 20 4 Pupil referral units 15 50 29 5 All schools 11 46 38 6

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

New school inspection arrangements have been introduced from 1 January 2012. This means that inspectors make judgements that were not made previously. The data in the table above are for the period 1 September 2010 to 31 August 2011 and represent judgements that were made under the school inspection arrangements that were introduced on 1 September 2009. These data are consistent with the latest published official statistics about maintained school inspection outcomes (see www.ofsted.gov.uk). The sample of schools inspected during 2010/11 was not representative of all schools nationally, as weaker schools are inspected more frequently than good or outstanding schools. Primary schools include primary academy converters. Secondary schools include secondary academy converters, sponsor-led academies and city technology colleges. Special schools include special academy converters and non-maintained special schools.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Percentages are rounded and do not always add exactly to 100.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Achievement: the progress and success of a pupil in their learning and development taking account of their attainment.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Attainment: the standard of the pupils’ work shown by test and examination results and in lessons.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Attendance: the regular attendance of pupils at school and in lessons, taking into account the school’s efforts to encourage good attendance.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Behaviour: how well pupils behave in lessons, with emphasis on their attitude to learning. Pupils’ punctuality to lessons and their conduct around the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Capacity to improve: the proven ability of the school to continue improving based on its self-evaluation and what the school has accomplished so far and on the quality of its systems to maintain improvement.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Leadership and management: the contribution of all the staff with responsibilities, not just the governors and headteacher, to identifying priorities, directing and motivating staff and running the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Learning: how well pupils acquire knowledge, develop their understanding, learn and practise skills and are developing their competence as learners.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Overall effectiveness: inspectors form a judgement on a school’s overall effectiveness based on the findings from their inspection of the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Progress: the rate at which pupils are learning in lessons and over longer periods of time. It is often measured by comparing the pupils’ attainment at the end of a key stage with their attainment when they started.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Safety: how safe pupils are in school, including in lessons; and their understanding of risks. Pupils’ freedom from bullying and harassment. How well the school promotes safety, for example e-learning.

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carers to share with their children. It describes Ofsted’s

main findings from the inspection of their school.

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Inspection of Park Walk Primary School, Chelsea SW10 0AY

Thank you for the warm welcome that you gave us when we visited your school. We greatly enjoyed talking to many of you and wish we had had more time to meet all of you. Yours is a good school and these are some of the reasons why.

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Inspection of Park Walk Primary School, Chelsea SW10 0AY

 Your acting headteacher, staff and governing body want to help you achieve your best in all that you do.  You clearly enjoy school and we were very impressed by how well you all get on with each other.  You feel safe at school and generally behave well.  The school provides you with many enjoyable and fun learning opportunities, including visiting so many interesting places.  Nearly all teachers prepare good lessons, and work with you to make your learning exciting.

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Inspection of Park Walk Primary School, Chelsea SW10 0AY

We have asked the school to do these things to make it even better.

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Inspection of Park Walk Primary School, Chelsea SW10 0AY

 Make sure teachers give you work that is always suitable to help all of you make the best possible progress.  Ensure teachers help you choose books that will always help you to improve your reading and make sure those of you needing some extra help read regularly with an adult.  Make sure the school gives your parents and carers the support they need in order to help you with your work at home.

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Inspection of Park Walk Primary School, Chelsea SW10 0AY

You can help to improve your school by working hard and making sure you always try to do as well as you can.

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Inspection of Park Walk Primary School, Chelsea SW10 0AY

We wish you all the best for the future and thank you again for your help.

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Inspection of Park Walk Primary School, Chelsea SW10 0AY

David Radomsky Lead inspector procedures set out in the guidance 'Complaining about inspections', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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