Park Hill Primary School

School report Park Hill Primary School Alcester Road, Birmingham, B13 8BB

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Satisfactory 3 This inspection: Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  From starting points in the Nursery which are well below those expected for their age, pupils make good progress so that by the time they are ready to leave the school in Year 6 they are working at levels close to the national average.  Pupils who require additional support, are disabled or have special educational needs, receive very good one-to-one teaching or other means of support so that they can achieve well and catch up with their peers.  Teaching and learning across the school is good and some is outstanding. Teachers know the pupils well and have excellent working relationships with the pupils so that they are keen to do their very best.  Pupils feel safe in school and say that adults take good care of them. Behaviour is good and sometimes excellent in lessons and there is a strong learning atmosphere in all lessons.  The governing body and the school’s senior leaders have a good understanding of the

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

school’s strengths and areas for development. They have acted quickly to improve the school since its last inspection and have the drive and ambition to continue to make it better.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 is not as high as it is at the end of Key Stage 2. Pupils are not always encourage to do as well as they are capable of.  Teaching is not as good as it is in Key Stage 2 and in the Early Years Foundation Stage where it contributes to the much better progress made by these pupils.  Pupils’ behaviour on the playground, particularly at lunchtime, is not always as good as that in lessons and can lead to accidents that are preventable.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors visited 37 lessons or parts of lessons. Two of these were jointly observed with the headteacher.  Inspectors heard pupils read and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors examined the 11 responses on Parent View; the government’s website for parents’ and carers’ views of schools, read letters addressed to them directly, examined the results of the school’s most recent survey of parent and carer opinion, and took into account the outcomes of a staff survey.  A discussion was held with a member of the local authority’s advisory staff.  Two formal discussions were held with pupils.  Inspectors examined progress data and other school documentation, including safeguarding information.  The lead inspector held a discussion with two members of the governing body  Inspectors held discussions with parents and carers of pupils at the school and with members of the school staff.

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Inspection team

Tim McLoughlin, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Suha Ahmad Additional Inspector Enid Korn Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is a three-form entry primary school with eighteen classes. It is much larger than the average-sized primary school. Pupil numbers are growing from two to three classes per year.  Children begin the Nursery the term after their third birthday for either the morning or afternoon session. The percentage of children transferring from the Nursery to the Reception class varies from year to year. Children begin the Reception class in the September before their fifth birthday.  The proportion of pupils at school action is greater than the national average while those at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs are broadly similar to the national average.  The proportion of the pupils from ethnic minority groups is well above the national average.  The proportion of pupils who join or leave the school at times other than the usual ones is in line with that experienced nationally.

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Information about this school

 The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  A higher proportion of pupils than nationally, approaching a third, are entitled to the pupil premium, which is the extra government funding for pupils who are entitled to free school meals and for pupils looked after by the local authority.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that rates of progress and levels of attainment in reading, writing and mathematics made in the past two years are improved still further by:  ensuring that teaching demands more of all groups of pupils consistently in all parts of lessons so that more outstanding teaching in seen in all key stages  sharpening school improvement planning by identifying clear and measurable targets to accurately assess the success of actions to increase rates of progress  developing the role of middle leaders so that they are held to account for the achievements of pupils in subjects areas they are responsible for  raising attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 to at least average in reading, writing and mathematics by increasing the pace of teaching and clarity of learning  create more opportunities to celebrate cultural diversity across the curriculum  improve the quality of homework so that it builds successfully on what pupils learn in school.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve lunchtime behaviour so that pupils really enjoy this part of the school day and it sets them up well for excellent learning in the afternoon sessions by:  improving playground equipment so that pupils have b e tter access to playground activities so that play at every lunchtime playtime session is a positive experience for all pupils  providing suitable training and support for all lunchtime supervisors in order that they can be fully effective in discharging their roles  developing the role of learning mentors and playground leaders to support the pupils in their play.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children make good progress in the welcoming and stimulating Early Years Foundation Stage. From entry points which are well below those expected, they make rapid progress and enter Year 1 at standards below those expected. By the end of Key Stage 1, pupils leave with standards below the national average though rising. The best progress is made in Key Stage 2 because teachers know their pupils very well, create a positive climate for learning and build on skills previously taught.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils enjoy reading and many read widely and often. Younger pupils make a good start with their reading skills due to the good teaching of the sounds that letters make (phonics). The school is starting to build on this good start and expanding its stock of Key Stage 1 reading books to better challenge pupils and more closely involve parents and carers in supporting their children’s progress at home. Pupils do not all make good progress with their reading in Key Stage 1 and so as a result do not all achieve the standard expected by the time they reach the end of Year 2. Pupils go on to make good progress in Key Stage 2 and attain standards in line with the national average by the time they reach Year 6.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils achieve well across the curriculum because teachers have a good knowledge of their pupils and ensure that they have accurately taken into account pupils’ previous learning into each lesson. For instance, in an outstanding mathematics lesson in Year 6 the teacher built on work covered from the previous lesson that tapped into pupils’ keenness to pursue, complete and take a real pride in their work. This in turn creates an enthusiasm for learning that is typical of much of the school’s work.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Groups of pupils, including those supported by the pupil premium and those who are disabled or have special educational needs, make similarly good progress as their peers. Pupils receive tailored support both in class and through additional provision. For example Key Stage 2 pupils receive specific coaching from a specialist mathematics teacher at a level that effectively meets their needs.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils’ social, moral, cultural and spiritual development is a very strong feature of the school with a real strength being the opportunities for pupils to reflect on aspects of spirituality within lessons themselves. This was seen in a very powerful lesson in Year 3 when children explored how it feels to respond to strong emotions such as anger.

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The quality of teaching is good

 As a result of the school’s use of training and coaching, the quality of teaching has improved markedly since the last inspection and its impact over time is now good. There are now examples of outstanding practice in the school, predominantly in Key Stage 2.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage is good and staff are careful to ensure that each group of children receives the right level of support for their learning. In the Reception classes, there is a good balance between learning led by adults and activities that the children choose for themselves. This is enabling them to make good progress in all areas of their learning. There are now more effective links from the Reception class into Year 1 so that children can continue to make progress.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Most teachers have high expectations of their pupils. They plan interesting activities which meet the needs of most pupils of all abilities and are very successful in engaging them in learning. Teachers are generally very effective in asking questions that build on pupils’ own knowledge and lead them on to the next level. A good example of this is in a Year 5 mathematics lesson where the teacher and pupils discussed the differences between bar-line graphs and bar graphs, and when one type is suitable and the other not. Teaching at Key Stage 1 does not always have sufficient pace or clear purpose for all pupils to make good progress.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers’ marking of work in school is good. It provides clear feedback on how to improve their work. Homework makes a limited contribution to learning because it is not always completed to a high standard by the pupils and nor is it well marked.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Reading is taught well throughout the school and children in the Early Years Foundation Stage get off to a strong start in learning about the sounds that letters make. The school’s curriculum has been focused on developing literacy skills in English, though other subjects are taught in a creative way that makes sense to the pupils.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils who are disabled or who have special educational needs are taught well through an effective mix of individual and class support, where appropriate. Adults who work closely with these pupils often make an important contribution to their learning so that they make good and sometimes outstanding progress.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage play and work well, showing high levels of maturity, self-regulation and cooperation. They are keen to take on helpful jobs around the classes such as putting things away and helping their friends when they are in difficulty.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Around the school pupils are well behaved. Pupils said that behaviour is usually like this and set high standards for one another. Pupils are very proud of their school and school councillors are diligent in their duties. The school works hard with the small number of pupils who have emotional problems to help them to improve their behaviour.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Attendance has improved significantly since the last inspection and is now average. The school has been successful in convincing parents and carers that regular attendance is important to support progress. Punctuality has also improved.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils feel safe in school, and say that there is very little bullying and that behaviour over time is typically good. Pupils are aware of the different types of bullying, including cyber bullying. A very small number of parents expressed concerns about the school’s response to bullying but inspectors found that suitable steps are taken to deal with issues.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils take their responsibilities as playground leaders very seriously and pupils say that this is helping to calm down what can be rather boisterous play on the school’s playground. The outside space is not large and the school’s leaders are aware of the need to make better use of this time and the equipment available, particularly at lunchtime.

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The leadership and management are good

 The hard-working headteacher is determined that all staff and pupils will achieve their very best. As a result of the senior leaders’ improved monitoring of teaching and holding teachers directly to account for the performance of pupils, teaching has improved markedly since the last inspection. The school continues to provide good care and support for its pupils but there is now much greater rigour and determination for pupils to succeed.

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The leadership and management are good

 Most groups of learners make good progress. The tracking of pupil progress is well established and enables senior leaders to hold teachers to account for the progress pupils make in their classes. This system also identifies those pupils who may be at risk of underachieving at a much earlier stage securing effective additional support, where necessary. This work has been done predominantly by senior leaders. Middle leaders do not yet take a sufficiently active role in supporting teaching and learning.

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The leadership and management are good

 School self-evaluation is accurate and leaders focus on the correct areas in order to raise standards in English and mathematics. The good progress pupils make in these subjects reflects a strong capacity to continue to improve. However, the school development plan is too long and lacks precision. The success of improvements made cannot easily be tracked.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school’s curriculum is well organised and helps to promote good behaviour and attitudes to safety, including the responsible use of the internet. The school successfully promotes pupils’ social, moral, spiritual and cultural development through its strong culture of ambition and responsibility for all its pupils. However, the multicultural nature of the school is neither sufficiently celebrated nor woven through the curriculum.

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The leadership and management are good

 Responses to the online survey show that the school works well with parents. A number of parents and carers specifically mentioned the headteacher’s professional approach in driving forward the school.

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The leadership and management are good

 The local authority has made an appropriate contribution to the school’s improvement through its support for data analysis.

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The leadership and management are good

 All statutory procedures for the safeguarding of children and the vetting of staff are fully in place and reviewed regularly.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  The governing body is strength of the school. It has a good working knowledge of the quality of teaching because the headteacher keeps them well-informed and they engage in a programme of visits to the school. Governors are actively involved in the performance management of teaching staff and have a good understanding of how this relates to salary progression. The governors ensure efficient management of school resources. They understand how well the pupil premium is being used to close the attainment gap and make the most difference for these pupils. The governing body is very supportive of the school, is well trained and brings a diverse range of skills and experience to enable it to fulfil its strategic role effectively. Governors have a good insight into standards achieved by the school and how the pupils are performing compared to other pupils nationally.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding An outstanding school is highly effective in delivering outcomes that provide exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. This ensures that pupils are very well equipped for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 2 Good A good school is effective in delivering outcomes that provide well for all its pupils’ needs. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 3 Requires improvement A school that requires improvement is not yet a good school, but it is not inadequate. This school will receive a full inspection within 24 months from the date of this inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate A school that has serious weaknesses is inadequate overall and requires significant improvement but leadership and management are judged to be Grade 3 or better. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors. A school that requires special measures is one where the school is

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Grade Judgement Description

failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the school’s leaders, managers or governors have not demonstrated that they have the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors.

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School details

Unique reference number 103241 Local authority Birmingham Inspection number 404862

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School details

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

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 530 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Mike Midgley Headteacher Kalsom Khan Date of previous school inspection 17 January 2011 Telephone number 0121 449 3004 Fax number 0121 449 7592 Email address enquiry@parkhill.bham.sch.uk guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', 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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School details

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 and as part of the inspection.

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School details

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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School details

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 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

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School details

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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School details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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