Parkside Community Primary School

Parkside Community Primary School Aycliffe Road, Borehamwood, WD6 4EP

p.1

Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 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

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  All groups of pupils make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics throughout the school.  By the end of Year 6 pupils leave the school well prepared for secondary education and standards have risen over recent years.  Teaching is good, and some is outstanding. Lessons are interesting and the pace is brisk so that no time is wasted.  When marking books, teachers give pupils very clear guidance as to how they can improve their writing and mathematics.  Pupils’ behaviour is good and they are polite to adults and each other. They feel safe in school and know how to keep themselves safe in different situations.  The school is well-led by the headteacher and senior staff. Pupils’ progress is carefully tracked and any in danger of falling behind are quickly helped to catch up.  Governors have a good understanding of the school’s strengths and how it can improve. They visit regularly to check how well it is

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

doing.  Good use is made of the school grounds for outdoor learning which encourages pupils’ physical well-being.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural education is particularly good. It underpins their positive attitudes to learning and good achievement.

p.1

It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Teachers’ marking and comments in English and mathematics books are very helpful but marking of other subjects does not give pupils such clear guidance.  Pupils do not have enough opportunities to write at length to develop their literacy skills in different subjects.  While subject leaders check pupils’ progress, they do not all ensure that actions needed to raise standards in their particular subjects are quickly put in place.  Despite the school working closely with parents, some pupils’ attendance is still not as good as it should be.

p.1

Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed 21 lessons or parts of lessons, two of which were seen together with the headteacher or the deputy headteacher.  Meetings were held with the headteacher, staff, three groups of pupils, the Chair and two other members of the governing body, and a representative of the local authority.  Informal discussions were held with parents and carers.  The inspectors took account of the 30 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View), the school’s own parental questionnaires and 32 completed staff questionnaires.  The inspectors observed the school’s work and scrutinised a range of documentation including looking at the school’s checks on its performance, its analysis and tracking of pupils’ progress, records of behaviour and safety, school improvement plans, leaders’ records of classroom observations, the management of staff performance, safeguarding arrangements and records of

p.2

Information about this inspection

governing body meetings.  They also looked at pupils’ work, listened to pupils read and checked information on pupils’ attendance.

p.2

Inspection team

Susan Hughes, Lead inspector Additional Inspector John Greevy Additional Inspector Ken Parry Additional Inspector

p.2

Information about this school

 The school is an average-sized primary school and the number of pupils on role is increasing each year.  The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds is above average, as is the proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of pupils for whom the school receives the pupil premium, additional funding which in this school applies to pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals, is above average.  The proportions of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported at school action is below average while the proportions supported at school action plus or through a statement of special educational needs, are above average.  The proportion of pupils who join the school other than at nursery age or leave before the end of Year 6 is above average and is particularly high in some year groups.  The two assistant headteachers started at the school this term.

p.3

Information about this school

 The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching so that more is outstanding by:  giving pupils more opportunities to develop their writing skills across different subjects  ensuring that marking in all books is to the same high standards of the literacy and numeracy marking.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Strengthen leadership and management by ensuring that:  all subject leaders’ analysis of pupils’ progress results in actions which raise standards in their subject  the recently appointed attendance officer has a significant impact on improving attendance

p.3

The achievement of pupils is good

 Achievement is good. Pupils typically start school with skills well below those expected for their age. They make good progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage and start Key Stage 1 with skills closer to those expected. Continued good progress throughout the rest of the school means that by the end of Key Stage 2 pupils’ standards in English and mathematics are in line with other pupils nationally.

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils make particularly good progress in reading. The results of last year’s national screening check on how well they know the sounds that letters make (phonics) in Year 1 were above average. During the inspection pupils showed that they could use their phonic skills to read challenging texts and unfamiliar words. For example, a girl in Year 5 confidently read the word ‘demurred’ even though she was unsure of its meaning.

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils for whom the school receives the pupil premium make good progress in English and mathematics. In Year 3, these pupils’ achievement in both English and mathematics is about two terms behind other pupils, but the accelerated progress they make is closing the gap. This means that by the end of Key Stage 2 there is no significant difference between their achievement and that of other pupils in school.

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

 The pupil premium funding is used effectively to enable pupils to be taught in small groups or individually, as necessary so that they learn well. It has also been used to ensure that there are specific programmes of work provided by specialist teachers to help pupils make accelerated progress in reading and mathematics.

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make good progress and achieve well because support for them is well matched to their needs. Additional adults in the classroom are well-briefed and receive good training, enabling them to give high quality support. They work closely with the teachers and clearly understand their role in each lesson.

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

 In all years pupils work with enthusiasm and sustained interest. For example, a group of reception pupils persevered in completing their work on families, even though they could have joined their friends outside. Such positive attitudes to learning underpin the good achievement throughout the school.

p.4

The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is at least good and some is outstanding. Activities are well planned to match different abilities and teachers ensure a brisk pace so that no time is wasted. For example, in Year 4, all tasks have tight time limits and there are always new challenges ready for pupils to move on to when they finish their work.

p.4

The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers ask questions which make pupils think carefully about their learning. They do not accept simple responses, but encourage pupils to expand their answers and be more specific. This means that while younger pupils develop a wider vocabulary, older pupils develop a deeper understanding and are able to talk about what they are learning.

p.4

The quality of teaching is good

 The Reception and Nursery classes give children a good start to school life. Children concentrate well on what they are doing, share equipment and respond immediately to class routines which are clearly taught and understood by all pupils.  The outdoor learning areas are used well to encourage children to explore and investigate. For example, a group of reception children discovered that balls run down a chute quicker if water is poured down it. Others enthusiastically used magnifiers to study creatures found in the garden area.

p.4

The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils who receive the pupil premium, disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs are all well supported. They receive a good balance of small group and whole class teaching where the tasks are well matched to their specific needs.

p.5

The quality of teaching is good

 Marking in English and mathematics books is thorough and very helpful to pupils. Teachers give clear guidance as to how to improve the work and pupils are routinely given the opportunity to respond. This helps them develop and build on previous learning. In other subjects, however, there is less guidance from teachers.

p.5

The quality of teaching is good

 The different topics taught interest pupils who say they enjoy the trips and visitors to the school which support their learning. By using ‘skills ladders’ pupils can see the progress they are making across different subjects. However, there are not enough opportunities for extended writing in topic lessons to help pupils develop these skills as well as they could.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils behave well in and around school. They are polite to adults and each other, readily apologising for getting in each other’s way and opening doors for each other. Attitudes to learning are very positive and pupils’ self-assessment in books shows a mature approach to work and a keen desire to improve.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils have a good understanding of what bullying is and the different forms it can take. They say it rarely happens, but any incidents are dealt with well by teachers. They feel safe in school and parents agree that the school is a safe and happy place.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 In lessons and assemblies the school provides good guidance on how to keep safe. Pupils spoke enthusiastically about visitors to the school and trips out where they learned about firework safety, road safety and how to stay safe when using the computer.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils are proud of their school. They are keen to take responsibility for themselves and others. Play leaders from Year 5 help organise games at playtime and anyone feeling lonely can go to a ‘friendship point’. Pupils see it as everybody’s responsibility to pick up someone from a friendship point and include them in their game.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 While most pupils attend school regularly, some families’ attendance is not as good as it should be. Although attendance is low it has improved, and the school works very closely with parents and carers to encourage good attendance. An attendance officer has recently been appointed to support parents in ensuring their children do not miss too much school.

p.5

The leadership and management are good

 The strong leadership of the headteacher and her senior leaders has ensured good progress and rising standards over recent years. The progress of pupils, particularly in reading, writing and mathematics, is carefully checked and tracked so that any in danger of falling behind are quickly identified and helped. Leaders of other subjects regularly check progress in their subjects but do not always take swift enough action to make sure any gaps in learning are filled.

p.5

The leadership and management are good

 The system for checking the performance of teachers introduced last year contributes to the good and outstanding teaching, and helps provide opportunities for staff to develop their skills through training and other support. Leaders’ judgements about teachers’ performance are based directly on how much progress their pupils make and how well they fulfil their different roles in the school. Individual targets are used by senior leaders and the governing body to measure whether promotion up the pay scale is justified by results.

p.6

The leadership and management are good

 Pupils’ moral, social and cultural education is good. In lessons and assemblies pupils reflect on other peoples’ lives and aspirations. They were very enthusiastic about the visit of a paralympic athlete who they said was ‘inspirational’.

p.6

The leadership and management are good

 The school promotes arts and sports well through music, visits to the theatre, displays around the school and a good range of well-attended clubs. These, and special events such as multi- cultural weeks, also support an understanding and respect for other cultures.

p.6

The leadership and management are good

 The different subjects are well planned to meet the needs of all pupils, including those who are disabled or have special educational needs and the most able. The school rigorously promotes equality of opportunity, tackles discrimination and works hard to ensure that all pupils attend regularly. Lessons and activities fully involve all, regardless of need, and all groups of pupils are making good progress.

p.6

The leadership and management are good

 Pupils are enthusiastic about the amount of PE lessons they get during the week which are partially resourced by the primary sports funding. They also enjoy a range of clubs out of school which include dance and girls’ and boys’ football. Topics are interesting and pupils help shape the work they do by looking at what they already know and what they would like to find out. More opportunities to write at length in these topics would help develop their writing skills further.

p.6

The leadership and management are good

 The local authority provides good support. It has worked with the school to develop leadership skills and has supported Early Years Foundation Stage developments.

p.6

The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  Governors are very supportive of the school and visit regularly. They have a good understanding of how it could improve and ask challenging questions of the senior leaders, holding them accountable for improving the school and raising standards. Finances are well managed. Governors check on the achievement of pupils who are eligible for the pupil premium and are involved in planning the allocation of the new sports funding to benefit pupils’ well-being. They have ensured that a system for checking the performance of teachers is in place and understand how this impacts on the quality of teaching. Governors make sure that national requirements for safeguarding and child protection are fully met. They appreciate that attendance must be improved to ensure all pupils benefit from the opportunities the school provides and have recently appointed an attendance officer to help achieve this

p.6

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

p.7

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.

p.7

School details

Unique reference number 117562 Local authority Hertfordshire Inspection number 429553

p.8

School details

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

p.8

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 264 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair David Smith Headteacher Julie Muncey Date of previous school inspection 12 January 2009 Telephone number 0208 3873000 Fax number 0208 3873001 Email address admin@parkside.herts.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 .

p.8

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.

p.9

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

p.9

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

p.9

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’.

p.9

School details

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

p.9