Park Street CofE Primary School

Park Street CofE Primary School Lower Park Street, Cambridge, CB5 8AR

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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

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  Pupils get a good start to school life in the Reception class. They make good progress which continues throughout the school.  By Key Stage 2 many pupils are working above the level expected for their age.  Pupils join the school from a wide range of backgrounds and cultures. They quickly settle in and make good progress. Parents say that this is because of the caring, family atmosphere.  Most teaching is good and some is outstanding. Exciting and stimulating lessons make pupils keen to learn.  The school uses its facilities and the surrounding area well to promote an active and healthy lifestyle.  Pupils behave well around school and in lessons. Their very positive attitudes to learning means that they often challenge themselves to do the best they can.  Pupils know how to keep themselves safe in different situations, such as when playing on the public green.  The school is led well by the headteacher and

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

senior leaders. Pupils’ progress is checked regularly to make sure that any in danger of falling behind are quickly helped to keep up.  Governors are very supportive. They ask the headteacher and senior leaders challenging questions to hold them accountable for continued school improvement.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Not enough teaching is outstanding. Sometimes, teachers’ instructions are not clear enough, especially when a range of activities is happening at the same time.  Just occasionally the activities are too easy or hard for some pupils, and they lose concentration and distract other pupils.  Governors’ plans to extend their effectiveness through focused visits to the school to gather first-hand information have not yet been fully implemented.  Last term, a significant minority of parents expressed concerns. Leaders have not yet been able to establish why.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed 11 lessons or parts of lessons, all of which were seen together with the headteacher.  Meetings were held with the headteacher, other staff, a group of pupils, the Chair of the Governing Body and one other governor, and a representative of the local authority.  Informal discussions were held with parents and carers.  The inspector took account of the 74 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View), the school’s own parental questionnaire, individual communications from parents and 15 completed staff questionnaires.  The inspector observed the school’s work and reviewed a range of documentation, including the school’s checks on its performance, its analysis and tracking of pupils’ progress, records of behaviour and safety, school improvement plans, records relating to classroom observations and the management of staff performance, safeguarding arrangements and records of meetings of

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Information about this inspection

the governing body.  The inspector also looked at pupils’ work, listened to pupils read and checked information on attendance.

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Inspection team

Susan Hughes, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  The proportion of pupils for whom the school receives the pupil premium, which is additional funding for pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals, have a parent in the armed forces or are in local authority care, is well below average.  The proportions of pupils from minority ethnic groups and those who speak English as an additional language are above average.  A small but significant proportion of pupils join the school from other countries for a limited period of time while their parents study or work in the area.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is below average. The proportion supported at school action plus, or with a statement of special educational needs, is above average.  As the school’s playgrounds are quite small, it uses the neighbouring green as an additional

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Information about this school

resource at lunchtimes and for games lessons.  The school has had a number of staff changes over the last two years due to maternity leave.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching so that more is outstanding by ensuring that:  the various learning activities set for pupils in lessons take full account of what they already know and can do, so all ability groups do well  explanations given in lessons are clear and pupils understand what they need to do to succeed.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Strengthen leadership and management by:  pressing ahead with governors’ planned programme of classroom visits and reporting the findings back to the rest of the governing body  improving communication with parents, so they feel well informed and able to express their views about the school.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils make good progress as they move through the school. While the children currently in Reception have stronger skills, children typically start school with skills expected for their age. Good progress means that most start in Key Stage 1 with well-developed skills, especially in understanding the world and physical development.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils continue to make good progress throughout Key Stage 1 in reading, writing and mathematics. The results of the most recent Year 1 national screening check on how well pupils know phonics (the sounds that letters represent in words) were above average. During the inspection pupils showed that they could use these skills to read unfamiliar words. For example, a Year 1 pupil confidently read ‘slumped’ while a pupil in Year 2 read text containing words like ‘delivered’ and ‘evacuated’ fluently and with good expression.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 In 2013, pupils at the end of Key Stage 2 had made good progress since leaving Key Stage 1 in reading, writing and mathematics. Their above-average attainment meant that pupils were well prepared for their move to secondary school. School data show that this good progress is reflected in all year groups.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils for whom the school receives the pupil premium make equally good progress in reading, writing and mathematics. As there are very few, if any, eligible pupils in most year groups, their progress is recorded as individuals rather than as a group. They are ably supported by well- briefed additional adults, either one-to-one or in a small group with other pupils as needed. Too few took the 2013 Year 6 national tests for their attainment to be judged without identifying individuals.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Most disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make good progress because of the effective help they receive to become successful learners. Pupils with complex needs have support which is specifically tailored for them, both in the classroom and in separate learning areas as appropriate.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 More-able pupils make good progress because teachers have high expectations of what they can do and encourage them to challenge themselves and aim high. Some join lessons with older pupils for mathematics to ensure they work at the high level they are capable of, while the most able pupils in Year 5 join those from other local schools to develop their mathematical skills.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils who speak English as an additional language make at least good progress and some make outstanding progress. This is because the school is adept at developing the use of English while celebrating pupils’ own cultures. Teachers quickly identify what the pupils already know and build on this in lessons.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils make good progress in physical education. Their skills, and those of their teachers, are developed through good use of specialist sports coaches and additional adults employed specifically to support physical education lessons and games activities. During the inspection Reception and Year 1 pupils were observed achieving well in a Sega dancing lesson.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Throughout the school, pupils enjoy writing for different purposes. In Key Stage 2 they are given plenty of opportunities to write at length to develop their literacy skills.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers have high expectations of what pupils can do, and pupils respond well. For example, when pupils in Years 5 and 6 were finding adjectives they strove to find more exciting words such as ‘convex’. They identified patterns in word endings and the good subject knowledge of the class teacher meant that this was extended to develop their learning.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Most lessons are exciting and stimulating. Teachers select pupils carefully to ask probing questions that make pupils think carefully and help them develop secure knowledge and strong skills on which to build. For example, Year 3 and 4 pupils were enthralled by the visual demonstration of sound waves in a science lesson and skilled questioning by the teacher drew out high-level vocabulary and discussion about vibrations, particles and wavelengths.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Additional adults in the classroom are well briefed and many are highly skilled in supporting pupils’ learning. Most disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs are fully included in lessons and ably supported to make good progress. On occasions they benefit from individual teaching to boost progress. The small number of pupils who benefit from pupil premium funding are also well supported.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils who speak English as an additional language are quickly welcomed into the class and are soon taking an active part in lessons. Teachers and pupils help them develop a broad vocabulary and many pupils in the school are fluent in more than one language.

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The quality of teaching is good

 There is a good balance of activities for Reception pupils to develop skills through play and in more formal adult-led sessions. The school makes good use of the limited space outside, and during the inspection some children were making and serving imaginary pizzas in the role-play area while others were cooking the real thing upstairs in the kitchen.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Some lessons have several different activities happening at the same time. Occasionally the explanations of these are not as helpful as they could be. As a result, pupils in some groups are not clear about what they should be doing and extra time has to be spent re-explaining the task and how they can succeed.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Very occasionally, lesson activities are too easy for some pupils, especially the most able. They then lose interest and distract others by chatting to them about more interesting things. In contrast, some introductions are too complex for less-able pupils, who find themselves ‘out of their depth’ and so stop listening or get confused. This means that they need additional explanations when asked to start their work to sort out the confusion.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils behave well in and around school. They are pleasant and polite, readily hold doors open for adults and each other, and can be overheard saying ‘excuse me’ and thanking each other for any help. They automatically look out for each other and are very sensitive to the needs of younger pupils. The ‘buddy’ system works well in helping Reception children settle in, and all new pupils are welcomed in assembly so that everyone will know who they are.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils say that behaviour is generally good in school. They think that the system for losing ‘Golden Time’ for poor behaviour is fair and works well. Pupils who find it difficult to behave well are well supported both in and out of the classroom. This means that lessons are rarely disrupted and the behaviour of these pupils is improving.  Bullying in school is rare. Pupils have a very good understanding of what bullying is and the forms it can take, including physical, emotional and cyber-bullying. They say that it sometimes happens but is usually dealt with well. All pupils spoken to felt they could talk to someone in school if they had a problem.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Consequently, they feel safe in school. Pupils are very aware of the safety issues when leaving the school site most days to play on the public green, and understand why the school has strict rules about safe behaviour at those times. They are also taught about road safety, have regular fire drills and older pupils learn how to ride their bikes safely in the road.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Most pupils’ attitudes to learning are exceptionally good. They are motivated to do well by inspiring teaching and, even when lesson are not so interesting, try hard with their work. Very occasionally pupils lose interest and distract others by chatting, but disruptions to lessons are rare.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Attendance was not good last year. This was affected by illness and families visiting homelands or going on extended leave from the university. However, the school works closely with parents to encourage good attendance and this year it has improved and is in line with the national average.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school is led well by the headteacher and her leadership team. Pupils’ progress is tracked rigorously and any in danger of falling behind are quickly helped to keep up. Leaders have good subject knowledge and support colleagues in developing their teaching skills. The wide range of disabilities and special educational needs in the school, some of which are complex, is met well through early identification of individual needs, well-chosen support and careful recording of progress.

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The leadership and management are good

 Class teachers are all held accountable for the progress their pupils make. The appraisal system for checking teachers’ performance, introduced last year, contributes to the good teaching. Individual targets are used by the headteacher and the governing body to measure whether pay rises and promotion are justified by results. Teachers say that they have good training opportunities to develop and refine their skills.

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The leadership and management are good

 The curriculum is varied and helps develop pupils’ literacy and numeracy skills in different subjects. For example, Pupils in Years 5 and 6 wrote a biography of Queen Elizabeth I as part of their history topic. This gave them the opportunity to practise the literacy and grammatical skills they had learnt in English lessons. Themed days, residential visits, the use of local museums and visiting theatre groups help bring the subjects alive.

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The leadership and management are good

 Physical education is taught well, in part because of the way the new sports funding is being spent. It is too soon to judge the full impact on pupils’ health and physical well-being.

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The leadership and management are good

 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural education is a particular strength of the school. The caring environment encourages pupils’ self-awareness and awareness of others so that they show consideration and respect for each other. Good links with the local church and good use of local resources and pupils’ own experiences means that pupils develop a mature understanding of, and respect for, different ways of life and different cultures and beliefs.

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The leadership and management are good

 This diverse and inclusive school promotes equality of opportunity to make sure that all pupils achieve equally well. It tackles discrimination to ensure that all pupils feel included in the school community.

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The leadership and management are good

 While a parent questionnaire conducted in November 2012 received mainly positive responses, a significant minority of the large proportion of parents who completed ‘Parent View’ towards the end of November 2013 indicated negative views about the school and how it was led. The inspector spoke to 15 parents and, while one expressed concern, all the others were extremely positive in their praise of the school. Additional letters received from parents during the inspection were equally complimentary. The Chair of the Governing Body and headteacher have offered to discuss concerns with parents but, as only a few have accepted the invitation, the exact cause of the concern is unclear.

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The leadership and management are good

 The local authority has accurately identified the strengths of the school and judged that it does not require additional support. It has approved a consultant to give external advice, and the headteacher and staff work closely with other local schools to share expertise and develop teachers’ skills.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  Governors are very supportive and ask challenging questions of the headteacher and senior leaders to check on improvements. Governors know that the pupil premium is helping eligible pupils to achieve well and they understand how the new primary school sports funding is extending physical education opportunities. Governors visit the school regularly to support events. They have also planned to make organised visits to check more rigorously on how well the school is doing, but these have not yet started. The governors take the recent negative additions to Parent View seriously and appreciate the need to improve communications so that they have a better understanding of what parents think about the school. The governors know how the system for appraising and setting targets for teachers contributes to the quality of teaching and they use school data effectively to check pupils’ progress. They ensure that

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The leadership and management are good

teachers’ pay rises are linked to the progress their pupils make. Governors have made sure that national requirements for safeguarding and child protection are fully met.

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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 110837 Local authority Cambridgeshire Inspection number 431244

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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 Voluntary aided Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 117 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Greg Stuart Headteacher Gillian Owen Date of previous school inspection 11 May 2009 Telephone number 01223 576922 Fax number 01223 566705 Email address office@parkstreet.cambs.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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