Park Primary School

Park Primary School Monmouth Road, Doncaster, South Yorkshire DN2 4JP

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Early years provision Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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This is a school that requires improvement

 Some teachers do not plan work that challenges pupils sufficiently. This is particularly the case for the most-able pupils.  At times, teachers do not encourage pupils to use their grammar, punctuation and spelling skills in their writing.  Pupils in some classes do not use a range of interesting vocabulary in their writing consistently enough.  There has been an overly generous view of how well the school is performing. As a result, weaknesses in teaching and the progress pupils make have not been addressed rigorously enough.  The school has gone through a significant period of changes in staffing, with several experienced teachers leaving the school. As a result, an effective management team has not been developed fully.  In 2015, the standards that pupils achieved and the progress they made in reading, writing and mathematics were below average by the end of key stage 2.  The quality of provision in the early years is

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This is a school that requires improvement

inconsistent because teachers sometimes underestimate what some children can do.  There are too few interesting activities planned to help children learn in the early years outdoor area.

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The school has the following strengths

 Governors understand the main strengths and weaknesses of the school. They are realistic about the challenges the school faces and are determined to overcome them.  Pupils’ behaviour, personal development and well- being are good. Pupils feel safe in school because of the careful attention paid to their welfare.  In a minority of lessons, inspectors observed particular strengths in teaching.  Lessons are mostly calm and orderly because teachers have positive relationships with the pupils.  The curriculum develops pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding well.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching so that it is consistently good across the school by: − raising expectations, particularly of the most-able pupils − insisting that pupils secure their grammar, punctuation and spelling skills in their writing − teachers checking pupils’ learning in lessons regularly and moving pupils on quickly when it is clear that they are ready − encouraging pupils to use interesting and adventurous vocabulary in their writing.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve provision in the early years by: accurately assessing children when they join the school and throughout the early years so that activities are planned to meet their needs creating a distinct purposeful and stimulating environment outdoors that is accessed regularly by the children spending the early years pupil premium effectively and measuring its impact on children’s outcomes.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Strengthen leadership and management by: − developing the role of middle leaders so that they can make a valuable contribution to improving teaching and pupils’ achievement.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

 Until recently, there has been an inaccurate assessment of how well the school is performing, judging it to be better than it actually is. As a result, weaknesses in teaching and pupils’ achievement have not been identified and addressed with the urgency that was required. There is now a more realistic view of the challenges facing the school and current senior leaders, along with a supportive and challenging governing body, are taking swift and decisive action to deal with them.  The acting headteacher, ably supported by an effective acting deputy headteacher, has high ambitions for the school that are shared by a relatively new and enthusiastic staff. As a result, the school is in a secure position to make the improvements that are needed.  Owing to the significant staffing issues the school has had to deal with, middle leader roles have not been developed fully. Teachers who have been identified to fulfil these roles are keen to do well, but have not

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

yet developed the expertise and confidence to assess the quality of teaching, learning and assessment accurately.  Arrangements for managing teachers’ performance are in place. Targets are linked to school priorities and staff receive relevant training. However, this has had limited impact because of the number of teachers who left and joined the school in 2015. Newly qualified teachers value the support they receive from school leaders and are developing good skills as a result.  The recently revised curriculum is broad and balanced and includes topics that interest and enthuse pupils of all ages. Visits to places of interest ensure that their learning experiences are memorable. For example, pupils spoke enthusiastically about a school visit to Leeds Museum to support their work on Ancient Egypt and of another visit to Bolsover Castle as part of their topic on ‘tunnels, turrets and towers’.  The school provides excellent support for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. This is

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

taught through the curriculum, assemblies and the school’s well-developed pastoral system. Leaders also ensure that pupils have a good understanding of British values. For instance, older pupils have the opportunity to participate in a project that seeks to raise aspirations by visits to York University. Each morning, pupils in Years 5 and 6 watch a broadcast of national news, which they then discuss as a class.  Leaders have clear and detailed plans that show how the pupil premium is being used in the main school. Although outcomes in 2015 indicate that this did not have the desired effect, performance information for disadvantaged pupils currently in the school shows that the gap in attainment between disadvantaged pupils and other pupils is closing rapidly. However, the early years pupil premium has not been spent effectively and its impact has not been measured.  The school has used its primary school physical education and sports funding successfully to meet its

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

aims of increasing the opportunities for pupils to take part in physical activity. After-school clubs such as ‘balance bikes’ and ‘mini kicks’ have proved extremely popular and the number of pupils taking part is increasing.  The local authority provides good support to the school. Its representatives visit the school regularly to meet with senior leaders and review performance.  The governance of the school Governors are experienced and knowledgeable. They carry out their statutory duties conscientiously and with due rigour. Governors keep a close watch on how the school spends additional funding, such as the pupil premium, to meet priorities, and whether this is having its required impact on pupils’ outcomes. Governors receive a wide range of information. They are fully aware of the problems facing the school and are taking decisive action to address them. They have a good grasp of how well pupils are

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

achieving in all year groups, and are increasingly holding leaders to account. Governors know about the management of teachers’ performance and the links between this and teachers’ pay progression.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Safeguarding has a high priority in the school, and well- established procedures and specialist staff ensure that pupils are safe and secure. The school fully complies with the latest safeguarding guidance and leaders ensure that all training is up to date. Good relationships with external agencies ensure that leaders know whom to refer to should they need guidance and support. Parents agreed during the inspection that the school keeps their children safe.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

 The quality of teaching, learning and assessment varies. Although there are examples of effective practice, not enough is consistently good. This is because, at times, teachers do not plan learning that moves pupils on swiftly to more challenging work when it is clear they are ready to do so. This is the case for pupils of all abilities, but particularly for the most able.  At times, teachers do not give the most-able pupils work that is sufficiently demanding. This is because expectations of what pupils can achieve are not high enough.  On occasions, teachers do not question pupils sufficiently well to deepen their understanding and explore their thinking. In some lessons, pupils repeat the same learning rather than extending or deepening their understanding and, as a result, lose valuable learning time.  Teachers have positive relationships with pupils and manage behaviour well. Classrooms are calm and

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

orderly and learning is rarely disrupted by inappropriate behaviour.  Feedback, including marking, is generally in line with school policy. Where it is most effective, guidance given to pupils enhances and improves their work.  Pupils’ writing often lacks vitality because some teachers do not encourage them to use a range of interesting grammatical techniques, phrases and description to good effect.  Staff mostly teach English grammar, punctuation and spelling well. Evidence in classrooms shows that this is an area the school has made a priority. However, pupils are not consistently applying the skills they are acquiring during these lessons in their written work.  The teaching of reading across the school is increasingly effective. Phonics (letters and the sounds they represent) is mostly taught well to younger children, and specific reading activities for older pupils are having a positive impact, especially for those pupils who need to make rapid progress from low starting

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

points.  In some classes, especially in Years 5 and 6, pupils complete investigation and problem-solving activities in mathematics that extend and challenge them. However, this is not consistent in all year groups as pupils too often complete too many calculations of similar difficulty before moving on to more challenging work.  The effectiveness of teaching assistants is uneven across the school. Where they are most effective, teaching assistants give valuable guidance, and challenge pupils to think more deeply about what they are learning.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  Leaders place a strong emphasis on the welfare of pupils. An example of this is the appointment of a pastoral manager, who has been very active in addressing the emotional needs of pupils. As a result, behaviour in the school has improved and pupils know they have someone who will listen to, and deal with, any concerns they may have.  Pupils say that bullying and inappropriate behaviour are rare, which is confirmed by school records. They are quite aware of the different forms bullying may take and how to deal with it. The school uses restorative strategies effectively to resolve any conflicts that may occur between pupils.  Pupils say that they feel safe in school and can approach a member of staff easily if they have concerns about their safety. They are confident that staff will not tolerate any language or actions that may be

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Personal development and welfare

offensive.  Pupils show respect for the views of others. During the inspection, this was witnessed by inspectors outside the classrooms, and during English lessons when pupils were engaged in an interesting debate on environmental issues.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  Attendance for all groups of pupils is improving. This is because of actions taken, such as the appointment of staff to deal with absences, safeguarding and pupils’ welfare. Unexplained absences are followed up rigorously through telephone calls, texts and visits to the home. Consequently, the proportion of pupils who regularly miss school has reduced.  Pupils are courteous to adults, and considerate and supportive of each other. On the playground and around the school, pupils get along with each other irrespective of their background or culture.  In a minority of lessons, when learning slows, pupils become less engaged and restless. Also, on occasion, pupils tend to shout out when responding to questions posed by the teacher.

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

 In 2015, there was a decline in outcomes by the end of key stage 1 and key stage 2. This decline was most noticeable in key stage 2, with all attainment and progress measures for reading, writing, mathematics, English grammar, punctuation and spelling being below, and sometimes significantly below, the national average. As a result, pupils were not well prepared for their next stage of education.  The school has evidence to show that the proportion of pupils who joined and left the school at different times, and significant issues that were specific to the Year 6 cohort, had a negative impact on the outcomes for 2015.  School leaders have been very active in halting this decline through intervention based on their accurate and regular analysis of pupils’ achievement in all year groups. As a result, evidence collected during the inspection shows that pupils currently in the school are making faster progress.

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

 From their starting points in Year 1, current pupils make expected and sometimes good progress in key stage 1 in reading, writing and mathematics.  Year 6 tests results in 2015 showed that the gap in achievement between disadvantaged pupils and others in the school and nationally widened. School assessment information for pupils currently in the school suggests that across all year groups, gaps in attainment are narrowing and leaders’ actions to improve the progress of disadvantaged pupils are working well.  The most-able pupils are not consistently given enough opportunities to excel. This is reflected in the published results for 2015 when too few pupils attained the higher levels in both key stages. Writing in particular has been consistently below average at the higher Level 5 for Year 6 pupils.  Pupils who have special educational needs or disability are making good progress in most year groups

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

because their needs are clearly identified and they are well supported. Their achievement is tracked well and work is well planned to meet their needs and appropriate support put into place when required.  Progress in reading is improving because of the high priority it is given. Younger pupils develop basic skills well through the mostly effective teaching of phonics. Although outcomes for the Year 1 phonics screening check in 2015 were below average, their year group included several pupils who were new to the school, including some who had no or very limited English language skills.

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Early years provision requires improvement

 Children do not make the progress they should because assessments of what children can do are not sufficiently accurate, and teachers sometimes do not use their understanding of children’s capabilities to plan challenging activities. Consequently, they are not sufficiently prepared for learning in Year 1.  School leaders do not have a clear enough understanding of the quality of teaching, learning and assessment in the early years. As a result, on occasions the provision in the early years does not meet the needs of the children.  Adults interact with children well and inspectors saw good examples of effective questioning that extended learning. However, some adults are unsure about daily routines and activities. For example, some adults were not certain when children would have the opportunity to select their own activities.  The learning environment, and in particular the outdoor provision, does not offer a range of stimulating

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Early years provision requires improvement

and challenging experiences for both Nursery and Reception children. For example, the inspectors observed that resources that would be typically found indoors were repeated outdoors. This did not present children with opportunities to develop a different type of skill or provide further challenge.  The early years pupil premium funding that the school receives to support disadvantaged children is not targeted effectively or its impact measured.  Children behave well in the early years and adults ensure that safeguarding requirements are met.

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School details

Unique reference number 106728 Local authority Doncaster Inspection number 10011964

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School details

This inspection 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 384 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Ian Rutherford and Andrew West Headteacher Wendy Adamson Karen Fagg (acting headteacher) Telephone number 01302 344659 Website www.park.doncaster.sch.uk Email address head@park.doncaster.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 28 January 2014

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Information about this school

 Park Primary School is larger than the average-sized primary school.  The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups is above average.  The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs or disability is below average.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils, who are known to be eligible for support through pupil premium funding, is above average. The pupil premium is additional funding to support pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals and children who are looked after by the local authority.  The school does not meet the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.  In the early years, Nursery children attend part time and Reception children attend full time.  At the time of the inspection, the school was being led by an acting headteacher and supported by an

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Information about this school

acting deputy headteacher.  There have been many changes of teaching staff in the past year.  The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed learning in all classes. Several were observed jointly with the acting headteacher.  Pupils’ work was scrutinised together with the acting deputy headteacher.  The inspectors listened to pupils read aloud.  Meetings were held with pupils, the acting headteacher, other staff, members of the governing body, and two representatives of the local authority.  The inspectors observed pupils moving around the school outside lessons, including on the playgrounds during breaks and in the dining hall.  The inspectors met with parents at the start of the school day.  The inspectors scrutinised a number of documents, including those on the school’s view of its own performance, school improvement plans, and documentation on attendance and safeguarding.  During the inspection, the headteacher was not in school.

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Inspection team

Alan Chaffey, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector Helen Hussey Ofsted Inspector Janis Warren Ofsted Inspector guidance ‘Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-ofsted . 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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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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