Park Primary School

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T 0300 123 4234 www.gov.uk/ofsted

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Ms Emma Grant Headteacher Park Primary School Gloucester Road Aldershot Hampshire GU11 3SL

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Short inspection of Park Primary School

Following my visit to the school on 10 July 2018, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to report the inspection findings. The visit was the first short inspection carried out since the school was judged to be good in June 2014.

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Short inspection of Park Primary School

Based on the evidence gathered during this short inspection, I have identified some priorities for improvement which I advise the school to address. In light of these priorities, the school’s next inspection will be a full section 5 inspection. There is

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no change to the school’s current overall effectiveness grade of good as a

Since joining the school in September 2016, you have put in place measures to improve teaching, learning and assessment, attendance and pupils’ attainment. These changes are beginning to raise standards across the school but have not yet been fully embedded. Nevertheless, Park Primary School is a welcoming and inclusive community school where staff are committed to the school’s improvement.

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no change to the school’s current overall effectiveness grade of good as a

You have ensured that governors, staff and pupils have been an integral part of the school’s improvement over the past two years. Pupils and staff worked together to create the school’s values of perseverance, independence, cooperation, challenge and respect. Consequently, pupils understand what the school stands for and feel that their opinions are valued. However, some pupils find it hard to routinely behave as well as the school expects.

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no change to the school’s current overall effectiveness grade of good as a

The previous inspection report asked the school to improve teachers’ skills further so that pupils make even better progress. Since the previous inspection, the school has experienced significant turbulence in staffing and this has led to variability in the quality of teaching. You have successfully recruited new teachers over the past two years and have ensured that training for teachers has been a priority. However, teaching is still inconsistent and, as a result, too few pupils reach age-related expectations in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of key stage 2. The school was also asked, in the previous inspection report, to ensure that the most able pupils make more rapid progress. Leaders’ efforts to improve the progress of the most able pupils have not yet been successful and you are aware that this is an area where the school has further work to do. Attendance rates are below the national average. Although you have put some measures in place, there

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no change to the school’s current overall effectiveness grade of good as a

is more work needed to improve attendance successfully for all pupils.

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no change to the school’s current overall effectiveness grade of good as a

Parents, overall, are supportive of the changes that have been put in place over the past two years. Most parents believe that their children are safe, well cared for and taught well. One parent, who responded to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, wrote, ‘My children are very happy and well looked after at school.’ However, there is a sizeable proportion of parents who believe that communication between the school and parents could be improved and that the school does not respond well to concerns that they raise.

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no change to the school’s current overall effectiveness grade of good as a

The school’s policies and procedures are thorough and detailed. Leaders have ensured that all safeguarding arrangements are fit for purpose. You have made sure that appropriate checks are in place to ensure the suitability of staff. Governors regularly monitor safeguarding arrangements. Appropriate training is provided for staff. They clearly understand their responsibilities to report any concerns they may have about pupils, so that timely action is taken where needed.

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no change to the school’s current overall effectiveness grade of good as a

Pupils feel safe and they speak confidently about the parts of the curriculum which help them to develop the skills they need to stay safe. E-safety is discussed in lessons and in assemblies. Pupils can explain how to stay safe online. For example, pupils understand the importance of not giving out personal details when online.

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Inspection findings

 During this inspection, we agreed to look at: how effective leaders’ actions have been in improving writing in key stage 1; how challenging the curriculum is for the most able pupils; how effective leaders have been in reducing exclusions and improving attendance; and how well governors ensure that pupil premium funding increases disadvantaged pupils’ progress.  Levels of challenge across the curriculum are not high enough. The most able pupils still do not make rapid enough progress, particularly in key stage 2. As a result, too few of the most able pupils achieve higher standards in reading, writing and mathematics in key stage 2. Leaders have put in place an assessment system that teachers understand. Teachers can accurately assess how well pupils, and particularly the most able, are doing in reading, writing and mathematics. Leaders have also supported teachers in creating more opportunities for pupils to develop their writing skills across the curriculum.

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Inspection findings

 Attendance, overall, has not improved this year and it is still below the national average. Fewer pupils are now persistently absent and disadvantaged pupils now attend more regularly. You have introduced measures designed to improve pupils’ attendance. These measures include: referring to attendance in the termly newsletter, writing letters to parents regarding poor attendance, and introducing rewards for pupils who attend school regularly.  You have improved writing in key stage 1 by providing training to support teachers’ planning. Teachers in key stage 1 are increasingly able to plan activities that meet pupils’ needs. You have put in place a more inclusive approach to teaching, whereby additional adults help pupils catch up in class. As a result, more pupils now meet age-related expectations in key stage 1. However, too few pupils achieve greater depth in writing.  Behaviour is variable in lessons. A small proportion of pupils say that their lessons

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Inspection findings

are ‘frustrating’ because too many pupils mess around and disrupt learning. However, leaders have successfully reduced exclusions over the past two years because they have provided high-quality care for pupils in need of support.  Governors are passionate about improving disadvantaged pupils’ progress. They understand the barriers to learning that the school’s pupil premium funding should address. In 2017, too few disadvantaged pupils met age-related expectations in reading, writing and mathematics in key stage 2. Governors and leaders have made a concerted effort in 2018 to ensure that pupil premium funding is increasingly effective. This has led to improvements in disadvantaged pupils’ progress in reading, writing and mathematics.

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Next steps for the school

Leaders and those responsible for governance should ensure that:

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Next steps for the school

 the quality of teaching, learning and assessment is strengthened so that a greater proportion of pupils reach age-related expectations in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of key stage 2  teachers plan learning that provides high levels of challenge for the most able  effective measures are put in place to improve rates of attendance so that they are in line with national averages  they respond effectively to concerns raised by parents and improve communication with parents  behaviour is consistently good across all year groups.

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Next steps for the school

I am copying this letter to the chair of the governing body, the regional schools commissioner, and the director of children’s services for Hampshire. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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Information about the inspection

During this inspection, I observed learning in classes, accompanied by yourself, and spoke to pupils about their work. I looked at pupils’ work from a range of subjects and year groups. I met with two members of the governing body and spoke to a local authority representative on the telephone. I scrutinised a range of school documentation including the school’s self-evaluation and plans for improvement. I considered 49 responses to the online questionnaire, Parent View.

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