Parkside Academy

Inspection of Parkside Academy 291 Spring Road, Ipswich, Suffolk IP4 5ND

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 25–26 February 2020

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils can be a part of this school in any one of the three campus sites. They are well cared for wherever they attend. Most of the pupils experience mental health or anxiety issues. They appreciate the efforts staff make to help them feel safe and secure.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are aware of the difficulties they have previously experienced in education. They told inspectors they like the small classes. Pupils who attend the hospital school campus enjoy the well-chosen activities they receive from the day they are admitted. There is a calm and purposeful atmosphere across all sites.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils appreciate that they are can be themselves and it does not matter if they are different. Relationships with staff and each other are based on mutual trust and respect. One pupil explained, ‘We are mellow here and we just get on.’ Pupils say that although bullying doesn’t happen, they do worry about it. They can talk with an adult who will listen and help them.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are expected to attend school regularly. Where there are pupils who attend part-time, leaders work carefully with them until more are back in full-time education. There are still pupils who have very low attendance.

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better?

Leaders and trustees have an ambitious vision for pupils’ success. Leaders have an accurate view of the school. Staff are working hard with leaders to ensure that the quality of education improves so it is more consistent across the three sites.

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better?

Leaders have reviewed the curriculum. At the Parkside and the Lindbergh campus sites, many of the changes to the curriculum are new and the impact of leaders’ work is yet to be proven. Some pupils have found the many changes challenging and difficult. Adults are getting better at listening to pupils’ educational concerns.

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better?

Leaders now know what is being taught and when. The delivery of the curriculum is more established in key stage 3. In some subjects, mathematics and personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE) for example, there is a clear intention for pupils to revisit and build on their knowledge and understanding.

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better?

Pupils in the hospital school are given the good quality of education they need from the day they are admitted. Adults carefully check and adapt the learning to suit individual pupil’s needs across a wide range of subjects. Adults thoughtfully consider pupils’ interests and skills. Adults provide pupils with a wide selection of books so that pupils develop their love of reading.

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better?

Leaders aim for all pupils to obtain qualifications that will help pupils be successful beyond this school. However, in key stage 4, teachers are often too focused on 25–26 February 2020

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preparing pupils to answer examination questions. Teachers do not check that pupils have learned the most important details about a topic before they move on to something new. Teachers do not adapt learning activities as well as they should. Some pupils, particularly those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), do not remember enough to make progress. This is most noticeable in English and mathematics.

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In the hospital school, leadership is strong and well established. There is close and careful working with medical staff. Pupils receive the care and education they need. At both the Parkside and the Lindbergh Campus sites, new senior leaders have started since January 2020. Both leaders already have an accurate view of what the school does well and where swift improvements are needed. Many staff commented on how valued they feel as professionals.

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Pupils have opportunities to develop their personal and social skills. Pupils spoke confidently about how adults teach them to keep safe. Pupils discuss topics such as drug misuse and knife crimes. Pupils have a wide range of after-school clubs at the Lindberg Centre, which they enjoy.

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Leaders provide useful careers advice to pupils about the next stage of their education. The school’s transition workers help pupils to move successfully on to college.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

There is a very strong culture of safeguarding. Staff know the pupils well. They understand what individuals need to help them feel and stay safe. Staff receive regular and appropriate safeguarding training. They are vigilant and know the signs that might suggest a pupil is at risk. Staff know how to respond to any issues including gang culture, county lines or exploitation.

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Safeguarding

Leaders work well with other external agencies. They are swift to get extra expert support when required.

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Safeguarding

The safeguarding trustee visits the sites regularly to check that recruitment practices are appropriate. Records are well kept.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Not all teachers have received training to enable them to adapt the curriculum across all subjects. This means that some teachers are not fully aware of what pupils know and can do in all subjects. Leaders must implement their training 25–26 February 2020

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plans so that teachers understand and can explain how well pupils are learning and achieving in every subject.  Although attendance has improved since the previous inspection, more pupils need to be attending full time, particularly at the Lindbergh Centre. Leaders need to continue to be tenacious in their approach to improving the attendance of individuals.  Not enough staff are expert in managing pupils’ needs and anxieties. Leaders have started to provide staff with more specialist training related to improving pupils’ mental health. Leaders need to train all staff so more are highly skilled at meeting pupils’ needs.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use Ofsted Parent View information when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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How can I feed back my views?

If you are the school and you are not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted .

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. 25–26 February 2020

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School details

Inspection number 10121389 Type of school Alternative provision

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School details

School category Academy alternative provision converter

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School details

Date of previous inspection 5 February 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Parkside Academy is part of the Raedwald Trust (the trust). Parkside (including the Lindbergh campus) caters for pupils between the ages of 11 and 16. The hospital school educates young people aged four to 18. Parkside converted into the Trust on 1 May 2016.  Pupils who attend the Parkside and Lindbergh campuses are known to have significant health needs.  A high percentage of pupils attending the Parkside and Lindbergh campus sites have an education, health and care plan (EHC plan).  The head of school at Parkside took up post in January 2020. An interim head of school at the Lindbergh campus started in February 2020. The head of the hospital school was in post at the time of the last inspection.  The school uses alternative provision. Currently eight pupils attend sessions at Deben Care Farm regularly to learn about animal care. 25–26 February 2020

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Information about this inspection

We carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 We met with the chief education officer (CEO) of the trust, the chair of the trust and three other trustees. Meetings were held with the headteacher, the head of the hospital school, the head of school of the Lindberg campus and the head of school at Parkside.  We reviewed a wide range of documentation, such as the school development plan and the school self-evaluation document. Other documents were considered, including those relating to behaviour and attendance and policies on the school’s website.  To consider the effectiveness of safeguarding, we reviewed policies and leaders’ practice to keep pupils safe. We considered the checks leaders make when appointing staff. We evaluated leaders’ records of behaviour, restrictive physical intervention and other relevant information about child protection. We met with leaders who hold responsibility for safeguarding.  We considered the views of parents and staff who responded to the Ofsted online

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Information about this inspection

questionnaire. There were no responses to the pupil questionnaire.  We did deep dives in English, mathematics, art and PSHE. We met with curriculum leaders and subject specialists. We visited lessons and spoke to teachers and support staff. We looked at pupils work and spoke with pupils about their learning.

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Inspection team

Lynda Walker, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Rowena Simmons Ofsted Inspector 25–26 February 2020

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regulates and inspects to 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 and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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