Parkwood Primary School

Inspection of Parkwood Primary School Parkwood Street, Keighley, West Yorkshire BD21 4QH

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 11–12 March 2020

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parkwood is a caring and vibrant school, which pupils are proud to attend. They feel cared for and say they enjoy learning. Leaders expect pupils to succeed academically and personally. Therefore, leaders have created a climate where most pupils can thrive.

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What is it like to attend this school?

In lessons, and around school, pupils behave well. They say that school is a safe place. Staff support any emotional or behavioural needs that pupils may have. Pupils say that bullying is not a problem in this school. They know the different forms that bullying can take. They say that if there is any bullying, staff will deal with it. Pupils know there is always someone to talk to if they feel worried. This makes them feel safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils relish their responsibilities, for example as school councillors or playground buddies. The after-school clubs are well attended. Popular choices are art and gymnastics. Some pupils learn to play musical instruments, for example the ukulele.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils talk with excitement about the ‘Parkwood Fantastic 50’. This is a list of opportunities they experience by the end of Year 6. This includes visits to art galleries and castles, growing vegetables and learning to ride a bicycle. It includes ways for pupils to give back to their community. Pupils are proud of the charity work they do. Parents have very positive views of the school. They hold the staff in high regard.

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better?

Leaders have designed a curriculum that engages pupils’ interests. This is well established. Pupils access a wide range of extra-curricular experiences. These include educational visits which bring learning to life. Leaders plan each subject around the most important knowledge, skills and vocabulary. Leaders’ plans in all subjects set out clearly what is to be taught and in which order. They sequence their plans so that lessons build on pupils’ prior learning. For example, in history, Year 6 pupils learn about Anglo Saxon times. They make links between this learning and their knowledge of the Roman times that they studied in Year 4.

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better?

The mathematics curriculum is strong. Teachers’ professional development is well organised. This means that teachers have secure mathematical knowledge. Pupils, particularly in key stage 2, can apply their mathematics skills in other subjects. In history, pupils made Roman numeral timelines. In science, they used rulers and clocks to measure the findings of investigations.

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better?

Pupils’ personal development is exceptional. Pupils are knowledgeable about life in modern Britain. They are respectful of different cultures, faiths and opinions. Leaders provide a wide range of experiences to support pupils’ social and moral development. Pupils learn how to be resilient and how to keep themselves mentally healthy. 11–12 March 2020

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Staff deliver high-quality phonics across Reception Year and key stage 1. Many pupils’ starting points in reading are low, because they are new to learning English. Leaders have high expectations of what pupils can achieve. The proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard at the end of Year 1 has improved over time. In 2019, this was above the national average. Pupils have reading books that match the sounds they know. This helps them to feel confident when they read. In key stage 2, pupils are particularly strong at discussing what they read. In 2019, almost half of the pupils in Year 6 did not reach the expected standard in reading. Some pupils’ skills in recording their reading comprehension are not as well developed. This includes most of the pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

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Children settle well in early years. The early years leader understands how young children learn. She places a high focus on developing children’s speaking and listening skills. By the end of Reception Year, children have developed the personal, physical and social skills necessary for Year 1. However, children have limited independent tasks where they can read, write, count and calculate. Children do not achieve as highly in the early learning goals for English and mathematics. Over time, achievement in these subjects has been below national averages.

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Leaders place ‘pupil talk’ at the centre of the curriculum. Staff enable pupils to discuss, debate, explain and expand their ideas through discussion. Pupils’ thinking and reasoning skills are impressive. Pupils are confident to discuss their ideas in lessons and in wider aspects of school life. Staff manage pupils’ behaviour well in lessons.

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Pupils’ attendance over time has been broadly in line with the national average. Current attendance is below average. Leaders have wasted no time in identifying the reasons and tackling this issue. The proportion of pupils who are regularly absent from school is too high. The attendance officer, parent involvement worker and head of school work as a united team. They each have a different role in supporting parents to bring their children to school regularly. Their work is making a positive difference but there is still more to do.

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The head of school, deputy headteacher and executive headteacher work well together. They lead the school with moral purpose. They appreciate the support of the chief executive officer of the trust. The SEND coordinator (SENCo) has compiled appropriate support plans for pupils with SEND. She checks on the quality of support that pupils with SEND receive. Staff say that they feel valued. Leaders support staff to reduce workload.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that the safeguarding of pupils is of paramount importance. All staff and governors receive regular training. They use the knowledge gained to be alert 11–12 March 2020

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to any concerns that may arise. They work as a team to protect pupils’ welfare. Parents say that their children are safe in school. Inspectors agree.

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Leaders have effective recording systems in place. Staff log any concerns accurately. Staff are clear about their responsibility to do this. Leaders are swift to check records and take timely action where needed. Leaders make the necessary checks to ensure that adults are suitable to work with pupils.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In 2019, pupils’ attainment in reading at the end of key stage 2 was below the national average. Almost half of the pupils entered secondary school below the expected standard. Leaders should ensure that they increase the proportion of pupils who leave key stage 2 with the expected standard in reading. This includes pupils with SEND.  The proportion of pupils who are persistently absent from school was above the national average both last year and currently. Although leaders are taking effective action, there are still too many pupils absent from school on a regular basis. Leaders need to continue to work with parents to reduce persistent absenteeism.  By the end of Reception Year, the proportion of children reaching the early learning goals in English and mathematics is below the national average. This means that some children enter Year 1 with these areas underdeveloped. Leaders should improve the opportunities to develop reading, writing and mathematics,

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

indoors and outdoors, so that more children have the required knowledge and skills in preparation for key stage 1.

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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 . 11–12 March 2020

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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. 11–12 March 2020

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School details

Inspection number 10133491 Type of school Primary

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School details

Headteacher Richard Ballantine (Executive Headteacher), Rachel Taylor (Head of School) Website www.parkwood.bradford.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Parkwood Primary School is part of the Nurture Academies Trust. Other schools in the trust are: Denholme, Lapage, Victoria, Byron and Fearnville primaries.  The school converted to academy status voluntarily in February 2017.

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Information about this inspection

We carried out this inspection under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We deemed the inspection a section 5 inspection under the same Act.

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Information about this inspection

The previous ‘outstanding’ judgement reflected the predecessor school’s overall effectiveness in November 2011 under the relevant inspection framework at that time.

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Information about this inspection

The new judgement of ‘good’ reflects the current inspection framework as well as any changes at the school since the last inspection. 11–12 March 2020

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The school has not been inspected for over eight years, which is longer than the five-year maximum interval between inspections. Changes in school effectiveness may have happened at any point in that period. The long time between inspections is because the law changed in 2011; it made outstanding schools exempt from routine inspection.

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 We met with the chief executive officer, the executive headteacher, head of school, senior and curriculum leaders, the SENCo, the early years leader, the attendance officer and parent involvement worker . The lead inspector met with members of the local governing board, including the chair.  We did deep dives in early reading and phonics, mathematics and history on this inspection. We met with the leaders of these subjects, visited lessons, talked to pupils and staff and looked at pupils’ work. We also listened to pupils read.  We checked how staff keep pupils safe. We checked the school’s documentation relating to safeguarding. This included policies and procedures, the single central record and pupils’ records. It also included the school’s bullying and behaviour records. We asked staff across the school how they keep pupils safe. We asked pupils if they felt safe and what they would do if they had a worry or concern. We asked

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pupils about bullying.  We met with staff to gather their views on the curriculum, leadership support, professional development and workload. We spoke with pupils formally and at breaktimes and lunchtime to find out what it is like to be a pupil at this school.  We gathered the views of parents before and after school.

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Inspection team

Alison Aitchison, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Christine Turner Ofsted Inspector 11–12 March 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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