Parkwall Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Parkwall Primary School Earlstone Crescent, Cadbury Heath, Bristol, Somerset BS30 8AA

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Outcome

Parkwall Primary School continues to be a good school. There is enough evidence of improved performance to suggest that the school could be judged outstanding if we were to carry out a section 5 inspection now. The school’s next inspection will be a section 5 inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils and staff are very proud of their school. Leaders have been successful in their aspiration to make the school the centre of the community. Pupils enjoy their learning and say that their teachers help them to succeed. One parent commented that the staff’s ‘attention to each pupil goes above and beyond’. Many parents shared this view.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe in school. They know where to go if they need help. Pupils say that there is hardly any bullying. They are confident that leaders resolve any issues quickly. Behaviour in classrooms and around the school is positive. Pupils are polite, courteous and well mannered.

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What is it like to attend this school?

All staff have very high expectations of all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders, staff and governors are committed to supporting pupils’ learning and wider development. They work together as a strong team to achieve the school’s vision of ‘empowering children to become aspirational, global citizens’.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders are determined to make this school and its community the best for the pupils they serve. They strive to improve the life chances of all pupils and their families. Leaders encourage pupils to be ambitious. There is a wide range of opportunities available to the pupils, including trips and visits. Leaders ensure that pupils are productive members of the local and wider community.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders have prioritised developing and improving the curriculum since the previous inspection. They have developed a curriculum based on the United Nations 2030 sustainable development goals. Leaders have carefully planned what is taught and when. 23 November 2021

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In mathematics, for example, the sequence of learning helps pupils to develop deep knowledge and understanding. Teachers think carefully about how it will help pupils learn new knowledge and information. There is a consistent approach across the whole school.

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Leaders place a very high priority on reading and early language development. The teaching of phonics is a strength in the school. Pupils are excited when they learn new sounds. Throughout the school, pupils use their phonics knowledge to read with fluency. From Reception upwards, teachers share well-chosen books that link to curriculum learning. Teachers introduce new words to children with precision. They ensure that pupils develop a rich and varied language. The school’s work in this area is highly successful. Still, some older pupils with SEND need further support to enrich their vocabulary.

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Staff have very high expectations of all pupils. They use their expert subject knowledge to support the teaching of the whole curriculum. Teachers are skilled at knowing what pupils have learned and quickly identify any gaps in their learning. Leaders and teachers have set about reviewing the entire curriculum. They recognise that a minority of subjects are not as aspirational as the core subjects.

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Staff support pupils with SEND effectively. This ensures that they achieve well across the curriculum. The SEND and inclusion team makes sure that pupils and families are well supported. They offer advice and signpost them to the relevant external agencies.

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Pupils behave well in classrooms, around the school and in the playground. Staff and pupils develop very positive relationships, which help pupils understand how to behave appropriately. Routines are deeply established from an early age. These help pupils know what is expected of them.

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Staff provide many opportunities for pupils to learn beyond the classroom. These include a wide range of after-school clubs. Pupils enjoy these new experiences, such as the mini police programme. Leaders work tirelessly to make the school an integral part of the community. The adult learning programme is popular and helps parents support pupils with their learning.

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All staff agree that leaders and governors consider their workload and well-being. Staff feel valued by and supported by leaders. They talk positively about working in the school.

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In discussion with the headteacher, the inspectors agreed that supporting older pupils with SEND to broaden their vocabulary may usefully serve as a focus for the next inspection.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders give safeguarding the highest priority. Highly efficient systems underpin the strong safeguarding culture in the school. Adults are vigilant and report concerns without 23 November 2021

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delay. Leaders act quickly to support vulnerable pupils and families. They refer concerns and direct families to the appropriate services they need.

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Governors and leaders ensure that safeguarding procedures and policies are up to date. They check that staff have a secure understanding of the latest guidance and any risks particular to the school’s context.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Curriculum plans provide opportunities for pupils to develop a broad and rich vocabulary. However, in key stage 2, not all pupils with SEND gain the knowledge they need in this area. Leaders should ensure that teachers support pupils with SEND to develop their understanding of vocabulary across the curriculum.  Curriculum plans set out the substantive knowledge pupils need to know and remember. In a minority of subjects, leaders’ plans are not as strong as others. Leaders need to continue the work they have started and ensure that plans for all subjects are as clear and ambitious as they could be.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called a section 8 inspection of a good or outstanding school, because it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the section 8 inspection as a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good in March 2016.

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View 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 . 23 November 2021

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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. 23 November 2021

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School details

Inspection number 10204981 Type of school Primary

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School details

Co-Chairs of governing body Wendy Lewin and Karina James-Wiltshire

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 8 and 9 March 2016, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Parkwall Primary School is smaller than the average-sized primary school. It is federated with Park Primary. The two schools form The Park and Parkwall Schools Federation.  Since the previous inspection, there have been some significant changes in the leadership team. A new executive headteacher and head of school have been appointed.  The school does not use alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with school leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation.  The inspectors met with the executive headteacher, head of school, senior leaders, the special educational needs and disabilities coordinator and curriculum leaders. A 23 November 2021

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meeting was held with members of the governing body and representatives from the local authority.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics and geography. For each deep dive, the inspectors met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. A sample of pupils also read to an inspector. Curriculum plans and a range of pupils’ work in other subjects were also looked at.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors spoke with pupils about how they were taught about safety. Inspectors also spoke with staff and leaders about safeguarding and looked at school policies, procedures and records.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and how they conducted themselves around the school.  The inspectors considered a wide range of documents, including the school

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development plan, reports to governors, policies and the school website.  Inspectors spoke to parents and carers at the start of the inspection. They considered five responses to Ofsted Parent View, the online questionnaire, and two responses to the survey for staff.

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Inspection team

Paul Walker, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector Richard Vaughan Ofsted Inspector 23 November 2021

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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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