Parkside Primary School

Inspection of Parkside Primary School Bradshaw Way, Parkside, Stafford, Staffordshire ST16 1TH

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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 Previous inspection grade Good 12 and 13 July 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

‘Come as you are and leave as a champion’ is the school motto. Leaders promote this in all they do. They have built an ethos that centres around children, families and community. Leaders welcome pupils into Reception with a golden ticket balloon. Year 6 pupils say goodbye with a final production. These events, plus many more, help families to feel ‘part of Parkside’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders provide extensive clubs, visits and opportunities that develop pupils’ talents and interests and allows them to have their ‘champion’ moment. These include rock climbing, acting or leading a gymnastics club. Pupils are polite and mature. They told inspectors that staff want to give them a great future. They are right.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe and enjoy school. Pupils learn many interesting things that successfully build on what they know over time. They are excited by this saying, ‘A whole new year of new experiences and new things to learn.’ However, the work in books is not always of a consistently high standard and there are basic errors.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils mostly behave well with a few disagreements, but teachers sort these quickly. Bullying is rare. Pupils trust that adults stop it when it happens.

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better?

Leaders have embedded a curriculum that allows all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, to learn key information in a well- organised way. The curriculum starts from the beginning in the two-year-old provision and continues through the early years and beyond. Consequently, with the right help, support and resources, pupils build up their learning in small steps.

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better?

Leaders have laid out clear principles for the way teachers check learning, both in the short and long term. Pupils say, ‘The teachers keep our brains jiggling with good stuff.’ They remember and talk about much of their previous learning. For example, in art, pupils can recall a range of artists and the techniques they used. In geography, pupils use what they already know about oceans and continents to inform their learning on volcanoes and earthquakes.

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better?

In English, and across other books, pupils in some year groups make too many basic mistakes. Teachers are not addressing these errors. This means that pupils continue to get the same things wrong. Their work often lacks pride. Teachers do not always challenge pupils when this happens.

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better?

Most pupils learn to read well. Teachers teach phonics in a consistent way. Pupils read books carefully matched to the sounds they know. Pupils with prior lower attainment who are learning to read receive well-structured help and support but are not yet reading with sufficient fluency. 12 and 13 July 2022

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A love of reading begins in the early years. Books and talk are everywhere. ‘Chatty snack’ is a daily event. In older years, pupils’ reading scrapbooks entice pupils into an imaginary world. Older pupils read widely and particularly enjoy Shakespeare. As a result of effective teaching, pupils can debate the concept of control and slavery with a maturity beyond their years.

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In early years, leaders have given thought to the way the learning environment and learning content is set out. They have trained staff to support children to grow and learn. This means adults help children to join in with a range of activities in a way that makes sure they are ready for their next stage of learning.

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Behaviour in lessons is good. Pupils like the way staff are ‘masters of making people happy’ and ‘mend friendships’. Occasionally, pupils ‘fall out’ or disagree and are not always sure how to sort these disagreements out for themselves. However, they can resolve them with adult help. The ‘Beach Hut’ is a special place that helps pupils if they are angry, annoyed or sad. Inspectors agree.

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Planned events, including a careers fair, ensure leaders prepare pupils very well for life beyond school. Pupils speak of their responsibilities with honour. These include being Reception buddies, sports leaders or mental health champions. These responsibilities start from a young age. Reception children lay tables for their peers and fetch the milk. These opportunities extend into the community with litter picking and involvement with nearby care home residents.

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Leaders, including trustees and governors, have a shared vision of being ‘corporate but community-based’. They are successful in bringing this vision to life. Leaders are thoughtful and reflective. They make effective decisions about all parts of school life in a way that helps pupils develop as unique individuals. This approach also helps staff feel valued, well looked after and proud to work at the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders make sure staff are safe to work with pupils. They make sure staff receive comprehensive training so they are confident in recognising the risks that pupils face. Staff report concerns and leaders act on these concerns swiftly. Leaders use a range of agencies to give the right help in the right way.

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Safeguarding

Pupils understand that learning how their bodies change as they grow is important. They know the correct vocabulary and use these words respectfully and appropriately. They know the importance of valuing yourself for who you are. They can talk to a grown up if they have worries. 12 and 13 July 2022

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Pupils’ work across several year groups lacks pride and contains many basic errors in grammar, punctuation and spelling. Teachers do not consistently address this. As a result, pupils repeat the same mistakes or are not being helped to present work to a high standard. Leaders should make sure that all teachers consistently have high enough expectations for presentation and that teachers address pupils’ errors promptly.  Pupils at the early stages of reading are not reading with enough fluency. This means that reading is hard work for them and they have to think about and sound out many of the individual words they are reading. Leaders should review and refine the targeted support being given to these pupils so that they can rapidly catch up and gain greater fluency.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to 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 .

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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. 12 and 13 July 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10227533 Type of school Primary

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School details

Date of previous inspection 4 July 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is in the Creative Learning Partnership Trust.  The school has Nursery provision for two-, three- and four-year-old children.  The school makes use of a registered alternative provider.  The school has a breakfast club operating on the site. This provision is managed by the school.

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Information about this inspection

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

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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 leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, special educational needs coordinator and other senior leaders.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, geography and art and design. For each deep dive, they discussed the curriculum 12 and 13 July 2022

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with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors considered religious education and looked at samples of pupils’ work while meeting with pupils in this subject. English, ‘Adventure’, ‘Magic Weaver’ and science books were also looked at.  The lead inspector met with the chief executive officer, the director of teaching and learning, as well as two trustees, including the chair and four governors of the local governing body.  The lead inspector listened to a sample of pupils read.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school, including at breaktimes and in clubs. They spoke formally with groups of pupils as well as talking to pupils in lessons and around school.  The lead inspector reviewed responses to Ofsted’s online parent, pupil and staff surveys.  An inspector visited the alternative provision.

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 Inspectors met with leaders about the school’s safeguarding procedures. They reviewed policies and records relating to safeguarding, behaviour and attendance. Inspectors spoke to pupils and staff about pupils’ safety.  The lead inspector reviewed a range of documentation, including the school’s improvement plans, minutes of governing body meetings and information on the school’s website.

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Inspection team

Kirsty Foulkes, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Sarah-Jane Cuncannon-Edwards Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

John Rowe Ofsted Inspector 12 and 13 July 2022

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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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