Park High School

Inspection of Park High School Thistlecroft Gardens, Stanmore HA7 1PL

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Sixth-form provision Good This school was last inspected nine years ago and judged ‘Outstanding’ under a previous inspection framework. This reflected the school’s overall effectiveness under the inspection framework in use at the time.

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

From then until November 2020, the school was exempted by law from routine inspection, so there has been a longer gap than usual between inspections. Judgements in this report are based on the current inspection framework and also reflect changes that may have happened at any point since the last inspection. 15 and 16 June 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high expectations of pupils. However, the current day-to-day experiences of some pupils are variable. Leaders are taking appropriate steps to address this.

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What is it like to attend this school?

When teachers present new subject content clearly and use the school’s behaviour system effectively, pupils achieve well across a range of subjects. This is typically the experience of students in the sixth form. However, this is not routinely the case for some pupils in Years 7 to 11. As a result, these pupils do not develop secure knowledge of subjects and their learning is disrupted by the behaviour of others in some classes.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are safe and happy. If any bullying takes place, leaders and staff deal with it effectively. In the sixth form, students are mature and respectful. However, at times, some pupils in Years 7 to 11 do not speak to each other with respect.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils take part in a range of extra-curricular activities and educational visits. For example, they enjoy playing sports or taking part in school plays. To prepare for university or for their future careers, some students in the sixth form complete a qualification to extend and develop their knowledge beyond the A-level curriculum.

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better?

Subject leaders are knowledgeable. They have planned a well-ordered curriculum that helps pupils to develop their knowledge of subjects from Year 7 to Year 13. If a subject is not offered in the sixth form, leaders arrange for students to study it in another school within the sixth-form partnership. This means that students can study a wide range of subjects and qualifications. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) follow the same curriculum as their peers. There is appropriate help in place to support pupils who are weaker readers and need to build reading fluency and confidence.

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better?

In Years 7 and 8, all pupils study the full range of subjects of the national curriculum. However, leaders have not given sufficient time to teach an ambitious curriculum in every subject during this time. For example, pupils in Years 7 and 8 do not have enough time to learn and consolidate knowledge in music.

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better?

In the sixth form, pupils are well-supported by subject experts to learn the curriculum. However, the success with which teachers enable pupils in Years 7 to 11 to understand key concepts is uneven. For example, new information is not routinely presented clearly enough. The use made of assessment information is also variable. Leaders typically check whether pupils have learned key skills and knowledge. For example, in science, key practical skills and vocabulary are regularly assessed. However, across subjects assessment is not consistently used to inform teaching or pupils’ learning. 15 and 16 June 2022

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Pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school is uneven. The behaviour of some pupils hinders the learning of others and makes it difficult for teachers to teach. Leaders are taking steps to address this behaviour. In January this year for example, they introduced a simplified behaviour system. However, this behaviour system is not being implemented consistently by all staff.

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Leaders have planned an ambitious personal, social, health, citizenship and economic education curriculum for pupils in Years 7 to 13. This promotes pupils’ knowledge of important areas such as healthy relationships and democracy. Pupils enjoy these lessons. There is a carefully planned careers programme in place to support pupils with their next steps. This includes external speakers as well as one- to-one careers guidance for pupils. In the sixth form, students are well supported with applications to universities and apprenticeships. The vast majority of sixth-form students go on to attend university.

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Across the school, there are a range of extra-curricular activities. These activities are organised around three themes: ‘mind, body and soul’ in the sixth form. However, leaders do not currently monitor which pupils take up these opportunities. This means that they do not know who does and who does not benefit from this extra- curricular offer.

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Leaders are taking appropriate steps to move the school forward. They have identified key areas that need to improve and have made several recent appointments to deliver key priorities. Some of this work has been delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Members of the governing body play an important role in supporting leaders with aspects such as finance and resources. However, they have an insufficiently strategic role in challenging and supporting leaders to improve the quality of education and behaviour.

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Staff feel well supported by leaders. This includes early career teachers who particularly value the help they get from mentors and heads of department. Staff enjoy working at the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff across the school know how to report any concerns about individual pupils. Leaders respond quickly to keep pupils safe should any safeguarding issues arise. They work successfully with external agencies and secure the necessary support for pupils in school. However, leaders currently record low-level safeguarding concerns in multiple places. This means that it is not easy for senior leaders and governors to check that safeguarding concerns are followed up appropriately.

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Safeguarding

Pupils are encouraged to keep themselves safe. This includes learning how to keep safe online and what healthy relationships look like. 15 and 16 June 2022

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Teachers and leaders do not use assessment routinely well to identify and address gaps in pupils’ knowledge, errors or misconceptions in their work. Leaders should ensure that assessment is used appropriately across all subject areas so that it informs teaching and helps pupils to learn and remember the curriculum.  Not all teachers apply the school’s behaviour system consistently and as a result, pupils’ behaviour disrupts learning in some lessons. Leaders should support all staff to apply the school’s behaviour system consistently and fairly.  Leaders currently keep records of low-level safeguarding concerns in multiple places. This means that it is difficult for senior leaders and governors to check that records are up to date and all actions have been followed up. Leaders should ensure that there is a clear system in place for recording and monitoring low-level safeguarding concerns.

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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. 15 and 16 June 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10232856 Type of school Secondary Comprehensive

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provision

Number of pupils on the school roll 1555

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sixth form

Appropriate authority The governing body

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sixth form

Date of previous inspection 14 May 2013, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The headteacher was appointed in September 2019.  The school meets the requirements of the Baker Clause which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 13 with information about approved technical- education qualifications and apprenticeships.  The school uses one registered provider for alternative provision.  The school is a member of the Harrow Sixth-Form Collegiate.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. 15 and 16 June 2022

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 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.  Inspectors met with senior leaders, members of the governing body and subject leaders.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: design and technology, science, English, history and modern foreign languages. Each deep dive involved discussing the curriculum with subject leaders, visiting a sample of lessons, reviewing samples of pupils’ work and speaking with teachers and pupils from the lessons they visited.  Inspectors also spoke to leaders about the curriculum in some other subjects on day two and visited lessons.  Inspectors met with the special educational needs coordinator to find out how the school supports pupils with SEND to learn the curriculum. This involved reviewing

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documentation to see how pupils with SEND were being supported.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour during breaktimes and lesson changeovers to gather evidence about the behaviour and attitudes of pupils in the school.  Inspectors held meetings with leaders responsible for the school’s safeguarding arrangements. They looked at safeguarding records, including pre-employment checks for staff.  Inspectors spoke to staff about their well-being and workload. They considered responses to Ofsted’s online staff survey. They also met with early career teachers.  Inspectors spoke to a range of pupils from different year groups. They considered the pupils’ responses to Ofsted’s online pupils’ survey.  Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted’s online Parent View survey.

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Inspection team

Jasper Green, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Guy Forbat Her Majesty’s Inspector 15 and 16 June 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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