Outwood Primary Academy Park Hill

Inspection of Outwood Primary Academy Park Hill Irwin Crescent, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, WF1 4QY

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Inspection dates: 13 and 14 September 2022

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good 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 13 and 14 September 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff and pupils celebrate the rich cultural diversity in school life at Outwood Park Hill. More than half of pupils are new to learning English as an additional language. They speak more than 30 languages between them. Several members of staff are multilingual. Many of these staff speak English as an additional language. They provide valuable support to pupils, parents and carers in their first languages.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Standards of attainment are rising at Park Hill. Pupils are happy and thriving. Behaviour has improved markedly because staff implement the school’s behaviour policy consistently. There is very little bullying. Occasionally, there are disputes about football at breaktimes. Otherwise, pupils are overwhelmingly kind to each other.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders want the best for each pupil. Pupils are prepared well for moving on to key stage 3. Most pupils transfer to a secondary school within the same multi-academy trust. Staff in both schools work together closely to support pupils and their families.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders teach pupils about becoming good citizens. Teachers prepare pupils well for adult life. Pupils take annual pledges that focus on health, citizenship or environmental awareness. Pupils gather evidence of their learning and experience of each pledge. To acknowledge this achievement, leaders award ‘The Outwood Diploma’ to successful pupils at the end of each key stage.

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better?

Children in the early years have settled quickly since they started school last week. Teachers set clear expectations and establish sensible routines. As a result, even the youngest children listen attentively and take turns.

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better?

Staff assess children’s phonics knowledge straight away. Teachers give some children extra help in ‘strong start to Reception’ groups. Teachers stick each day’s letter onto children’s sweatshirts. Throughout the day, staff around school ask children about this letter and the sounds it can make. This helps children to remember what they have learned.

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better?

The curriculum for reading is effective. Pupils, building on the firm foundations laid in the early years, make good progress in key stage 1. Recently, leaders asked key stage 2 pupils what they thought about the range of books on offer in the school’s library. Pupils asked for more choice, including books set in different cultures. Leaders listened and acted. Pupils now enjoy reading about more diverse characters. This helps pupils to feel proud of their cultural heritage.

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better?

Many pupils achieve well in other subjects. Pupils enjoy learning, so poor behaviour hardly ever disrupts lessons. The multi-academy trust’s executive leaders designed the curriculum for all schools. The school’s leaders and teachers adapt the trust’s 13 and 14 September 2022

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curriculum plans for Park Hill’s unique context. The trust’s plans reduce teachers’ workload.

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The curriculum is implemented well in some subjects. For example, teachers use assessment information skilfully in mathematics to identify gaps in pupils’ knowledge. Teachers notice which pupils are struggling. Teachers give these pupils useful reminders. This helps pupils to get the most out of each lesson. However, this is not always the case in other subjects.

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Leaders recently introduced assessments in subjects, such as history and geography. Teachers record each pupil’s learning in assessment booklets for each subject. Some teachers do not look back at these booklets to check pupils’ understanding. They do not adapt the curriculum plan well enough. For example, in art and design some pupils struggle with shading. Pupils need more time to recap different shading skills. Some teachers press on in art lessons, without giving pupils the time they need to practise their shading skills.

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Teachers use assessment precisely in English and mathematics to plan learning for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They are skilful at identifying pupils with SEND quickly. Leaders train staff well. Consequently, staff provide the right support for pupils with SEND. This helps pupils with SEND to make good progress from their individual starting points.

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Most parents are very happy with the quality of education on offer. A small number of parents feel that their complaints are not dealt with well. Governors expect leaders to resolve parents’ concerns fully. Governors regularly challenge leaders to check that this is happening.

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Trustees, the trust’s leaders and the school’s governors work together well. Governors are challenging leaders to improve pupils’ attendance. The designated safeguarding lead (DSL) and attendance officer work with parents to reduce pupils’ persistent absence. Leaders visit absent pupils at home to offer support, including providing transport to school. As a result, attendance is improving overall. However, a few pupils miss school far too often. These pupils are not achieving as well as they could because of their frequent absences.

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Leaders, including governors, are passionate about equality. Pupils learn about the protected characteristics. Local elderly citizens are invited into school to speak to pupils about their experiences and memories. This helps pupils to be respectful of older people. Pupils in Year 6 debate equal rights to marriage and civil partnerships. There is an ethos of respect for different cultures throughout the school. As leaders say, ‘we all smile in the same language.’ 13 and 14 September 2022

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Trustees have increased the training provided for the school’s new governors at the point of induction. School leaders ensure that all staff are well trained. Leaders prioritise safeguarding training in the induction plans for early career teachers.

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Safeguarding

Leaders make sure that all staff and volunteers are suitable to work with children.

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Safeguarding

The DSL follows up any concerns about pupils quickly. Leaders act immediately to refer to other safeguarding and child protection professionals, if needed.

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Safeguarding

Staff teach pupils how to keep themselves safe. This includes discussing consent in ways that are appropriate for pupils’ age and understanding.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Teachers do not use assessment well enough to inform teaching in the foundation subjects. As a result, some pupils are given insufficient opportunities to revisit prior learning or practise new skills. Leaders should ensure that teachers use assessment to check pupils’ understanding and embed prior learning, so that pupils use their learned knowledge and skills fluently.  Some pupils do not attend school regularly. The rate of persistent absence is too high. Leaders should continue to work with parents to improve pupils’ attendance.

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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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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. 13 and 14 September 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10241398 Type of school Primary

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Outwood Primary Academy Park Hill converted to become an academy school in April 2018. When its predecessor school, Heath View Academy, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to require improvement overall.  The predecessor academy school, Heath View Academy, originally converted to become an academy in August 2014 as part of the Wakefield City Academy Trust. Heath View Academy was re-brokered in April 2018. The new academy sponsor is Outwood Grange Academies Trust.  The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is much higher than average. More than half of the pupils are new to learning English as an additional language.  The principal took up post in September 2021.  The school does not use alternative provision. 13 and 14 September 2022

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded 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 school leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation.  Inspectors met the principal, the vice-principal, the special educational needs co- ordinator and the early years leader. The reading, mathematics, art and design, geography and computing subject leaders also met inspectors. Several executive leaders, including the chief executive of the multi-academy trust, met inspectors.  A meeting was held with two trustees and two of the school’s governors, includ- ing the chair of the local governing body.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading and phonics, mathematics, art and design, geography and computing. For each deep dive, in- spectors met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of

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Information about this inspection

lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Pupils’ behaviour and safety was evaluated on arrival at school, at breakfast club, in the dining room and at breaktimes. Inspectors met several pupils, who had ex- perienced sanctions under the behaviour policy.  Senior safeguarding leaders met inspectors to discuss recruitment and safeguard- ing records. The DSL met the lead inspector separately. Inspectors met single-sex pupil groups to discuss safeguarding.  Inspectors spoke to more than 40 parents during the inspection. Inspectors also reviewed Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View, and survey responses from staff and pupils.

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Inspection team

Tracey Ralph, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Lesley Allwood Ofsted Inspector 13 and 14 September 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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