Parliament Hill School

Inspection of a good school: Parliament Hill School Highgate Road, London NW5 1RL

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Outcome

Parliament Hill 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 graded (section 5) inspection now. The school’s next inspection will be a graded inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and safe at this school. Leaders provide a broad and ambitious curriculum and a wide range of additional opportunities. Leaders promote pupils’ individuality and create a high achieving and happy school. Pupils are polite, hardworking and respond positively to the high expectations leaders have of them.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Professional relationships between pupils and staff are strong. Leaders have high aspirations for what all pupils can achieve. For example, pupils in Year 9 study demanding texts in English that are more routinely read for GCSE English. Pupils meet leaders’ high expectations and enjoy being challenged.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ behaviour is typically calm and sensible during lessons and respectful around the school site. Incidents of bullying are extremely rare, and leaders address these effectively when they occur.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have constructed the personal development programme to encourage pupils to discover their passions and interests. All pupils in the school take part in the enrichment programme, which includes a range of educational visits, charity projects and visiting guest speakers. Pupils also have access to various clubs, including netball, coding and ‘Model United Nations’.

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

Leaders have designed a broad and balanced curriculum that is ambitious for all, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). It covers, and in places 8 and 9 February 2023

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exceeds, the expectations of the national curriculum. Pupils are encouraged to study the English Baccalaureate suite of subjects at GCSE, and a significant number of pupils do so. Leaders provide a broad range of other options for pupils to choose from. In the sixth form, students have the choice of studying a wide range of A level, BTEC and level 2 options.

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Leaders ensure that the curriculum for all subjects is structured in a way that builds knowledge over time. Topics are sequenced in a logical order so that they are revisited and become increasingly complex. Pupils typically have a firm understanding of what they are learning and remember securely content taught previously. For example, pupils in Year 10 who were performing monologues in drama were able to discuss the skills they were using in their performances that they had learned during previous years in the school.

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Teachers have excellent subject knowledge and deliver content clearly to pupils. They use a variety of strategies to check pupils’ understanding and recall and to identify any gaps in pupils’ knowledge, addressing these effectively where needed.

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Leaders have made reading a high priority. Pupils read very regularly in school and have access to an exceedingly well-resourced library that hosts various clubs to encourage pupils to develop and build their love of reading. Pupils’ reading fluency is tested on entry to the school. Any pupils who require extra help are supported to build reading confidence and fluency quickly.

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There is very rarely any disruption in class. Therefore, learning proceeds uninterrupted. Should any disturbance occur, staff follow effective systems and ensure it is addressed swiftly.

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Leaders identify pupils with SEND quickly. Teachers are well trained to ensure that pupils with SEND receive the support they need and achieve highly. Leaders make sure that adaptations to teaching help all pupils with SEND to follow the same full curriculum as their peers.

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Pupils’ broader development is enhanced very strongly through the curriculum. All pupils in Years 7, 8 and 9 study citizenship, and pupils in Years 10 and 11 study either GCSE religious studies or citizenship. During these sessions, pupils learn about a wide range of topics, including human rights, international relations and managing risk. Pupils’ personal development is also enhanced through the tutor programme, assemblies and enrichment days that take place each year.

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Leaders have developed a comprehensive careers programme. Pupils in all year groups have access to a range of employers, universities and other training providers. Pupils also take part in mock interviews, work experience and receive independent careers advice.

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Leaders look after the health and well-being of staff. They are conscious of the pressures of workload and explore strategies to minimise this where possible. 8 and 9 February 2023

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

There is a strong culture of safeguarding, which is evident in all aspects of the school. Effective systems are in place to identify safeguarding concerns, and staff are well trained and vigilant in reporting them. Leaders take swift action to address any emerging safeguarding matters and understand the local context of the school.

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Safeguarding

Pupils are taught to keep themselves safe, and they all have a trusted adult in school to report concerns to. Leaders work effectively with a number of external agencies to provide extra support for pupils when required.

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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 an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually, this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in November 2013.

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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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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. 8 and 9 February 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10269085 Type of school Secondary Comprehensive

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provision

Number of pupils on the school roll 1,213

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Appropriate authority The governing body

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Chair of governing body Daniel Silverstone

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Website www.parliamenthill.camden.sch.uk

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Date of previous inspection 20 October 2021, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 7 to 13 with information about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.  The school uses three registered alternative providers.

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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. 8 and 9 February 2023

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 Inspectors met with the headteacher, members of the senior leadership team and a range of staff. They also met with members of the governing body.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in the following subjects: English, mathematics, geography and drama. For each deep dive, inspectors spoke to subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors also spoke to leaders about the curriculum and visited lessons in some other subjects.  To inspect safeguarding, inspectors spoke with the designated safeguarding leads, along with pupils and staff. Inspectors reviewed the record of pre-employment checks and other relevant documentation.  Inspectors considered the views of parents, pupils and staff, including through responses to Ofsted’s online surveys.

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Inspection team

Simon Conway, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

David Hatchett Ofsted Inspector 8 and 9 February 2023

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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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