Parrenthorn High School

Inspection of Parrenthorn High School Heywood Road, Prestwich, Manchester M25 2BW

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 7 and 8 March 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

There are strong relationships between staff and pupils at Parrenthorn High School. Pupils told inspectors that they are happy and proud to attend the school. They trust and respect staff. Teachers regularly signpost the different sources of help available to pupils should they need it. This helps pupils to feel safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high expectations of all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). These expectations are made clear to pupils. Most pupils display the ‘habits of excellence’, behave well and are keen to learn. They interact positively with their peers at social times.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff and pupils are proud to celebrate the school’s cultural diversity. For example, pupils spoke highly of a recent ‘diversity week’. Pupils act in a respectful manner towards each other. When incidents of bullying do happen, staff deal with these quickly and appropriately.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from a range of opportunities, such as a ‘women in leadership’ programme and lessons on positive masculinity. They enjoy competing eagerly against each other in inter-house competitions.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are keen to raise money for local charities during ‘charities week’. Pupils readily take on a range of responsibilities, such as acting as hate-crime ambassadors and as reading buddies.

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better?

Leaders have designed an ambitious curriculum and they have carefully considered the order in which topics are taught. Mostly, leaders have identified the powerful knowledge that pupils need to learn. Added to this, they have afforded pupils enough opportunities to revisit important learning to secure key ideas before building on these. For the most part, teachers use assessment strategies well to check that pupils remember earlier learning. As a result, pupils progress well through the curriculum.

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better?

Many teachers have secure subject knowledge. This allows them to deliver the curriculum skilfully and to make appropriate use of resources to design learning. However, from time to time, some teachers do not choose the most appropriate activities to help pupils learn the knowledge that leaders intend.

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better?

Leaders have made some changes to the curriculum to ensure that more pupils study the English Baccalaureate suite of subjects. As a result, an increasing proportion of pupils are choosing to study a language at key stage 4.

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better?

Leaders are cultivating a culture of reading across the school. They have carefully considered the books that pupils should read. Leaders have effective systems in 7 and 8 March 2023

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place to identify those pupils who find reading difficult. Those pupils in key stage 3 who struggle with reading receive appropriate help to catch up. That said, some pupils in key stage 4 do not benefit from this support. This hinders these pupils from accessing the curriculum and learning as well as they should.

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The majority of pupils focus well on their learning. Staff deal with any incidents of poor behaviour appropriately. As a result, pupils’ learning is rarely disrupted by poor behaviour.

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Leaders have taken appropriate steps to improve pupils’ rates of attendance. Nevertheless, some pupils still do not attend school regularly. As a result, these pupils do not achieve as well as they should.

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Leaders work collaboratively with parents and carers to identify swiftly the additional needs that pupils may have. Staff play a pivotal role in communicating well with parents. Pupils with SEND are involved in all areas of school life. They are supported successfully to achieve well.

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The personal, social, health and economic education curriculum is logically ordered and includes age-appropriate topics. These include topics such as knife crime, misogyny and mental well-being. Pupils are prepared well for life in modern Britain. They take part in democratic processes in school. Leaders have designed a carefully considered careers programme. This encourages pupils to have high aspirations.

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The restructuring of the governing body has enabled governors to have a clearer understanding of the strengths and areas for development of the school. This is allowing governors to hold leaders to account better than they did previously.

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Leaders are mindful of staff’s workload. Staff told inspectors that they feel proud to work at the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have clear procedures in place for managing any safeguarding concerns. They have created a culture of vigilance where staff are trained well to recognise potential signs of harm.

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Safeguarding

Staff are aware of their safeguarding responsibilities and the processes for reporting any concerns. Leaders act swiftly to follow up these concerns. They work closely with external agencies to secure help for vulnerable pupils and their families.

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Safeguarding

Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe, including when online. 7 and 8 March 2023

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 From time to time, some teachers do not select the most appropriate activities to help pupils learn the knowledge that leaders intend. On occasion, this hinders some pupils’ learning of the intended curriculum. Leaders should ensure that staff are well trained in effective, subject-specific strategies to deliver the curriculum and to help pupils remember more.  Some pupils in key stage 4 do not receive sufficient support to catch up in reading. This prevents this small number of pupils from accessing the full curriculum and achieving as well as they should. Leaders should ensure that they identify any gaps in pupils’ reading knowledge and ensure that staff support these pupils to catch up quickly.  There are some pupils, including some disadvantaged pupils, who do not attend as well as they should. As a result, these pupils miss out on important learning. Leaders should ensure that they continue to work proactively on improving these

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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. 7 and 8 March 2023

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School details

Number of pupils on the school roll 1,014

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Christina Critchley

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Date of previous inspection

24 and 25 April 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Since the previous inspection, two new deputy headteachers have been appointed.  The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 7 to 13 with information and engagement about approved technical qualifications and apprenticeships.  Leaders make use of two registered and two unregistered alternative providers for a small number of pupils.

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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 leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 7 and 8 March 2023

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 Inspectors met with the headteacher, other senior leaders and representatives of the governing body. An inspector held a telephone conversation with some representatives of the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in English, mathematics, history, modern foreign languages, design technology and physical education. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited lessons, reviewed pupils’ work, spoke to pupils about their learning and spoke to teachers.  Inspectors also spoke with leaders about the curriculum and assessment in some other subjects.  Inspectors held meetings with those responsible for safeguarding. They checked on leaders’ policies and procedures for safeguarding. Inspectors also spoke with pupils and staff to evaluate the culture of safeguarding.  Inspectors reviewed a wide range of evidence, including the school’s self- evaluation document, school improvement plans and records of pupils’ behaviour

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and attendance.  Inspectors met with pupils to talk about their experience of school, including behaviour and bullying.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour during unstructured times.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free- text comments. Inspectors also considered the responses to Ofsted’s staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Jenny Jones, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Philip Wood Ofsted Inspector 7 and 8 March 2023

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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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