Panshanger Primary School

Inspection of Panshanger Primary School Daniells, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire AL7 1QY

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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 Previous inspection grade Good 30 and 31 March 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Panshanger is a happy school. Pupils are polite. They are taught to value and respect each other. Pupils trust staff and know that they will listen if they have concerns. Parents describe the school as ‘wonderful, nurturing, amazing and supportive’. Pupils feel safe and are kept safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well. This includes in the early years, where children listen carefully and follow routines. All pupils value their ‘buddy group’. This helps pupils to develop a keen sense of caring for others. Bullying is rare. Staff support pupils who need help with behaviour, and deal quickly with any problems.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils work hard and achieve well. They enjoy their learning, particularly in music, art and Spanish. Pupils read widely and often. They speak about their favourite authors with enthusiasm.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils develop a good understanding of fairness and equality of opportunity. They learn to challenge stereotypes and that any occupation is open to them, regardless of their background or gender. Pupils learn about democracy through election onto the school council. They learn about a diverse range of cultures and religions.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils develop as well-rounded individuals. They leave at the end of Year 6 as confident young people, ready for their next stage in education.

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better?

Leaders have thought carefully about what they want pupils to know and remember. This is demonstrated well through leaders’ well-structured reading curriculum. From the early years, pupils build their phonics knowledge quickly and securely. This helps them to read and write confidently and accurately. Staff are skilled at providing precise support when pupils need additional help. Over time, pupils learn to read fluently. Reading high-quality texts helps them with ideas for their writing. Pupils enjoy and achieve well in reading.

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better?

In most subjects, the curriculum is well ordered so that pupils build on their previous learning. In art, for example, pupils enjoy talking about the different tools they have used to create artwork and how they have used knowledge of previous work, such as colour mixing, to help them become better artists. They talk confidently about artists they have studied, such as Frieda Kahlo, Paul Klee and Friedrich Stowasser.

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better?

In a minority of subjects, the curriculum is at an earlier stage of development. In these subjects, leaders have identified the skills but not the precise knowledge and subject-specific vocabulary that leaders want pupils to know and remember from early years through to Year 6. Teachers are not checking well enough what pupils already know so that they can adapt learning accordingly to ensure that gaps in learning are addressed and pupils develop a deep knowledge in each subject. 30 and 31 March 2023

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Leaders identify the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) quickly and accurately. They work closely with a range of agencies to assess pupils’ needs and identify appropriate support. Leaders set targets that are precise and address the full range of pupils’ needs. Staff use targets and strategies to support pupils with SEND effectively so that they make strong progress in their learning.

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Pupils’ respectful behaviour and their positive attitudes to school mean that learning is enjoyable and uninterrupted. This starts in the early years, where children learn to share and take turns. Pupils’ behaviour around school is calm, safe, and considerate of others.

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There is a strong focus on the mental well-being of pupils. Staff provide a wide range of pastoral support. Pupils are taught effective strategies to help them manage their emotions. They feel well looked after.

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Pupils are accepting of differences and have a good understanding of the different cultures within British society. They enjoy leadership responsibilities. Pupils are courteous and well mannered. They take pride in being a valued member of the school community. Pupils learn how to be healthy, happy and kind.

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Staff feel valued and are highly positive about leaders. They say that they are proud to be a member of the school community.

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Members of the governing body bring a range of experiences and skills to their roles. However, they do not demonstrate that they know enough about the provision for the most vulnerable pupils, such as pupils with SEND, and whether school leaders are doing enough to improve this.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have established effective safeguarding systems. Everyone works together to make sure that those who need help get the right support quickly.

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Safeguarding

Staff know the potential risks to pupils in their local community. They know the signs that indicate a pupil may be at risk of harm and how to report concerns promptly. Staff are vigilant and well trained to identify any changes in pupils’ behaviour.

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Safeguarding

Leaders record and review all information carefully so that they can support pupils effectively where needed.

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Safeguarding

Leaders and governors carry out all the necessary employment and safeguarding checks on staff and visitors to the school thoroughly. 30 and 31 March 2023

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Governors bring a wealth of knowledge to their roles, which they use to support school leaders towards school improvement. However, governors are not secure in their understanding of leaders’ work to improve provision for pupils with SEND or those who are disadvantaged. Governors should ensure that they gain the skills and expertise required to offer constructive and effective support and challenge to leaders.  In a few subjects, leaders have not identified the precise knowledge and vocabulary that they want pupils to know and remember, including in the early years. This means that staff do not know precisely what they should be teaching. Leaders need to ensure that they identify the most important knowledge and vocabulary that they want pupils to learn, so that teaching builds effectively on pupils’ prior learning from early years to Year 6 in all subjects. This will support pupils to develop the deeper understanding that leaders expect.

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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. 30 and 31 March 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10268581 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 14 November 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 There has been a change in the chair of governors since the previous inspection.

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Information about this inspection

The inspector(s) 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. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation.  The inspectors met with the headteacher and senior leaders, and spoke with staff and pupils.  The lead inspector held a meeting with two members of the governing body and held a telephone meeting with a representative from the local authority.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, art, history and mathematics. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with senior 30 and 31 March 2023

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leaders, looked at pupils’ work, visited lessons and spoke with pupils about their work.  An inspector listened to pupils read to an adult.  A range of documentation was reviewed, including leaders’ school development plans, curriculum plans, the school’s single central record of pre-employment checks on staff, school policies and minutes of governor meetings.  To gather the views of parents, an inspector spoke with several parents at the end of day one of the inspection. The inspectors also took account of the 79 responses, including 50 free-text responses, to Ofsted’s online survey for parents, Ofsted Parent View.  Inspectors also took account of the 11 responses to Ofsted’s online survey for school staff. There were no responses to Ofsted’s online survey for pupils. Inspectors spoke to pupils over the course of the inspection to gather their views.

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Inspection team

Cindy Impey, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Ania Vaughan Ofsted Inspector 30 and 31 March 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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