Parkhead Community Primary School

Inspection of Parkhead Community Primary School Park Lane, Winlaton, Blaydon-on-Tyne, Tyne and Wear NE21 6LT

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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 10 and 11 May 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parkhead Community Primary School is an inclusive school. Leaders, staff and stakeholders have high aspirations for pupils. The curriculum is planned to reflect this ambition. Pupils recognise the work of leaders and staff that supports them to do well. Pupils believe the school is helping them live up to an important part of the school motto, ‘being the best they can be’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The relationships between pupils and staff are warm and caring. Pupils talk confidently about how adults in school keep them safe. Around school pupils are kind and courteous. Pupils’ attitudes to learning are positive. Staff have clear expectations about what good behaviour looks like. As a result, classrooms have a purposeful working atmosphere with minimal disruption to learning. Pupils say that bullying is rare. Pupils are clear that any issues are dealt with quickly by adults in school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Beyond the academic curriculum, leaders have ensured that pupils have access to a wide range of opportunities in school. Pupils talk enthusiastically about the outdoor learning and play opportunities they have during breaktimes and lunchtime. Visitors to school and after-school clubs further enhance the school’s offer.

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better?

Leaders and staff have worked collaboratively to ensure that the curriculum is broad and has high ambition for all pupils. This work means pupils are building key knowledge and skills over time. End of key stage assessment outcomes do not yet reflect the current strength of teaching and learning in school. Leaders ensure that the curriculum is well matched to pupils’ needs in reading and mathematics. This work has helped pupils build better subject knowledge.

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better?

Leaders are passionate about the subjects they lead. They support staff through high-quality training. Teachers have clear understanding of the step-by-step approach needed to embed knowledge and skills. Teachers’ subject knowledge strengthens this further. This is clearly evident, for example, in the mathematics curriculum. In other subjects, such as history, the use of recapping and quizzing help pupils remember more and make effective links to their new learning. Assessment is mostly well thought through. In some foundation subjects, such as physical education (PE), this needs further development. The sequencing of the curriculum is clear from key stage 1 to key stage 2. However, links between the early years curriculum and that of the rest of the school curriculum needs further development.

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better?

Pupils make a positive start to learning to read. In early years a love of reading is developed through daily story time and singing. Phonics lessons are taught with consistency. Children enjoy these lessons and are proud to share the sounds they can blend to read words. Pupils at the earliest stages of reading have books that are well matched to their phonics ability. Staff support these readers effectively. Older pupils are enthusiastic about reading. They celebrate the different opportunities they 10 and 11 May 2023

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have to read. The school bus, which houses the school library, provides pupils and families with further opportunities to read for pleasure.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) have support in school that is well matched to their needs. Leaders for pupils with SEND are knowledgeable. Referrals to specialist services are timely. Staff receive appropriate training to meet the needs of pupils in their care. This includes staff working in early years.

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Establishing high-quality relationships between pupils and staff in school is prioritised for leaders. This starts in early years. Leaders in early years have a strong understanding of quality communication and model this well. Pupils make a positive start here. Behaviour across school and in classrooms is calm and settled. Pupils’ work reflects the high standards that staff and leaders have of them. When pupils make poor behaviour choices, they are supported by adults to put it right. The range of opportunities during social times encourages positive play. Pupils are overwhelmingly positive about this part of school life.

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The curriculum for personal, social and health education is carefully planned. Pupils talk with confidence and maturity about a range of topics, including health relationships and lifestyle choices. Pupils’ understanding of faiths is clear. They are respectful of diversity and are clear that discrimination is not tolerated at school. Leadership roles for pupils are helping to strengthen their skills, such as resilience and determination. The school council is very active across school. Pupils in the school council have clear actions for the year, which they review regularly.

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Staff are supported by approachable leaders and governors. There is a clear culture of teamwork across school. The well-being of all staff is monitored by leaders and governors.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders for safeguarding know the school community well. Leaders provide timely and often tenacious support to families to keep pupils safe from harm. Leaders, staff and stakeholders benefit from regular safeguarding training which is closely matched to the needs of the community. Local safeguarding issues are understood by leaders and staff. There is a culture of vigilance around keeping pupils safe. This includes the checks made on adults who work in the school.

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Safeguarding

Pupils feel safe. They recognise the key adults in school who keep them safe. Pupils’ knowledge and understanding of how to keep safe online and in the community is strong. 10 and 11 May 2023

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The curriculum planned in early years is not linked effectively to curriculum subjects, such as history and geography, in the rest of the school. Some of the current aims and intentions in the early years do not always prepare pupils fully for the key stage 1 curriculum. Curriculum leaders and early years leaders should work collaboratively to ensure that, by the end of the early years, children are equipped with the key foundational knowledge and skills needed for the Year 1 curriculum.  In some foundation subjects, such as PE, assessment is not securely in place. Leaders and staff do not use assessment to understand if the curriculum is having the impact intended or understand how future teaching might need to be changed. Leaders must ensure that assessment effectively informs future planning and teaching throughout all subjects.

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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. 10 and 11 May 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10269224 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 6 March 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not use any alternative provision.  The school offers a breakfast and after-school club.

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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.  Prior to the inspection, the lead inspector reviewed documents on the school’s website, as well as published information about the school’s performance and previous Ofsted inspections.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, history, geography and PE. Inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons and spoke to teachers and teaching assistants. They spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of 10 and 11 May 2023

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pupils’ work. Inspectors listened to pupils at the early stages of reading with a familiar adult.  To inspect safeguarding, inspectors spoke to staff, pupils and a range of stakeholders, including governors. Safeguarding documentation was scrutinised, including the safeguarding policies, and the single central record of recruitment checks. Inspectors spoke to pupils and observed relationships between pupils and adults. Inspectors also met with the safeguarding team.  Inspectors gathered views of parents informally in person and formally through responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View, and free-text responses. The views of staff were considered through the staff survey and through meetings with them. Pupils’ views were considered through pupil meetings.  Inspectors spoke with representatives from the governing body and the local authority.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in classes, at breakfast club and during

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Inspection team

Emily Stevens, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Zoe Carr Ofsted Inspector 10 and 11 May 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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