Central Park Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Central Park Primary School Central Park Road, London E6 3DW

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Outcome

Central Park Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ behaviour in class is impressive. Lessons are rarely, if ever, disturbed by pupils talking out of turn or chattering. Pupils get stuck into their work quickly and stay focused throughout the lesson. This is because leaders and staff create an environment that is supportive, caring and focused on learning. They expect pupils to behave well and always to do their best, both academically and personally.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils do well in the subjects that they study, particularly in mathematics. They also have lots of opportunities to develop their personal interests and skills. There are 23 after- school clubs, for example, and pupils visit places of interest as well as mosques and churches. Many pupils get involved in helping around the school, taking responsibility for leading on things like the environment or as house captains.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), and those who speak English as an additional language, are supported effectively. As a result, their experience of school is positive. Parents and carers agreed that the school takes great care of their children and keeps them safe. Pupils, too, were adamant that they felt safe. Bullying is ‘rare’ they said and, if it does happen, it is dealt with effectively.

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

Leaders at all levels have worked together to create a finely tuned, ambitious curriculum. They have given careful thought to what they want pupils to learn by the time they leave the school. Learning is organised in a way that helps pupils to develop their knowledge and skills in a connected series of topics. In history, for example, leaders have identified the essential concepts that pupils should cover and how the knowledge of each is built up over time.

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

This thoughtful way of planning the curriculum is carried through to other subjects. In mathematics, leaders have identified the fundamental concepts that pupils need to learn. 10 and 11 May 2023

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Opportunities are built in to check learning regularly and for pupils to revisit learning again and again, helping them to retain these ideas in their memories. Pupils become fluent in using arithmetic as a result, and in applying their learning to other mathematical problems. In science, pupils learn to work like scientists. Practical experiments help them to understand the important scientific ideas. This ensures that pupils consolidate their learning over time and remember it in the long term.

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There are similar strengths in the Nursery and Reception classes, where children experience a well-planned curriculum that develops their early knowledge and skills most effectively. Carefully selected story books tie the curriculum together and provide the basis for developing pupils’ reading, writing and mathematics. Early reading begins in the Nursery. The teaching of phonics is tightly organised, including training to ensure that staff have the expertise to teach the chosen programme effectively. Pupils who fall behind, including those with SEND or who speak English as an additional language, are quickly identified and given support to catch up. The careful attention to detail means that pupils become self-assured, fluent readers.

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There are one or two areas where the quality of education could be improved. In subjects other than English, mathematics and science, the work to put the well-designed curriculum into practice in the classroom is in full swing but not complete. Occasionally, teachers’ lack the subject knowledge that they need to ensure pupils’ learning is maximised. In other cases, teachers have the subject knowledge but their understanding of how to teach this effectively is not fully secure. Leaders and teachers have already identified these factors and staff training is filling the gaps effectively.

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The school’s core values of ‘honesty, kindness and respect’ sum up the very essence of the school accurately. Leaders’ and teachers’ high expectations of pupils, and of themselves, mean that behaviour is highly positive. This ensures that lessons flow without interruption.

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Leaders also make sure that the provision for pupils’ wider development is of a high quality. Pupils are taught to treat each other and their teachers with respect, to understand difference and diversity, and to know right from wrong. They learn about the fundamental British values and what these mean in practice. After-school clubs and visiting specialists, for example for music and sports, expand pupils’ experiences effectively.

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The thoughtfulness with which everyone is treated, and the thoughtfulness of leaders, contribute significantly to everyone’s well-being. Teachers’ workload is managed effectively and there is always support if it does get too much. Teachers feel valued and know that they can talk to leaders honestly.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that the procedures to identify pupils who may be at risk, or need early help, are effective. Teachers are knowledgeable about how to recognise and report 10 and 11 May 2023

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concerns. When they do, leaders follow up concerns quickly, referring them to the appropriate local agencies where necessary. This helps to ensure that vulnerable pupils get the help they need in good time.

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Recruitment arrangements are equally robust. The process is well managed, including ensuring that the necessary staff vetting checks are carried out. Staff training is comprehensive so that their expertise is updated regularly. Pupils, too, are made aware of the risks to their safety, for example crossing roads safely.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 There are a few areas where the quality of education could be improved. In some of the foundation subjects, the implementation of the well-designed curriculum is not securely embedded in practice. In some subjects, teachers lack the specific knowledge they need to ensure that misconceptions and gaps in learning are quickly addressed. In other cases, teachers have the subject knowledge but their pedagogical understanding of how to deliver these subjects is not yet fully secure. Leaders and teachers have already identified these factors and staff training is filling the gaps effectively. Leaders need to ensure that staff training strengthens teachers’ knowledge of the foundation subjects and of the approaches to teaching these effectively.

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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 July 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. 10 and 11 May 2023

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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 10268875 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 30 January 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Since the last inspection, the school has increased in size.  The current headteacher took up his role in 2019.  Leaders make no use of alternative provision.

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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.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, science, and art and design. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also looked at the curriculum and visited some other subjects.  Meetings were held with the headteacher, senior leaders, staff, pupils and parents. 10 and 11 May 2023

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 Inspectors also met with the chair of the governing body and the executive headteacher.  Inspectors spoke with the local authority school improvement adviser.  Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted’s Parent View survey, including 21 written comments.

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Inspection team

Brian Oppenheim, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Sophie Healey-Welch His Majesty’s Inspector 10 and 11 May 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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