Durdans Park Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Durdan’s Park Primary School King George’s Drive, Off Lady Margaret Road, Southall UB1 2PQ

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Inspection dates: 20 and 21 September 2023

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Outcome

Durdan’s Park Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Durdan’s Park are happy and enjoy coming to school. Pupils work hard in lessons and understand the significance of the school’s values of equality, excellence and enjoyment. Staff have high expectations for pupils. This, combined with the well-thought- through curriculum, motivates pupils to achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is ambitious for all pupils to achieve highly, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). There is an aspiration for pupils to meet their full potential and flourish. Pupils work hard to achieve this aim.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe here because adults in school care for them well. They know who to talk to if they have any worries. Pupils said that bullying is not tolerated and any disagreements on the playground are quickly resolved by the staff looking after them. Pupils respect each other and work and play nicely together.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school ensures that there is a range of wider opportunities for pupils that enhance the curriculum. Learning is brought to life with workshops and subject days. Pupils talked enthusiastically about these opportunities and what they have learned. Many pupils attend clubs after school. They particularly enjoy being able to take part in football, basketball and cricket clubs.

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

The school has established a well-designed and broad curriculum based around five themes linked to social, political, emotional, economic and environmental issues. These themes are explored with purpose alongside the learning of key concepts in each subject.

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

The curriculum is well structured, increasing knowledge logically from early years to Year 6. The school has specifically identified the skills, knowledge and vocabulary that they 20 and 21 September 2023

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want pupils to learn. Teachers have good subject knowledge. They deliver concepts and information to pupils confidently. The activities and resources chosen help pupils to grasp what they are studying. In science, for example, Year 6 pupils enjoyed learning about circuits by using models to understand how electricity flows. They passed tennis balls to each other to represent the movement of electrons. However, in some subjects, there are instances where teaching does not routinely reinforce key knowledge or check how well pupils have retained what they have learned. As a result, at times, some pupils find it hard to readily remember what they have been taught.

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Pupils with SEND access the full curriculum. The school identifies pupils’ needs accurately and then provides suitable additional support and adaptations to teaching. Pupils with SEND progress successfully through the curriculum and their needs are met effectively.

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The school has introduced a new phonics programme. All staff have received training in how to deliver phonics sessions. As a result, pupils benefit from consistent approaches to learning and practising phonics. Children in Reception get off to a good start in acquiring a secure knowledge of the sounds that letters make. This continues into Year 1, with pupils building and applying knowledge well. Additional support is provided daily for pupils who struggle with reading. Reading is given a high priority across the school. The curriculum includes a rich range of core texts that have been carefully selected. These core texts aim to ensure that pupils experience a broad range of authors and read books that foster their awareness of the diverse world that they live in. Reading for pleasure is promoted. For example, pupils are encouraged to be avid readers through the ‘every day and every night’ reading reward initiative.

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Children in the early years have a positive start to their education. The newly improved outdoor area is used effectively in order to develop learning, including children’s early writing skills and mathematical knowledge. For example, children enjoy painting numbers in the outside area and counting toy cars and then parking them in numbered spaces.

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Leaders have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. Pupils behave well in lessons and work well with each other. Pupils demonstrate respect for each other.

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Leaders prioritise pupils’ wider development. Pupils have carefully planned experiences beyond the academic curriculum. They especially enjoy taking part in film making and having the opportunity to have their films screened at The British Film Institute. Pupils also enjoy music tuition and a range of sports clubs, including karate. These extra- curricular opportunities are popular and well attended. A programme of assemblies aims to develop pupils’ empathy and understanding of other faiths and cultures. Pupils are knowledgeable about fundamental British values. They show an interest in and respect for how other people in modern Britain live. Pupils enjoy taking part in unique events such as a recent project celebrating the Windrush generation and a performance at The Royal Albert Hall.

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Leaders value the well-being of staff. Staff feel appreciated and well supported. They receive regular training and speak highly of the ‘connecting classrooms’ initiative, which enables them to observe colleagues to share and develop practice. 20 and 21 September 2023

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The school has undergone significant changes in leadership and teaching staff during the last year. Leaders have a clear vision, and are well supported by the governing body, which has an accurate view of the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, there are instances where teaching does not reinforce the key knowledge being taught as well as it could do. As a result, there are gaps in what some pupils know and can remember with fluency. The school needs to ensure that the curriculum consistently provides pupils with regular opportunities to retrieve prior learning and demonstrate their understanding.

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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 December 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. 20 and 21 September 2023

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In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 20 and 21 September 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 22 May 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 There have been significant changes to the school since the previous inspection. In September 2023, the school formed a federation with another local primary school, after working as a ‘soft federation’ during the previous year.  A new executive headteacher was appointed in September 2022 and a new head of school joined in September 2023. The executive headteacher works across both schools within the federation.  There is one shared governing body that was formed in September 2023.  The school does not use any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 20 and 21 September 2023

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 The inspector met with the executive headteacher, head of school, deputy headteachers and other members of the leadership team.  The inspector met online with four governors, including the chair of the governing body. The inspector also held a telephone conversation with a local authority representative.  The inspector carried out deep dives in the following subjects: reading, science and history. For each deep dive, the inspector held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at a sample of pupils’ work. The inspector also observed pupils reading to a member of school staff. Other subjects were considered as part of this inspection.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around

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safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour and conduct in lessons and around the school. He spoke to pupils and staff about behaviour.  The inspector considered the responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text responses. The inspector spoke to parents at the beginning of the school day. There were no responses to the staff and pupil surveys.  The inspector spoke to school staff about their workload and well-being.

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Inspection team

Nicholas Cornell, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 20 and 21 September 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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