Park Hill Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Park Hill Primary School Lower Eastern Green Lane, Eastern Green, Coventry, West Midlands CV5 7LR

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Inspection dates: 10 and 11 October 2023

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Outcome

Park Hill Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy school. They feel safe and know they can speak up if they have any concerns. They are keen to demonstrate the school values of respect, responsibility and resilience.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils know that everyone wants them to learn well and be successful. Pupils work hard and like remembering important facts. They enjoy checking their answers and making improvements. Pupils are confident and articulate because of the opportunities they have to discuss their learning in lessons and the ‘time to talk’ sessions. They achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most pupils behave very well in lessons. At social times, pupils play and socialise happily, supported by the pupil play leaders. Pupils conduct themselves sensibly as they move around the school. They show respect towards staff and each other.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy and benefit from the trips they experience as part of their learning, including a memorable visit to the botanical gardens. They enjoy testing out their resilience on residential trips.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers appreciate the different ways in which the school communicates with them. They value the support for families provided by the school, including the wraparound provision on offer before and after school.

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

The curriculum is ambitious and suitably broad. The school is keen for pupils to have a deep understanding of their local area. For example, the humanities curriculum teaches pupils about the Coventry area in the past and today, from its role in the Civil War to the impact of HS2.

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

The school has organised the teaching of curriculum content in a way that enables pupils to build on their learning from Nursery to the end of Year 6. It is broken down into 10 and 11 October 2023

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appropriate small steps that help pupils develop their understanding over time. Pupils achieve well, especially in reading.

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In some subjects, there is a focus on learning facts rather than the application of the skills that pupils need to develop as successful learners. Tasks to recap previous learning are usually based on recalling factual information. Pupils do not understand how they are developing the important knowledge needed to become successful historians, for example.

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Teachers’ assessment of pupils’ learning at the end of units of work informs future learning and is beneficial. However, the regular checking of how pupils are getting on ‘in the moment’ is less effective. This sometimes results in gaps in pupils’ knowledge or misconceptions forming.

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Learning in early years helps children develop well in the key areas of learning. Teachers’ careful monitoring of the small steps in children’s learning enables them to intervene at the right moment to help children progress. Teachers plan learning activities that encourage language development, linked to the current theme. For example, children were learning the ‘Wheels on the Bus’ rhyme. They enjoyed buying tickets and sitting on the bus in a role-play activity.

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The teaching of early reading is done very well. Children learn to love books and stories in Nursery and start learning sounds before they join Reception. Teachers’ prompt interventions take place to address any insecure learning as soon as any gaps appear. The school also puts in place strong interventions to support the weakest readers in key stage 2. The school is in the early phase of developing an all-through approach to ensure that every pupil becomes a confident and fluent reader. Pupils enjoy reading and have access to a wide selection of appropriate books that match their interests.

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The school has clear processes in place to support the identification of any pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The SEND plans have helpful, appropriate targets. In lessons, learning is adapted, as necessary, to help pupils with SEND to make good progress.

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The school has high expectations of pupils’ behaviour and attendance. Parents understand the importance of good attendance, and this is why few children are persistently absent. The strong culture around behaviour means that serious consequences, such as suspensions, are not used very often.

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The school enhances the curriculum by organising trips and visitors. These help pupils to better understand their learning and supports their personal development. The school provides some after-school clubs, but the range is limited. Pupils learn about other faiths and important topics, including respect and staying safe, through a carefully planned programme that includes lessons and assemblies.

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Governors ensure that the school is meeting its responsibilities. They work closely with school leaders to ensure that all decisions are made in the best interests of pupils. 10 and 11 October 2023

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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 is not enough emphasis on the knowledge needed to become skilful learners because the focus is on recalling factual information. This means that pupils do not always see the ‘how’ behind their learning and how this helps them to progress. The curriculum should be implemented in a way that enables pupils to develop a stronger understanding of themselves as learners in each subject.  The quality of teachers’ checks to ascertain that pupils have understood their learning is inconsistent. As a result, sometimes the gaps and misconceptions in pupils’ knowledge go unnoticed, and teaching is not adapted to address these. The school should ensure that all teachers are confident about when and how to use different approaches to checking pupils’ understanding in order to support good progress.

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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 March 2014.

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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. 10 and 11 October 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). 10 and 11 October 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 9 May 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school has a nursery currently offering provision for 43 children.  The school provides before- and after-school care through its ‘Buddies’ provision.  The school does not currently use alternative providers.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school had 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 the evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the headteacher, other school leaders, governors and a representative from the local authority.  The inspector carried out deep dives in reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at 10 and 11 October 2023

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samples of pupils’ work. The inspector listened to pupils reading to a familiar adult and visited other lessons, including those in early years.  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 safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspector considered the responses to Ofsted’s staff and pupil surveys. They considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including comments submitted via the free-text facility. The inspector also spoke to some parents in person.

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Inspection team

Nicola Beech, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 10 and 11 October 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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