Park Academy West London

Inspection of Park Academy West London Park View Road, Hillingdon, Middlesex UB8 3GA

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Inspection dates: 29 and 30 November 2023

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Sixth-form provision Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The principal of this school is Suvi Mohey. This school is part of Aspirations Academies Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Steve Kenning, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by James Pomeroy. 29 and 30 November 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is a community where everyone is treated fairly and equally, and where pupils feel valued. Staff know the pupils very well. They build positive working relationships. This ensures pupils are safe in school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well during lessons and around the school’s site. Clear systems are in place to support staff on the rare occasion that any low-level disruption takes place. Pupils are polite and enjoy being in school. They feel well supported by staff.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils study a broad curriculum. In some subjects, pupils develop an in-depth understanding of what they have learned. In other subjects, pupils’ knowledge is more variable. This is because delivery of the intended curriculum is uneven in these areas.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have access to a range of wider opportunities. This includes a variety of sports teams, drama, gaming and art clubs. Pupils in Years 7 and 8 all complete a series of assignments based on real-world scenarios as part of the school’s ‘applied transdisciplinary curriculum’. Students in the sixth form all take part in enrichment activities. All these opportunities help students to develop a range of skills and prepare them for their future.

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better?

All pupils study an ambitious curriculum, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders have identified the key knowledge they want pupils to learn. The curriculum is designed to build pupils’ knowledge progressively over time. Leaders look after the health and welfare of their staff. They are conscious of the pressures of workload and explore strategies to minimise this where possible. The governing body understands the strengths and priorities for development of the school.

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better?

Teachers have strong subject knowledge and present information clearly. However, activities in lessons do not routinely ensure that pupils practise and master what they are learning in sufficient depth. Opportunities are sometimes missed to embed and consolidate learning. Teachers are guided to support individual pupils with SEND. However, the impact of this support is sometimes variable.

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better?

Some teachers do not routinely check pupils’ understanding and address misconceptions. As a result, pupils move on to new content before they have a secure understanding of prior learning. This means that, in some subjects, pupils have gaps in their understanding. Teachers in the sixth form check students’ understanding and address misconceptions with greater consistency. As a result, students build strong subject knowledge securely.

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better?

Staff identify pupils who are weaker readers when they join the school. Support is put in place to ensure that pupils who struggle to read gain reading fluency and 29 and 30 November 2023

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confidence. A new reading programme is currently being implemented to ensure that all pupils who need support with reading make rapid progress. Students in the sixth form support younger pupils with reading by becoming peer readers.

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Pupils largely demonstrate positive attitudes to their learning. Leaders have clear procedures in place and work closely with parents and carers to ensure that pupils attend school regularly.

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Leaders have designed an extensive personal development curriculum. They have carefully considered the risks that pupils in the school may face and encourage pupils to keep themselves safe and healthy. Staff check pupils’ understanding of these topics effectively. Leaders organise a range of outings for pupils. All pupils, including pupils with SEND, can take part. Pupils also have the opportunity to take on responsibility through leadership roles, including as members of the student council. In the sixth form, the student leadership team helps to organise a series of events and visits.

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Leaders make sure that all pupils access high-quality careers advice and guidance. The school welcomes external speakers, including from universities and a range of employers. A variety of talks and workshops ensure that pupils are well informed of their future options and build important employability skills. Students in the sixth form receive tailored guidance to support their future education and employment decision-making.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school has not ensured that pupils’ understanding is routinely checked and any misconceptions identified. This means that pupils, in some subjects, have gaps in their knowledge and are not fully ready to learn new content. The school should ensure that all teachers check pupils’ learning and understanding, and identify and address any gaps in pupils’ understanding.  Sometimes, activities in lessons are not well selected to help pupils to practise and master subject-specific knowledge and skills. This means that some gaps occur in pupils’ learning, and pupils do not build up and retain new knowledge. The school should ensure that activities are well selected to deepen and strengthen all pupils’ understanding. 29 and 30 November 2023

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents 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’ 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). 29 and 30 November 2023

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CEO of the trust

Dates of previous inspection 13 and 14 November 2019 and 9 January 2020, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not use any alternative provision.  The school is part of Aspirations Academies Trust.  The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 13 with information and engagement about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships. 29 and 30 November 2023

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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

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the principal, members of the senior leadership team and a range of staff. They also met with members of the governing body and board of trustees, and representatives from the trust, including the trust’s CEO.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in the following subjects: art, mathematics, history and languages. For each deep dive, inspectors spoke to subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, had discussions with pupils and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The curriculum in other subjects was also considered.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors: reviewed the single

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Information about this inspection

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.  Inspectors considered the views of parents, pupils and staff, including through responses to Ofsted’s online surveys.

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Inspection team

Simon Conway, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Noeman Anwar His Majesty’s Inspector 29 and 30 November 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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