Green Park School

Inspection of a good school: Green Park School Green Park Drive, Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire MK16 0NH

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Inspection dates: 23 and 24 January 2024

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Outcome

Green Park School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel happy, safe, and motivated at this inclusive and vibrant school. They benefit and thrive from the high expectations the school sets for them. This is clear to see in the high levels of effort pupils put into their work, as well as in the positive way they treat each other. Pupils trust that adults in the school want the best for them. Pupils constantly strive to achieve well in all they do and are proud to show what they have learned.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave extremely well at this school. They know and embody the school values of ‘respect, positivity, integrity, aspiration, empathy, and equality’. Pupils are inclusive in their thoughts and actions. They recognise that people are different and that everyone should be treated with the same levels of respect and kindness. Break and lunchtimes are harmonious and happy environments. Pupils play well together and recognise the importance of the school’s rules and routines.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are well prepared for their lives beyond the school. They value the various leadership opportunities they have. Whether as school councillors, ‘play pals’ in Year 2 or ‘reading leaders’ in Year 6, pupils learn the importance of contributing to their community.

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

The school has made effective changes to the curriculum since the previous inspection. As such, most of the curriculum is ambitious and well sequenced. The school has identified the key knowledge and skills that pupils need to learn and in what order. In the strongest areas of the curriculum, the school has broken the learning down into smaller, precise steps, so that all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve well. Pupils achieve highly across most of the curriculum.

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

In a small number of foundation subjects, changes to the curriculum are still being made. The curriculum in these areas is not as well sequenced. Assessment is not always precise, and pupils are not learning as well as they could. However, in most subjects, staff use 23 and 24 January 2024

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secure subject knowledge to plan engaging activities which help pupils to achieve well. Due to this, pupils reflect in detail on what they have learned in previous lessons.

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In many curriculum areas, assessment is used well to identify pupils’ knowledge gaps. This is especially clear to see in the systematic teaching of phonics. Staff use information from assessments to spot when pupils have fallen behind in their reading. They put in place extra activities that help pupils to catch up. Staff are expert teachers of phonics, and activities in lessons are closely matched to pupils’ needs.

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From Reception onwards, pupils’ behaviour is excellent. Pupils are focused on their learning and value the expectations that staff have for how they will behave. In Reception, children learn routines and rules, so they are ready for learning in Year 1. Every area of the school is calm and purposeful and relationships between pupils and staff are warm, trusting and respectful.

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While attendance figures for the whole school are positive, some of the most vulnerable groups of pupils are too often absent. This means that these pupils do not get the benefit from attending school regularly. However, the school is tenacious in how it challenges poor attendance. While the school recognises that there is still work to do, its actions so far have made notable improvements to pupils’ attendance.

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The personal development of pupils is a high priority. Pupils actively contribute their views on the clubs they want to attend. As a result, the offer of clubs in the school captures the interests and talents of pupils. These include Lego, tennis, yoga, karate, and art clubs. The school’s commitment to inclusivity is clear to see in the work it has done to plan and take part in specific events for disadvantaged pupils. This includes sport competitions and festivals specifically for pupils with SEND.

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This is a school with strong links to its community. The school recognises and celebrates the broad range of cultures and religions of its pupils and families. Workshops and assemblies run by parents and local cultural leaders give pupils valuable knowledge of difference. From these events and other curriculum activities, pupils learn why it is important to respect the views and beliefs of others.

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Leaders of the school are reflective and highly considerate of how their actions will impact staff workload. Staff are enthused to work here. They appreciate the value that the school and governors place on their well-being. This motivates staff to provide the best provision possible for their pupils.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 23 and 24 January 2024

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a small number of foundation subjects, the school has not embedded all intended changes. This means that pupils are not learning as well as they could across the entire curriculum. The school should ensure that staff have the knowledge they need in all curriculum areas, so that assessment is used to precisely identify pupils’ knowledge gaps, and support put in place to help pupils build coherent knowledge effectively over time.  Persistent absence of the most vulnerable pupils remains high. This means that these pupils do not fully benefit from all that the school has to offer. The school should now carefully consider what additional strategies and support the most vulnerable families need to further improve attendance.

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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 January 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.

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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 23 and 24 January 2024

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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). 23 and 24 January 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.greenpark.milton-keynes.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 4 July 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not currently make use of any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

The inspector carried out this ungraded inspection under section 8 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 leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the headteacher and other members of the leadership team. They also met with the chair of the governing body and a representative from the local authority.  The inspector carried out deep dives in the following subjects: early reading, mathematics, and design technology. For each deep dive, the inspector held 23 and 24 January 2024

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discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour around the school and in lessons. They also spoke to pupils in lessons and during play and lunchtimes.  The inspector considered a range of documents including leaders’ evaluations of the school, their school improvement plan, and minutes from governors’ meetings.  The inspector spoke to parents and carers and considered their responses to Ofsted Parent View.  The inspector took account of the views of staff through conversations and the responses to the online staff survey.  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.

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Inspection team

Nina Marabese, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 23 and 24 January 2024

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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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