The Park Infant & Nursery School

Inspection of The Park Infant & Nursery School Orchard Close, Park Road, Shirebrook, Mansfield, Nottinghamshire NG20 8JX

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Inspection dates: 30 and 31 January 2024

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 30 and 31 January 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to attend this school. They speak with enthusiasm and excitement about all that they do. Central to the work of the school are its values of ‘PRIDE’: perseverance; respect; independence; distractions – not let others distract; and explain learning. These are the guiding principles for how pupils should behave and aspire to achieve. These values encourage pupils to be confident in their learning and not fear failure.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for all pupils to achieve well. Pupils rise to these expectations and enjoy the challenges that teachers set for them. All staff take great care to know and understand the pupils in the school. As one parent stated: ‘The staff across the school, in all roles, genuinely care about the children and give them good learning experiences.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well in and around school. The behaviour policy is consistently applied. Pupils aspire to earn ‘pride points’. They say the behaviour system helps them to know what good behaviour is. They learn how to put right their mistakes. Pupils are respectful, kind and polite. Pupils take the valued roles of snack, library and playtime monitors seriously. Through roles such as these, pupils learn the significance of helping others.

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better?

Pupils love reading. Highly skilled staff ensure that all pupils learn to read swiftly from when then start at the school. Daily checks on how well pupils are doing enable them to receive the help they need. Carefully chosen books match the needs of pupils. As a consequence, pupils develop into confident readers. They really enjoy it when teachers read to them and bring books to life. They all look forward to whole-class reading time. ‘Tardis tickets’ are highly sought. These encourage pupils to read regularly. Pupils treasure the trips to cash in their tickets at the ‘Tardis’ for new and exciting books.

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better?

Recent adaptations to the curriculum identify the important ‘sticky and key knowledge’ pupils must remember. Teachers receive training so that they have the requisite subject knowledge to teach the curriculum effectively. However, in a few subjects, teachers do not make strong links to prior learning. This means that pupils are not always making connections with what they have learned before and building their knowledge over time. In mathematics, ‘five in five’ enables pupils to recall previous learning. This encourages pupils to talk about and question their own learning. The ‘4-step approach’ helps pupils to ‘look up, look down, look all around, still stuck, hands up, and teacher will teach again’. Pupils are resilient learners. In a few foundation subjects, staff are not checking as closely as they could what pupils know and remember. This means there are gaps in pupils’ knowledge.

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better?

Children show strong levels of independence in the early years. Staff have high expectations and set out clear routines. Children work well together. They learn 30 and 31 January 2024

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about the importance of managing their own emotions and being tolerant of others. The early years curriculum is well planned. It sets out clearly the knowledge children need and by when. This ensures that all activities have a clear purpose. These activities engage children and encourage curiosity. Staff make really effective use of the outside area. Children enjoy their learning experiences in the forest school. This is a really treasured place to be.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well supported. Individual plans provide the details needed to ensure these pupils receive support in lessons. Staff track the progress of these pupils effectively. They achieve well.

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The school has a calm and orderly feel. There are well-established routines. Pupils are respectful and kind. They look out for one another. When someone is upset, they know to go and get help. Should bullying occur, they know there is a trusted adult they can tell and that it will be resolved. Pupils appreciate the pastoral support they receive.

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The organisation of the personal development curriculum is relevant and topical. Pupils learn the importance of fundamental British values. They have an appropriate understanding of relationships. Pupils are respectful of difference. Pupils enjoy trips to places such as Bolsover Castle and Chatsworth House. However, opportunities to explore and develop pupils’ talents and interests are not as broad as they were before the COVID-19 pandemic. This means there are limited experiences for pupils to develop their cultural capital.

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This is a united school. Staff are passionate to improve. They feel well supported. They receive the right professional development to enable them to do their jobs well. Governors understand their roles and responsibilities.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few subjects, teachers do not make strong links to prior learning. This means that pupils are not always making connections with what they have learned before and building learning up over time. The school should complete the work on those subjects so that knowledge is clearly, and precisely, built up over time.  In a few foundation subjects, the school is not checking what pupils know and remember effectively. This means there are gaps in pupils’ knowledge. Leaders should refine their systems for checking what pupils know and remember to ensure that gaps in knowledge are identified and opportunities put in place to plug those gaps. 30 and 31 January 2024

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 Opportunities to explore and develop pupils’ talents and interests are not as broad as they were before the pandemic. This means there are limited opportunities for pupils to develop cultural capital. The school should explore ways to provide rich experiences within and beyond the curriculum to provide all pupils, including the most disadvantaged, with experiences that broaden their horizons.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to 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 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). 30 and 31 January 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Headteacher Claire Bennett (acting executive headteacher) Website www.parkfed.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 28 November 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is a part of the Park Schools Federation.  The school does not make use of any alternative providers.  Since the last inspection, there is an acting executive headteacher and an acting deputy headteacher in post.  There is a before- and after-school club managed by the school.

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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. 30 and 31 January 2024

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 Inspectors held meetings with the acting executive headteacher, the acting deputy headteacher and the special educational needs and disabilities coordinator.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in four subjects: reading, mathematics, science and geography. To do this, they met with curriculum leaders, visited lessons, looked at pupils’ work, listened to pupils read and met with teachers and pupils. They also looked at curriculum documentation for physical education, religious education, history and personal, social, health and economic education.  The lead inspector met with three members of the governing body, including the chair.  The lead inspector met with a local authority representative.  Inspectors took account of the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including free- text responses, as well the responses to Ofsted’s survey for staff and pupils. An inspector spoke informally to parents at the beginning and end of the school day.

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 Inspectors considered records of attendance, behaviour and safeguarding, including the school’s single central record. Inspectors met with leaders to discuss the safeguarding of pupils.  Inspectors considered pupils’ behaviour at various times of the day, including in lessons, around the school site and at lunchtime.

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Inspection team

Mark Anderson, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Rob della-Spina Ofsted Inspector 30 and 31 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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