Parkside Primary Academy

Inspection of a good school: Parkside Primary Academy Midland Road, Royston, Barnsley, South Yorkshire S71 4QP

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Inspection dates: 21 to 22 February 2024

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Outcome

Parkside Primary Academy continues to be a good school.

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Outcome

The headteacher of this school is Rachel Ward. This school is part of Pioneer Academies Community Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Harry Wood, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by James Kilner.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils thrive at Parkside Primary Academy. It is a friendly and inclusive school. Staff know pupils and their families well. They look after pupils and make sure that they are safe. The school has high expectations for what pupils learn and experience. These are realised. Pupils achieve well. These high expectations extend to pupils’ behaviour and conduct. During lessons and social times, pupils behave well. Bullying is rare in the school. If it happens, it is successfully addressed by adults.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe online and offline. Pupils are clear about the risks they might face and how to protect themselves. This includes areas such as road safety and fire safety.

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What is it like to attend this school?

School trips are often linked to the curriculum. These support pupils’ development. Some pupils also attend a residential trip. Here they experience outdoor activities such as abseiling and climbing. This effectively develops their teamwork and resilience. As a result, pupils learn to tackle challenges and conquer their fears.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Many pupils benefit from the range of clubs on offer. These include sports clubs and choir. These are well delivered by school staff and external experts. This means that pupils successfully develop their talents and interests.

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

Reading is a strength in the school. Leaders ensure that teachers access frequent training. This helps teachers develop strong subject knowledge. This means that they teach reading with precision and consistency. Pupils read books that are well matched to 21 and 22 February 2024

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their phonics knowledge. This allows pupils to practice and helps them to learn to read fluently. The school regularly checks the impact of teaching on pupils’ learning. If pupils fall behind, they are quickly identified and access additional reading sessions. These are effective in supporting pupils to catch up.

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Leaders have designed an ambitious curriculum from the early years to Year 6. This is particularly effective in mathematics. Staff explain concepts clearly, which supports pupils’ understanding. Teachers regularly revisit what pupils have learned in the past to check that they have remembered it. Teachers use this information well to ensure that lessons address what pupils need to learn next. Staff ensure that lessons are engaging. They design activities that the pupils enjoy. These approaches to teaching are consistent in each year group. As a result, over time pupils develop a determination and interest in learning. This leads to high levels of achievement.

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Across the curriculum, leaders have identified the important vocabulary that they want pupils to learn. Pupils use this well to clearly explain their understanding. However, in some subjects, such as history, leaders have not identified the precise information that they want pupils to learn and develop. Therefore, it is sometimes not clear how pupils’ knowledge should build on what they already know. This limits the depth of knowledge that pupils acquire in some foundation subjects.

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Leaders quickly and accurately identify any pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Teachers adapt teaching materials so that pupils can learn the same knowledge as their peers. When needed, leaders engage with external agencies, such as speech and language therapists. These actions ensure that pupils with SEND access the provision they need to achieve well.

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The curriculum in early years is effective and supports children’s development. Adults interact with children and extend their learning through skilful questioning. Occasionally, some of the activities that children access are not as well designed as they could be. As a result, sometimes, children in the early years do not learn as much as they could.

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Pupils learn about healthy and unhealthy relationships. This empowers pupils. For example, they have a clear understanding about what to do if they experience peer pressure. Pupils also learn about tolerance and accepting differences. Pupils have a strong awareness of respecting individual choice. Pupils access a curriculum that teaches them about different religions and faiths. However, some pupils do not remember what they have been taught. As a result, some pupils have limited knowledge, which can include errors and misconceptions about different faiths.

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Leaders consider staff well-being and workload. Staff acknowledge that this is supportive. For example, leaders have ensured that curriculum monitoring activities are not onerous. Leaders identify where the curriculum is effective and where they can make changes to improve learning.

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Governors and trust leaders are actively involved in the school. They have an accurate understanding of the school’s strengths and areas that require further development. 21 and 22 February 2024

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There are effective systems and procedures in place that support reflection, collaboration and school improvement.

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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, such as history, the school has not identified the specific knowledge that pupils should learn in each year group. This means that pupils do not build on their prior knowledge as well as they could. The school should review the curriculum in these subjects and identify precisely what knowledge should be taught and when. n Some of the activities in the early years are not closely aligned to the children’s learning needs. This means that at times children are not learning as much as they could. The school should ensure that activities match what the children need to learn next so that they can learn more. n Some pupils do not remember what they have learned about different faiths. As a result, they are not as well prepared for life in modern Britain as they could be. The school should consider how it helps pupils to remember the religious education curriculum so pupils they have a clear and accurate 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 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. 21 and 22 February 2024

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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). 21 and 22 February 2024

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School details

Date of previous inspection 24 October 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not make any use of alternative provision.  The school runs a breakfast club.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s educational provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The lead inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in the team’s evaluation of the school.  During the inspection, the inspector met with the headteacher, assistant headteacher and members of the senior leadership team.  The inspector met with the trust’s chief executive officer, a representative of the trustees, representatives of the governing body and a representative of the local authority. 21 and 22 February 2024

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 The inspector considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments. The inspector considered the responses to Ofsted’s staff and pupil surveys. The inspector spoke with parents to gather their views and opinions about the school.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, the inspector held 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.  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 observed pupils’ behaviour around school and in lessons. They spoke

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with pupils to gather their views about behaviour and safeguarding in the school.

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Inspection team

Andrew Yeomans, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 21 and 22 February 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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