Park View Academy

Inspection of Park View Academy Park View, Huyton, Liverpool, Merseyside L36 2LL

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Good

The executive headteacher of this school is Damian Kenny. This school is part of the Dean 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), Tarun Kapur, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Damian McGann. The executive headteacher, Damian Kenny, is responsible for this school and one other. 23 and 24 April 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils love the welcoming atmosphere at Park View Academy. The excellent relationships that they have with one another make the school a happy place to be.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The high expectations that the school sets for pupils’ learning help to ensure that they achieve well in subjects across the curriculum. From the outset, children in the early years settle quickly and develop curiosity and an enjoyment of learning. Pupils across the school are equally motivated to learn.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are guided well to manage their own behaviour, particularly those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). As a result, their conduct around school is exemplary. Older pupils relish the prestigious leadership roles that are available. These pupils make a marked difference to the behaviour and wellbeing of others, such as through their roles as play leaders at break times.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud of their school and have a strong sense of belonging. They enjoy debating current affairs with their peers and value others’ views and opinions. In turn, they feel respected and accepted for who they are. Pupils delight in seeing each other praised for their efforts in their weekly celebration assemblies.

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better?

The school has made effective use of the expertise within the trust to design a curriculum that clearly sets out what pupils will learn in each subject. Staff develop pupils’ learning well by building on their prior knowledge. Particular attention is paid to preparing pupils for their next steps in learning, such as when moving from the Reception Year into key stage 1. Staff check on pupils’ understanding well and address misconceptions effectively as they arise.

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better?

In most subjects, the assessment of pupils’ knowledge helps to identify where pupils need further reinforcement of key learning. However, this is not consistent across the curriculum. In a small number of subjects, and including in the early years, these arrangements do not focus well enough on what pupils have remembered over time. As such, pupils do not recall some key subject knowledge.

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better?

In the early years and in key stage 1, there is a comprehensive approach to developing pupils’ phonics knowledge. This enables pupils to read with increasing accuracy. The school has ensured that the books pupils read match the sounds that they are learning, so that they practise applying their knowledge. For pupils who need it, including those with SEND, there is extra support on hand to help pupils when they find reading difficult. This is effective in ensuring that pupils keep up with the intended curriculum.

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better?

There are comprehensive strategies in place to identify any pupil who may have SEND. This is especially evident in the early years where help is swiftly put in place 23 and 24 April 2024

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for these children. Pupils across the school are assisted well to access the curriculum. As a result, these pupils progress through the curriculum well.

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The school's exceptional approach to pupils' personal development helps to build their resilience and character. Pupils also gain a strong understanding of the wider world and their place in it by studying other cultures and religions. They especially enjoy debating current affairs. Pupils have a detailed knowledge of fundamental British values. They understand what it means to be equal and said that, ‘we all smile in the same language’. Parents and carers appreciate the way in which they see their children flourish as individuals.

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The school sets firm expectations that pupils will regularly attend school. There are arrangements in place to analyse the reasons for absence and a tenacity among staff to ensure that pupils maintain their high rates of attendance.

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Trustees check well on the work of the local governing board. This ensures that trustees are well informed about the school’s strengths and weaknesses. The local governing board promotes school improvement well by asking leaders challenging questions about the quality of the school’s provision.

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School and trust leaders engage well with staff. For example, the school’s approach to marking has been revised to reduce the burden on staff as well as providing pupils with quality feedback. Staff feel well supported in their roles and are committed to the direction that the school has set to improve provision.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a small number of subjects, including in the early years, the assessment of pupils' learning is not refined enough to help staff to identify where some pupils have forgotten key learning over time. As such, there are gaps in pupils’ understanding between one topic and the next. The school should ensure that there are checks in place to gauge pupils' long-term retention of key subject knowledge so that staff can reinforce pupils' learning more effectively.

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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. 23 and 24 April 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). 23 and 24 April 2024

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School details

Local authority Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 3 and 4 November 2021, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Park View Academy is part of the Dean Trust.  The school uses one registered alternative provider.  The school runs a before- and after-school provision.

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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.  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, science, history and modern foreign languages. For each deep dive, inspectors 23 and 24 April 2024

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discussed visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspectors also discussed the curriculum in other subjects, looked at a sample of work in these subjects and spoke with pupils about their work.  Inspectors heard pupils read individually and as part of classroom activities.  Inspectors took account of the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments, along with other emails and letters sent to inspectors by parents.  Inspectors also considered the responses to the Ofsted surveys for staff. There were no responses to the pupil survey.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons, at breaktimes and around the school. They looked at records for behaviour and bullying and spoke with pupils and staff.  Inspectors discussed the provision in place for pupils’ personal development.

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 To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors 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.

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Inspection team

Steve Bentham, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Cath Cooke Ofsted Inspector 23 and 24 April 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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