Parklands Primary School

Inspection of Parklands Primary School Havering Road, Romford, Essex RM1 4QX

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 24 and 25 April 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Resilience, respect and a love of learning are actively promoted and celebrated at this vibrant and lively school. Working relationships within the school community are strong. This ensures that the school is a positive and inclusive community. Leaders make sure that every child thrives, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are kept, and feel, safe here. This is because leaders have high expectations for all pupils. Pupils have a clear understanding of their rights and responsibilities. They demonstrate kindness and consideration towards others. In the rare instances when bullying does occur, staff address it promptly and effectively.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn and behave well. They listen attentively to staff and their peers, fostering a collaborative learning environment. Children in the early years are curious and engage happily in cooperative play and learning. Classrooms are calm and pupils work purposefully in their lessons. Pupils achieve well and are ready for the next stage of education.

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What is it like to attend this school?

A wide range of activities enhance pupils’ school experiences. They look forward to and enjoy visits to the school farm. Pupils enthusiastically work together to maintain the farm environment. They particularly enjoy feeding the goats and watching the farm manager shearing the sheep. This hands-on experience helps them to understand their social responsibilities. Staff nurture important values such as respecting nature, empathy and teamwork.

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better?

The curriculum is broad and ambitious. Leaders have carefully considered the fundamental knowledge and key skills that they want pupils to learn. These have been clearly sequenced to ensure that pupils develop and deepen their understanding. For example, younger children engage in activities such as counting objects, identifying shapes and recognising patterns. Older pupils draw on this knowledge to extend their understanding of fractions and make connections to decimals and measures. In art, pupils have the opportunity to extend their knowledge of contemporary artists. Staff enrich pupils’ understanding of diversity in both artistic expression and cultural perspectives.

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better?

In a few subjects, the school’s curricular thinking is not as fully developed. On occasion, staff do not have sufficient expertise to ensure that pupils learn the planned curriculum well. This means that some pupils have a less secure understanding of important subject content, which limits their deeper subject- specific knowledge and skills.

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better?

Leaders have identified and prioritised the specific areas of the curriculum that contributed to low national outcomes at the end of key stage 2 in reading in 2023. The school has a well-organised and systematic approach to the teaching of reading. 24 and 25 April 2024

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This is helping to enhance pupils’ fluency, confidence and enjoyment of reading. Pupils have access to a library, where they can choose books that excite and interest them. For instance, during an exploration of literary classics, such as ‘Alice in Wonderland’, pupils delighted in a whimsical Mad Hatter’s tea party, bringing the story to life in a memorable way.

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Staff implement the new phonics programme with fidelity, ensuring a consistent approach across all year groups. They meticulously check that pupils remember what they have previously learned. Pupils who fall behind receive targeted support so that they catch up quicky. Staff address misconceptions as they arise. For example, they ensure that pupils pronounce and sound out letters accurately.

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The school identifies the needs of pupils with SEND accurately. Pupils’ individual needs are carefully considered and met so that they can access the same ambitious curriculum as their peers. They are fully included and form a very important and respected part of the school community. Pupils with SEND learn to be independent and to develop a range of communication skills over time.

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Promoting pupils’ personal development is a key strength of the school’s ethos. Through visits to museums and other places of interest, the school strives to enrich pupils’ experiences.

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Pupils behave well. The school is a calm and orderly environment. In early years, staff develop children’s routines well so that they are ready for learning. Pupils concentrate on their work and do not disrupt learning. Attendance is high. The school has robust procedures in place and works in close partnership with parents and carers to support pupils. As part of this effort, some pupils are invited to join the ‘snack and chat’ breakfast club, to motivate them to attend school regularly.

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Those responsible for governance have a clear understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for improvement. They offer effective support and challenge. All staff, including those in the early stages of their careers, appreciate the support of leaders for their well-being and workload. Staff are proud to work at the school.

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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 foundation subjects, the school’s curricular thinking is not as well developed. This means that, at times, staff do not have the subject expertise to ensure that pupils learn and remember more. The school should provide high- quality professional development to ensure that staff at all levels develop their subject expertise. This will support teachers to implement the planned curriculum and check that pupils have learned important subject content. 24 and 25 April 2024

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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). 24 and 25 April 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 8 and 9 November 2016, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The infants and junior school amalgamated in September 2021.  The school does not use any alternative provision.  The school runs a breakfast and after-school club.

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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 spoke with the headteacher and members of the senior leadership team, staff, including those in the early stages of their careers, and a 24 and 25 April 2024

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representative from the local authority. They met with three members of the governing body, including the chair of governors.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics, geography, art and physical education. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited lessons, including in early years, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at their work.  Inspectors considered the curriculum in other subjects, spoke to subject leaders and met with pupils to discuss their learning.  Inspectors looked at a wide range of documents, including leaders’ priorities for improvement, behaviour and pupils’ attendance.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, 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

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culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors met with leaders responsible for supporting pupils with SEND and visited lessons to evaluate the support offered to these pupils.  The views of pupils, parents and staff were considered through discussions and responses to Ofsted’s surveys.

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Inspection team

Dawn Titus, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Dr Okolo-Angus Ofsted Inspector 24 and 25 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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