The Park Junior School

Inspection of The Park Junior School Orchard Close, Shirebrook, Mansfield, Nottinghamshire NG20 8JX

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Previous inspection grade Good 11 and 12 June 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

The Park Junior School has recently undergone a period of change. New leaders have quickly identified the priorities for the school. They have started to take action to address these priorities and improve the quality of education that pupils receive.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The majority of pupils enjoy attending school. They feel safe and they know that they can speak to an adult if they have any worries or concerns.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils talk confidently about the school’s PRIDE (perseverance, respect, independence, avoiding distractions, and developing their explanations) values. However, pupils do not always demonstrate these values. In lessons, teachers do not consistently make their expectations of pupils’ behaviour clear, which means learning is interrupted by low-level disruption.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has put a clear focus on improving access to extra-curricular activities and visits. Pupils talk with excitement about the trips that they have already been on and the trips that are planned for the future.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders know there is more to do to ensure that all pupils receive a good education. Staff, parents and carers and pupils appreciate some of the changes that have been made already. One parent summed this view up well when they said: ‘As a parent I am excited to watch the school grow.’

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better?

There have been recent changes to the curriculum. In some subjects, the curriculum identifies the important knowledge that pupils should learn. In mathematics, for example, the curriculum has been carefully designed to help pupils build their knowledge. In some subjects, pupils can connect their learning over time. This is not the case for all subjects.

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better?

Not all subject leaders have identified the precise knowledge that they want pupils to know. This means that it is difficult to check how well pupils are learning. Staff do not teach the curriculum consistently well. In some lessons, teachers do not model learning well. This can leave pupils unsure about what they need to do. Some teachers do not always ensure that pupils complete work matched to their knowledge and skills. Pupils do not routinely have opportunities to build on prior learning. This means that pupils often have gaps in their learning. Teachers do not always identify and correct misconceptions.

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better?

The school has prioritised reading and enhancing pupils’ love of reading in particular. Pupils have daily reading sessions, which help them to improve the fluency of their reading. Pupils who require additional help work in small groups with well-trained staff. This support helps these pupils to become more confident readers. Pupils are rewarded for reading. They enjoy choosing books to read from the ‘reading Tardis’. 11 and 12 June 2024

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The school has ensured that the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are identified quickly. Staff work hard to support pupils and their families. Not all staff successfully adapt their teaching to meet the needs of pupils with SEND. On these occasions, pupils do not deepen their knowledge.

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In some lessons, pupils struggle to maintain their focus and concentration. At times, teachers do not address low-level disruption. At other times, pupils say that learning is paused due to the behaviour of some pupils. Some staff say that they would like more support to manage pupils’ behaviour. The school does not yet routinely analyse pupils’ behaviour to identify areas for improvement. This means that the school does not know which aspects of the behaviour policy are working and which are less effective.

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The provision for pupils’ personal development is a strength of the school. Pupils are able to recall their learning connected to physical, social, health and economic (PSHE) education lessons. They can talk about the importance of online safety. Pupils talk enthusiastically about some of the educational visits they participate in, including a recent Year 5 residential visit to Conwy.

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New and existing governors have recently worked hard to ensure that they take a strategic approach to supporting the school. They have begun to hold leaders to account. Staff and parents talk positively about the recent changes that have happened in the school. There is a clear sense of teamwork among staff. Staff are proud to work at the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Safeguarding is prioritised and pupils feel safe in school. Staff work closely with other agencies to support pupils and their families effectively. However, the reporting and recording procedures connected to safeguarding need to be strengthened. Staff do not follow a consistent approach to reporting safeguarding concerns. The school does not yet record all concerns and the actions taken to address those concerns.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, the curriculum does not identify precisely what pupils should learn and when. Teachers do not always ensure that the work that pupils complete is matched to their knowledge. They do not consistently teach lessons that provide pupils with opportunities to build on prior learning. As a result, gaps develop in pupils’ knowledge and they cannot remember what they have been taught. The school should ensure that the curriculum sets out what pupils should learn and when in each subject, and that teachers routinely provide pupils with opportunities to build on prior learning. 11 and 12 June 2024

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 Assessment in some subjects is underdeveloped. Teachers do not consistently check pupils’ understanding in these subjects. This means that pupils’ misconceptions are not always identified and addressed. The school should ensure that consistent assessment processes are in place so that teachers can identify how well pupils have learned the intended curriculum.  The school has not ensured that there is a commonly understood approach to dealing with low-level disruption. This means that learning is often disrupted and off-task behaviour goes unchallenged. The school should review the approaches being used to manage behaviour, identify priorities and ensure that staff have the knowledge and confidence they need to set and uphold high expectations of behaviour.

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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). 11 and 12 June 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Headteacher Nadeem Shah (Executive headteacher)

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 7 and 8 November 2018, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Park Schools Federation.  The school uses one alternative provider.  Since the last inspection, there have been several changes to staffing and there has also been a number of staff absences. The current executive headteacher has been in post since April 2024.  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. 11 and 12 June 2024

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 Inspectors met with the executive headteacher, the deputy headteacher and other leaders such as subject leaders. The lead inspector met with three members of the governing body, including two recently appointed governors. The chair of governors was unavailable during the inspection. The lead inspector also held a telephone call with a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in reading, mathematics, science and computing. For each deep dive, inspectors 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. The lead inspector listened to pupils reading to a familiar member of staff.  The lead inspector held further discussions about the curriculum for art and had a wider discussion with leaders regarding foundation subjects.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors: reviewed the single

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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.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons, at social times and around the school. The lead inspector met with school leaders to discuss how they respond to behaviour incidents and the action they take to ensure that all pupils attend well.  Inspectors took account of responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free- text comments and the responses to the pupil and staff survey.

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Inspection team

Roxanne Fearns-Davies, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Ian McNeilly Ofsted Inspector 11 and 12 June 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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