Park Lane Primary & Nursery School

Inspection of a good school: Park Lane Primary & Nursery School Park Lane, Whittlesey, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire PE7 1JB

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Outcome

Park Lane Primary & Nursery School continues to be a good school. The headteacher of this school is Rob Litten. This school is part of Aspire Learning Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Duncan Ramsey, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Zoe Botterill.

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a friendly and welcoming place to learn. Pupils follow the school’s rules of being safe, ready and respectful. They know that there is an unspoken rule of kindness and treating others with care and respect, which they follow.

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What is it like to attend this school?

From the early years, pupils learn a well-rounded curriculum that enables them to practise key skills and build on what they know. As a result, pupils achieve well. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) achieve in line with their peers.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is an exciting place to be, and because of this attendance is high. Pupils enjoy the fun and interesting activities that staff plan for them. This includes trips to the local area so that pupils are proud of their community’s history. The strong relationships between staff and pupils mean that pupils feel confident to share their worries and concerns. This helps pupils to feel safe in school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The wide range of enrichment opportunities allow pupils to learn how to care for and respect their local area. For example, children in Reception pick up litter to care for the environment. Pupils learn about other cultures and religions and how they feature in their community.

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

The school’s curriculum enables pupils to build knowledge over time. The early years curriculum is well-organised. It sets out the key learning that children will need to be successful in key stage 1. In most subjects, leaders have set out the specifics that they would like pupils to learn and as a result pupils achieve well. Pupils make links and 9 and 10 July 2024

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connections across the curriculum. For example, pupils learn about Whittlesey as a market town. They study why this was important for the industries in the area and why the landmarks are important. Pupils recall their existing knowledge and have the confidence to approach more complex learning. However, in some subjects, the important information pupils need to know is not clearly set out. This means some subjects are not always taught as consistently as leaders would like. In these subjects, pupils struggle to recall prior learning.

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The school has a well-established phonics programme in place. Children learn the sounds that letters make from the start of Reception. Staff have the skills to teach phonics effectively. They identify pupils who need extra help to keep up with their peers. Pupils develop a love of reading. They have books that are well matched to their reading stage. This means they get regular practice to become confident, fluent readers. The consistent approach to teaching reading across the school allows pupils to build on their comprehension skills. This means they can confidently discuss and debate a range of texts.

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The needs of pupils with SEND are well understood by staff. Teachers know the best ways to help them learn. Teachers make adaptations and adjustments to the curriculum as needed. This helps pupils with SEND to be successful in their learning. As a result, pupils achieve well, regardless of need.

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Staff have warm relationships with pupils. They are caring and patient and pupils know that there is always someone to listen to them. Pupils refer to the staff as ‘trusted adults’. They enjoy attending school. The school monitors attendance robustly. It supports pupils who struggle to attend regularly.

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The way pupils behave in and around the school is calm and purposeful. Pupils know what staff expect of them and they rise to their high expectations. Those pupils who struggle to make positive choices are well supported to be able to follow the school rules. Pupils understand that some of their peers need more help to be ready for learning and they support them in a caring manner. In some cases, the schools’ approach to managing behaviour is not always communicated well to parents.

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Trips, local area visits, assemblies and speakers help pupils enrich their awareness of their local and wider community. Pupils have a deep understanding of different world religions. They demonstrate respect and tolerance for those who have different beliefs to their own. This helps them to be ready for life in modern Britain. Pupils would welcome more leadership roles so that they can contribute positively to their school.

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Staff are proud to work at the school. They feel valued and appreciate the support and guidance from leaders. The trust works in partnership with the school, ensuring that there is a focus on improvement.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 9 and 10 July 2024

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, the curriculum does not set out clearly the key knowledge that pupils will learn. This means that the curriculum in these subjects is not always taught as consistently or effectively as leaders expect. Consequently, pupils develop gaps in their knowledge and do not always have the necessary information needed to access more complex learning. The school needs to set out precisely the key knowledge pupils will need from early years in all subjects and ensure that the curriculum is taught consistently to enable pupils to make strong progress across the full range of subjects.

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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 first ungraded inspection since we the school to be good in January 2019.

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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.

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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 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). 9 and 10 July 2024

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School details

Headteacher Rob Litten, executive headteacher

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 29 and 30 January 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school uses one registered alternative provision for pupils.  The school provides breakfast and after-school clubs.

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Information about this inspection

Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in this evaluation of the school.  At the time of inspection, most of the Year 6 pupils were not in school as they were attending transition days for their secondary schools. Other pupils were also meeting their new teachers.  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 9 and 10 July 2024

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extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspector met with the headteacher and leaders responsible for safeguarding, behaviour, attendance and strategic improvement. The inspector met with the special educational needs and/or disabilities coordinator.  The inspector met with representatives from the governing body, including the chair of governors. The inspector met with representatives from the trust, including the CEO and the chair of the trust.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, the inspector visited lessons, reviewed curriculum plans and spoke with curriculum leaders and teachers. They also spoke with pupils about their learning and looked at the work they have completed.  Education, health and care plans and other support plans for pupils with SEND were

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reviewed. The inspector visited lessons to see how pupils with SEND are supported to learn.  The inspector scrutinised the school’s records of behaviour and attendance and spoke with several groups of pupils to understand their experience of school. The inspector met leaders to discuss pupils’ behaviour and reviewed the school’s data on suspensions.  The inspector considered responses to Ofsted’s pupil and staff surveys. They considered responses to Ofsted Parent View, including free-text comments.

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Inspection team

Nerrissa Bear, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 9 and 10 July 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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