Park Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Park Primary School Gloucester Road, Aldershot, Hampshire GU11 3SL

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Outcome

Evidence gathered during this ungraded (section 8) inspection suggests that aspects of the school’s work may not be as strong as at the time of the previous inspection. The school’s next inspection will be a graded inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy in school. They arrive each day with big smiles, eager to greet their teacher at the classroom gate. Pupils play and work together well. When conflicts arise, pupils know that they can speak to a trusted adult in school to get the help they need. The ‘buddy bench’ is popular for those seeking friendship.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy a variety of experiences, including trips, art activities and music lessons. They particularly enjoy playing violins and creative projects linked to wider world issues. Pupils’ excitement is high for events such as the choir trip to the O2 arena and the Year 6 residential. Older pupils enjoy taking on responsibilities such as supporting younger pupils at lunchtime and fulfilling monitor roles. Younger pupils look forward to earning these privileges as they move through the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Throughout the school day, most pupils behave well. They move around the school calmly and stay on task in lessons. Staff are trained well to support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They effectively manage unwanted behaviour when it occurs. However, at times, the behaviour of a small number of pupils makes other pupils feel anxious.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for pupils’ achievement. However, these have not been met in all subjects for all pupils. This is especially true for older pupils.

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

The school places pupils from this community at the heart of all it does. It knows that good school attendance is the key to success. School leaders, including governors, have 8 and 9 October 2024

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made this the number one priority. As a result, attendance at school has significantly improved.

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The school is reviewing what and how it wants pupils to learn across the curriculum. School leaders, including the governing body, have a good understanding of the school’s strengths and areas of focus. They are mindful of the number of areas that need improving and the impact this can have on teachers’ well-being and workload. Leaders have selected resources to support this.

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Support from the local authority and local mathematics hub has helped the school to make considerable improvements to the curriculum for reading and mathematics. Pupils in key stage 1 have benefited from these changes. Other subject leaders are yet to have this level of support and therefore have not had such a strong impact.

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The school has a rejuvenated focus on teaching pupils to read confidently and fluently. Most pupils in key stage 1 make rapid progress. However, the pace of phonics sessions is too fast for some pupils, including those with SEND. They move on to new learning before they are ready. This slows their progress. Even with the changes, there are still some pupils who cannot read well enough, particularly in key stage 2. This makes learning in other subjects difficult for them.

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Mathematics is a favourite subject for many pupils. A well-thought-through approach to teaching mathematics is in place from the Reception Year to Year 6. Teachers receive excellent support and training. This means, in lessons, teachers are confident to check pupils’ understanding before they introduce new learning. Pupils have many opportunities to revisit things they have learned before. This helps them make connections in their learning. However, some pupils in key stage 2 have significant gaps in their learning that have not yet closed.

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The school’s curriculum in other subjects, including in the early years, is not yet fully developed. In some subjects, such as science, art and design and physical education, the school has mapped out what they want pupils to learn. However, not all classes have followed the revised curriculum from the start. This has created gaps in their learning. Teachers’ strong subject knowledge helps address some of these gaps through effective questioning. Weaker subject knowledge, in some subjects, means misconceptions persist. Assessment is not consistently used to identify these gaps in pupils’ knowledge.

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Most pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils successfully learn alongside their peers. Their needs are identified well. Adults provide just the right amount of guidance. Some pupils need more specialist support. This has been carefully thought through to ensure maximum success.

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Pupils’ safety is a top priority. Pupils learn about online safety, including not sharing personal details. Offline, they are aware of risks in the local community. Bicycle safety lessons for older pupils further enhance their safety awareness.

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Pupils know that it is okay to be different. Leaders choose books and stories for use in 8 and 9 October 2024

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assemblies and lessons to reflect the school’s multicultural community. Pupils show empathy towards peers and uphold the school’s values of perseverance, challenge, respect, independence and cooperation. They are well prepared for life in modern Britain.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some pupils in key stage 2 cannot read well enough. This affects their overall academic progress. The school should strengthen the reading curriculum and implement further targeted support to enable pupils to swiftly catch up, so they are able to read confidently and fluently.  The school’s curriculum thinking in some subjects is undeveloped. Teachers do not always know the exact skills and knowledge pupils need to know and the order these should be taught. The school should further sharpen its thinking in the curriculum areas that have been mapped out, while developing those at an early stage, for all subjects from early years to Year 6.  Assessment is not routinely used to guide curriculum thinking. Pupils have gaps that are unknown to leaders. The school should use assessment to identify knowledge gaps and develop targeted plans to address these gaps.  Subject leaders in non-core subjects lack support and resources. This leads to

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

inconsistent teaching quality and missed professional development opportunities. The school should establish a programme of regular training and support for subject leaders so that they are able to provide the necessary support to teachers.  The behaviour of a small minority of pupils is disproportionately impacting pupils’ understanding of the behaviour policy. This is causing anxiety for some pupils. The school should work with pupils and their families to communicate how the behaviour policy is applied while supporting the mental health of all pupils.

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Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted’s website. From September 2024 graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade. This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

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Background

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give 8 and 9 October 2024

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graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school’s work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection 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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This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in May 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 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). 8 and 9 October 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 May 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This school has a breakfast club and after-school club run by the school.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  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 their evaluation of the school.  During the inspection, the lead inspector met with the headteacher and the deputy headteacher. She met with a representative of the local authority and with four members of the governing body.  The inspector focused inspection activity on the following groups of subjects: early English and mathematics, art and design, science and physical education. The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke with pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. 8 and 9 October 2024

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 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’ interest first.  Throughout the inspection, the inspector met with groups of staff. She also considered the opinions expressed through the staff survey.  The inspector met some parents at the start of the day and had regard to the views expressed through Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text responses.

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Inspection team

Clare Haines, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 8 and 9 October 2024

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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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