Laurel Park School

Inspection of Laurel Park School Wilmer Way, London N14 7HY

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Inspection dates: 26 and 27 November 2024

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Sixth-form provision Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 26 and 27 November 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy the way the behaviour in this school has improved and how this has helped them to learn more effectively. Pupils who attend this school now behave very well. They describe the new rules as ‘strict but fair’ and have positive relationships with staff. They are recognised and rewarded when they are successful. Pupils like that it is a small school where everyone knows each other. As one pupil said, ‘We are small, and we are known and understood as individuals.’ They are kept safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils typically live up to the school’s expectations to work hard and to allow everyone to learn and achieve their best. Caring staff help pupils who struggle to meet these expectations to do so.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have a say in the way the school is run. They designed the new school uniform, decided on the new school’s name and helped to create the school’s values. Pupils develop their leadership skills as playground prefects, peer mentors and sports coaches. The school council help to make key decisions and attend meetings with school leaders.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are supported with their well-being. They learn about mental and physical health and how to keep safe online and in the community.

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

The curriculum on offer is broad and ambitious. The school has made sure that all subjects cover the national curriculum. The school has made appropriate decisions about what teachers should teach and when. They ensure that pupils learn key knowledge in an order that means it easier for them to understand and remember it. For example, in science, pupils learn about types of energy before they learn how it is transferred through different reactions. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) access the curriculum alongside their peers and are successful. This is because expert staff identify pupils’ needs and communicate helpful strategies to teachers who apply these recommendations.

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

Teachers present information clearly and regularly check that pupils have understood. They correct misconceptions quickly. Teachers set tasks and activities that enable pupils to practice and reinforce what they have learned. This helps pupils to secure new knowledge, so it becomes part of their long-term memory. Some pupils do not consistently complete all work, which means that they are missing opportunities to embed learning.

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

The school has significantly improved on what, when and how pupils are taught over the last two years. Pupils are now able to talk confidently about their learning. Work in books demonstrates pupils are progressing through the intended curriculum and produce work of good quality. However, previous pupils did not benefit from these improvements. Published outcomes do not reflect the positive impact these changes are having on pupils’ learning. 26 and 27 November 2024

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Reading is prioritised for everyone at Laurel Park School through reading in tutor time. Pupils who need additional help to improve their reading or English language skills are identified early and helped by expert staff.

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Behaviour in lessons and around the school is calm and orderly. Well-established routines and adult supervision mean pupils move around the school safely. Everyone understands the behaviour expectations; pupils know the rules and staff apply the behaviour policy consistently. At assemblies and rewards ceremonies, pupils are celebrated for positive behaviour, exhibiting the school’s values and academic achievements.

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The school has maintained a strong focus on pupils’ personal development. Pupils are taught about different cultures, faiths, families and relationships. They are taught through the lens of British Values and rewarded for showing positive character traits and living up to the school’s values. The careers offer is well thought through and extends into the sixth form. Pupils learn about work and next steps through work experience opportunities, individual advice and careers fairs. Their cultural capital is enriched through a series of ‘trips for all’ to the theatre, galleries and museums.

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Leaders, including governors, have taken the school on a journey of rapid improvement. They have stabilised staffing and made significant improvement on pupils’ behaviour, SEND provision and curriculum delivery and design. Staff feel that their well-being and workload have been considered, despite high levels of change, and welcome these improvements.

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The sixth-form provision was launched this September to support a small number of students to access vocational courses that would not otherwise be available to them locally. It has got off to a strong start. Students are demonstrating enthusiasm for their learning and for the wider opportunities that are available to them. They learn about different careers and independent living skills, such as cooking and money management. The nurturing environment is helping students to overcome their barriers to coming to school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some pupils are not completing work designed to help them to embed key knowledge over time. This means that some pupils do not learn essential knowledge securely, and gaps in their learning persist. Leaders must ensure that teachers check all pupils’ learning to ensure that they know and remember the intended curriculum securely. 26 and 27 November 2024

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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). 26 and 27 November 2024

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form

Appropriate authority The governing body

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form

Dates of previous inspection 8 and 9 December 2021, and 15 March 2022, under section 5 of the Education Act

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Information about this school

 The current headteacher started in September 2022.  The school was relaunched as Laurel Park School in September 2023; it was previously known as Broomfield school.  The school currently uses five registered alternative provisions and one local authority recommended tuition service.  The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 13 with information and engagement about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships. 26 and 27 November 2024

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. During a graded inspection, we grade the school for each of our key judgements (quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and management) and for any relevant provision judgement (early years and/or sixth form provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation 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: English, science, art, and history. To do this, they met with subject leaders, held discussions with staff and pupils, visited lessons and looked at pupils’ work. Other subjects were considered as part of this inspection.  Inspectors scrutinised a range of documents, including leaders’ evaluation of the school and priorities for improvement.  Inspectors met with senior leaders, a selection of subject leaders, teachers, and support staff.  The lead inspector met with representatives from the governing body, including the chair of the governing body. They also spoke with representatives from the local authority, an alternative provision working with the school, and a school improvement

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Information about this inspection

partner.  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.  The views of pupils and staff were considered through discussions and their responses to Ofsted’s online surveys. Inspectors also took account of responses to Ofsted Parent View questionnaire and the free-text responses.

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Inspection team

Una Buckley, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

John Blaney Ofsted Inspector 26 and 27 November 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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