Parkfield Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Parkfield Primary School St David’s Place, Hendon, London NW4 3PJ

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Inspection dates: 10 and 11 December 2024

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Outcome

Parkfield Primary School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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Outcome

The principal of the school is Nick Read. This school is part of The Elliot Foundation Academies Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Hugh Greenway, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Tim Coulson.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parkfield Primary School is a happy place to be. The school’s values underpin the respectful relationships that make it a great place to work and learn. Pupils show good manners as a matter of course. For example, they hold doors open and ask how you are. Right from the early years, children collaborate well and show kindness to each other. They say that there is little bullying and that they would feel confident to report any concerns to an adult and through the worry boxes or online alert button.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is ambitious for its pupils. Pupils respond well to these high expectations and typically learn well. They focus in lessons and apply themselves to their work. From Nursery onwards, children are encouraged to be active learners, developing confidence and concentration.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There are equally high expectations of behaviour. Lessons proceed smoothly because adults are vigilant and give gentle reminders where necessary to keep all pupils on track. Routines, such as lining up at lunchtime and after breaktime, are well established. Pupils respond well to these routines and reminders. They appreciate the opportunities to take up leadership roles, such as on the school council or through encouraging their peers to eat healthily on ‘Tasty Tuesdays’. 10 and 11 December 2024

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

The curriculum is ambitious. The school’s recent work has strengthened it further. Aspects of the curriculum that were not as effective in helping pupils to develop knowledge are being successfully tackled. This means that pupils are learning well overall. However, the impact of the school’s work has not, at present, been seen in published outcomes.

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

Teaching is clear and precise. Opportunities to revisit prior learning in lessons reinforce pupils’ knowledge. This helps pupils to build their learning over time. For example, in mathematics, pupils used their understanding of fractions to calculate the perimeter of a shape where the measurements contained fifths and sixteenths. Teachers are adept at checking what pupils understand. They quickly pick up misconceptions and address them.

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

The school prioritises reading. Phonics teaching follows the school’s chosen scheme consistently. Staff are vigilant in ensuring that everyone joins in, supporting pupils where necessary. To practise fluency, pupils take home books that closely match the sounds they know. Any pupils who might be at risk of falling behind are helped to catch up. From the start of early years, children are encouraged to develop a love of books. This is promoted by attractive reading areas and dedicated time to listen to stories read by adults who ooze enthusiasm. Pupils regularly visit the well-stocked library to choose books to share at home.

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

Teaching supports most pupils to learn well across the curriculum. For example, in art, teaching carefully models techniques to add depth and texture with different pencil strokes. Pupils apply these techniques and produce accomplished pieces of work. The delivery of the curriculum is also mostly well adapted for pupils who need extra help, such as pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those at the very early stages of speaking English as an additional language. For example, in science, tasks are adjusted to help pupils demonstrate what they know and understand. However, in some subjects, there are instances where the planned learning is not adapted as carefully for these pupils. As a result, some pupils do not achieve as well as they could.

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

Pupils are friendly and courteous. They have well-developed social skills, helping each other in lessons and playing harmoniously outside. The school is effective in supporting pupils who struggle to manage their behaviour. Pupils learn strategies that help them to make the most of their education.

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

The school actively promotes regular attendance, for example by using rewards judiciously and celebrating high attendance. Rigorous checks are in place if pupils’ attendance starts to slip. The school works closely with families to try and get this back on track.

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

The school promotes pupils’ personal development well. Pupils benefit from a range of trips that complement the curriculum. For example, children in early years visited a local church and then built their own with their big outdoor bricks, using words such as ‘aisle’ and ‘pews’. Pupils learn how the democratic process works by voting for head boy and girl and the school council. The ‘Tasty Tuesdays’ initiative encourages healthy eating. 10 and 11 December 2024

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The trust supports the school highly effectively, including through making astute decisions about leadership arrangements. Staff appreciate networking with their counterparts from other schools in the trust to support their professional development.

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Staff are effusive about how the school takes their well-being into account. They feel they have a voice, citing examples of how aspects of their work have been streamlined to be just as effective but with a lightened workload. Staff also receive valuable training. They describe this as both interesting and enabling them to learn new skills. Parents and carers are similarly positive about the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 On occasion, in some subjects, adaptations for pupils with SEND and pupils at the very early stages of speaking English as an additional language are not as effective as they could be. This means that some pupils do not achieve as well as they could. The school needs to ensure that adaptations for these pupils are consistently effective in all subjects so that pupils can achieve highly.

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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 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. 10 and 11 December 2024

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This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in July 2015.

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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). 10 and 11 December 2024

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 6 March 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The principal and the two vice-principals have taken up their posts this term.  The school does not currently use alternative provision.  The Nursery class has provision for two-year-olds.  The school manages its own breakfast club and after-school club.

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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 her evaluation of the school.  The inspector held discussions with the school’s senior leaders, other staff and a group of representatives from the trust, including the CEO and the chair of trustees. 10 and 11 December 2024

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 The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to pupils about their learning, listened to pupils reading and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  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’ interests first.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour around the school, in lessons and at playtime.  The inspector met with parents at the school gate. She also considered the response to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments, as well as the responses of the staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Jeanie Jovanova, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 10 and 11 December 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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