Parklee Community School

Inspection of Parklee Community School Wardour Street, Atherton, Wigan, Greater Manchester M46 0AR

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 11 and 12 March 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ well-being is just as important to leaders as their academic achievements at this happy school. Pupils enjoy attending school. They appreciate the warm relationships that exist throughout the school and the high level of care that staff provide. Pupils are very confident that staff would support them with any difficulties that they may have. This helps pupils to feel safe and secure.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school expects pupils to try their best in all aspects. Most pupils try hard to live up to these high expectations and behave well. The school swiftly identifies and supports the small minority of pupils who sometimes behave less well. Pupils are taught to behave well. They show sensitivity and kindness towards others. They learn to appreciate different cultures and perspectives.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils develop a strong understanding of the world around them because of the strengths in the school’s personal development offer. Pupils learn to understand themselves, as well as their place, in modern Britain. The school succeeds in its determination to prepare pupils very well for their next steps in education.

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

Pupils learn a curriculum that captures their interest and promotes their curiosity. Staff use their strong subject knowledge to explain ideas clearly. They make regular checks on what pupils know and remember. As a result of this, new learning is based on pupils’ prior knowledge. Pupils typically build a secure body of knowledge across a range of subjects. However, in a small number of subjects in the wider curriculum, the school has not set out the most important knowledge that pupils should learn with enough clarity. Where this is the case, pupils do not learn as well as they could.

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

The school places reading at the centre of the curriculum. Starting in the early years, children learn to love and respect books. Children in the Nursery build the essential listening skills that they need to make a secure start on the phonics programme in Reception. As pupils continue to follow the programme through key stage 1, staff skilfully spot any pupils who fall behind with the pace of the programme. These pupils receive the extra help that they need to catch up quickly. Older pupils talk with confidence about their favourite books. They share their love of reading with younger pupils and act as reading role models.

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

Leaders fulfil their vision to make the school inclusive for everyone. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive the support that they need to learn with success. This is because staff identity pupils’ needs at the earliest opportunity. They make regular checks on the effectiveness of the support that pupils receive. Consequently, pupils with SEND learn well as confident and independent learners.

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

Children in the early years get off to a strong start. They settle into the routines and expectations of the school quickly. Staff understand how young children learn. They design learning that excites children and helps them to reflect on what they already know. 11 and 12 March 2025

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The curriculum in the early years helps children to deepen their understanding. Children have many opportunities to practise writing. For example, they apply their phonics knowledge whilst engaging in imaginative role play activities. They leave the early years well prepared for the curriculum in Year 1.

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Pupils’ personal development is important to the school. The school finds out what pupils’ talents and interests are and provides opportunities for them to flourish. Many pupils take part in competitive events. The school makes sure that there are no barriers to pupils being able to participate. Pupils learn to take responsibility through the wide range of leadership roles that they hold. They fulfil their duties with pride. Through these roles pupils learn that their voice can make a difference. They are very well prepared to be active citizens in their community with a rich understanding of the world around them.

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Respectful relationships feature throughout the school. Pupils are kind and courteous. They look out for each other and describe the school as being like a family. The school takes effective action to support families where pupils’ attendance causes them concern. They work closely with families to ensure that pupils attend school regularly.

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Staff feel proud to work at the school. They value how the school takes their views into consideration. This positively impacts their workload and well-being. Governors have a secure understanding of the school’s effectiveness. They hold leaders to account for the quality of education that pupils receive.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects in the wider curriculum, the school has not set out the most important knowledge that it wants pupils to learn. Where this is the case, teachers are not consistent in returning to this knowledge over time. The school should identify the key knowledge in these subjects so that teachers enable pupils to know and remember more over time.

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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. 11 and 12 March 2025

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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 March 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 17 and 18 September 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not use any alternative provision for pupils.  There is a before- and after-school club that is run by the school.  The headteacher has joined the school since the previous inspection.

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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. 11 and 12 March 2025

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 This was the first routine inspection 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.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, history and design technology. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The lead inspector observed pupils from Years 1 to 3 read to a familiar adult.  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.

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 The lead inspector spoke with members of the governing body, including the chair.  The inspectors spoke with staff. They also took account of the responses to Ofsted’s online survey for staff.  The inspectors met with the leaders who are responsible for attendance, behaviour and pupils’ personal development.  The inspectors looked at a range of policies and documentation relating to pupils’ welfare and education. They observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons and around the school.  Inspectors spoke to parents and carers at the start and end of the school day. They took account of the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments.  The inspectors spoke with groups of pupils about their experiences at school. They took account of the responses to Ofsted’s online pupil survey, including the free-text comments.

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Inspection team

Jane Dennis, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Jude Lomas Ofsted Inspector 11 and 12 March 2025

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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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