Parkgate Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Parkgate Primary School Parkgate Road, Coventry, West Midlands CV6 4GF

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Outcome

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

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Outcome

The headteacher of this school is Zoe Richards. This school is part of The Futures 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), Chris Jupp, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Tony Fitzpatrick.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Everyone feels they belong in this caring school. Keeping pupils safe and prioritising their social and emotional well-being is key at this school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Many pupils start school with lower starting points than are typical. For some, it is their first school in a new country. Nevertheless, the school is ambitious for all pupils to succeed. Children get off to a flying start in Nursery. Most pupils achieve well as they leave school. Outcomes in mathematics are stronger than those nationally.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s values of ‘right to learn, right to be safe and right to be respected’ set the expectations for pupils’ behaviour. Classrooms are calm, and pupils want to learn. Pupils are polite and friendly. They enjoy activities such as the mud kitchen and ‘Costa del Parkgate’ sandpits which keep them engaged outside.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s rich extra-curricular offer is exemplified by the ‘Parkgate Promise’, which ensures pupils experience a range of activities. These include the chance to splash in the sea, walk through a forest, feed, handle and care for animals, learn gardening skills, visit the circus and meet a scientist. A range of clubs such as performing arts, ‘woolly club’, photography, martial arts and sports, provide further opportunities for pupils.

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

The school’s curriculum is ambitious. It provides pupils with a rich diet of learning across 11 and 12 March 2025

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all subjects. Pupils now learn the knowledge and skills they need to deepen their understanding. This enables them to think, for example, like an artist or a historian. Teachers receive training to become experts in the subjects they teach. Teachers present information clearly and enthuse pupils. This means engagement in lessons is high.

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Teachers recap learning, and pupils can recall their recent learning across the curriculum. However, some pupils struggle to talk about their learning. This means they do not develop their communication skills and deepen their subject learning as well as they could. Leaders are aware of this. The school has introduced a new project to increase pupils’ ability to articulate ideas and develop their understanding. This is still in its early stages of implementation.

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Leaders are relentless about removing any barriers to learning so pupils can achieve highly. The school has recently changed its approach to teaching writing so children learn how to form letters correctly from the early years.

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Routines are established quickly for the youngest children. This prepares them well for their next steps in school. Children in the early years cooperate well with one another and enjoy warm relationships with staff. There is a sharp focus on developing early English and mathematics skills. A love of reading is encouraged. Staff help children learn the sounds needed to read. Effective support is given to those pupils who struggle to keep up with their reading.

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The school has responded rapidly to the increasing proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Identifying the emerging needs of these pupils is particularly swift, including in the early years. Teachers adapt teaching materials well so pupils with SEND can learn the same knowledge as their peers. When appropriate, some pupils also receive well-considered, one-to-one support so they do not miss out on learning important ideas in a subject.

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The school has high expectations for pupils’ behaviour. Classrooms are purposeful, and pupils learn free from distractions. Pupils value the rewards they earn for positive behaviour. Older pupils particularly value their ‘PARC’ tokens, which they deposit at the ‘Parkgate bank’. Pupils get the chance to save these tokens for larger rewards or spend them on smaller ones. Highly trained staff provide effective support for those pupils who need it.

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Improving pupils’ attendance is a high priority for the school. The pastoral team works with parents and carers to encourage good attendance. Teachers also take an active role in promoting good attendance. This has led to an improvement in the number of pupils who attend regularly.

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The school’s commitment to promoting pupils’ personal development is especially strong. Pupils’ character development is a focus throughout their time in school. Pupils talk knowledgeably about tolerating and respecting each other. Pupils are encouraged to consider whether girls and boys have the same opportunities in their school, in jobs and across the world. This helps them understand equality. Pupil ‘language ambassadors’ promote diversity. They support newly arrived pupils and help the school plan its annual 11 and 12 March 2025

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languages event. This work helps prepare pupils very well for life in modern Britain.

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The school has built on its strengths since the previous inspection. Pupils benefit from the decisions taken on their behalf by school leaders. Governors and the trust know the school well. They use their extensive skills to offer support and challenge to school leaders. Staff are proud to work at the school. They value leaders’ efforts to consider their workload and well-being.

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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 equipped with the skills needed to communicate their knowledge and understanding well. This means they struggle to make links between their learning and, therefore, do not achieve as well as they could. Leaders should further embed the new strategies to improve pupils’ communication skills so pupils can communicate well and be prepared for their next steps.

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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.

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Background

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in January 2020. 11 and 12 March 2025

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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). 11 and 12 March 2025

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 14 and 15 January 2020, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of The Futures Trust.  The school uses one alternative provision.

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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 inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors met with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher, the assistant headteachers, the leader who oversees SEND, subject leaders, teachers, the school’s business manager and the deputy designated safeguarding lead.  The lead inspector also met with the deputy CEO, the CEO, members of the trust’s human resources team, members of the trust and members of the local governing 11 and 12 March 2025

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body. She also spoke to an improvement adviser who works with the school.  The inspectors visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke with pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  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 inspectors examined a range of school documentation.  The inspectors took account of responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text responses. They also considered responses to Ofsted’s staff and pupil surveys. The inspectors spoke to a range of staff and pupils to gather their views of the school.

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Inspection team

Donna O’Toole, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Martina Abbott 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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