Park Junior School, Wellingborough

Inspection of a school judged Good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Park Junior School, Wellingborough Great Park Street, Wellingborough, Northamptonshire NN8 4PH

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Outcome

Park Junior School, Wellingborough has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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Outcome

The headteacher of this school is David Tebbutt. This school is part of the Northamptonshire Primary Academy 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), Julia Kedwards, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by James Marscheider.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Park Junior School is a welcoming and inclusive place where pupils thrive. Staff know the pupils well and create a warm, supportive environment in which they feel safe and confident. The school promotes a sense of belonging and community, underpinned by strong values. The school has high expectations of what pupils can achieve. Pupils show pride in their school and are keen to learn. They enjoy lessons and achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well in lessons and around the school. The atmosphere is calm and purposeful. Staff are fair and consistent. Pupils attend well, and families receive proactive support from the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school provides a wide range of extra-curricular activities. Pupils are encouraged to explore their talents, and experiences such as the Henry V dance interpretation performance at a public theatre enable them to develop new skills and confidence.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There is a clear vision for the school, which is rooted in its community. Parents are overwhelmingly supportive, with one commenting, ‘The school really cares about the all- round development of the children.’ 25 and 26 March 2025

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

The school has adopted a broad and ambitious curriculum, which takes into account its local context. It is carefully sequenced to build pupils’ knowledge over time. Pupils achieve well, and their performance in national curriculum tests are consistently close to or above national averages.

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

The school’s approach to reading builds on what the pupils have learned in their infant school. Pupils get extra help if they need it, which helps them catch up with their peers. However, pupils who read with confidence and fluency do not always read high-quality texts. Pupils are keen writers, but the teaching of handwriting and spelling is not given a high priority. As a result, the quality of work in pupils’ books does not always reflect pupils’ learning in lessons.

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

Teachers use their subject knowledge effectively. In mathematics, for example, teachers recap on previous learning before moving on to new content. They check that pupils’ knowledge is secure and adapt learning activities, which enables pupils to deepen their understanding. Pupils show positive learning habits. For example, they show maturity and focus when discussing their thinking with partners.

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

The school carefully plans the way that the curriculum is adapted for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and pupils who speak English as an additional language. The school swiftly and accurately identifies pupils’ needs in individual plans. Teaching assistants work closely with teachers and give effective support to pupils. The specially resourced provision for pupils with SEND (specially resourced provision) offers highly effective support for a small number of vulnerable pupils. These pupils benefit from a nurturing and tailored curriculum that enables them to develop confidence and skills

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

The personal development offer is a strength of the school. It reflects the context of the school and the needs of the pupils. Pupils are taught how to stay safe, including how to protect themselves online and how to maintain healthy relationships. They have a secure understanding of fundamental British Values and demonstrate respect and tolerance. Pupil leadership is encouraged through roles such as reading ambassadors and digital leaders. The school does not currently analyse attendance at after-school clubs and activities. This limits the school’s ability to identify and support pupils who might benefit most from these opportunities.

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

Leaders have a deep knowledge of the school and its community. They have a clear understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for development. Staff speak highly of the support they receive from leaders. The school has taken steps to help teachers manage their workload. Teachers benefit from high-quality professional development, provided by the school and trust. The governing body and trustees are well informed and provide effective oversight and challenge.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 25 and 26 March 2025

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school does ensure that the teaching of spelling and handwriting is as effective as it should be. The quality of the work in pupils’ books often does not reflect the quality of learning that takes place in lessons. This limits their effectiveness as a resource for pupils’ learning. The school should ensure that spelling and handwriting is taught effectively and that pupils’ work is of consistently high quality.  Leaders do not gather clear information as to whether all pupils are benefitting from the personal development opportunities that the school offers. As a result, it is not clear whether the pupils who would benefit most are accessing them. The school should ensure that this is carefully tracked and analysed and take action to ensure that pupils are supported to take up these opportunities.

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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 second ungraded inspection since we judged the predecessor school, Park Junior School, to be good for overall effectiveness in February 2013.

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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. 25 and 26 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). 25 and 26 March 2025

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School details

Website www.parkjuniorwellingborough.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school joined Northampton Primary Academy Trust on the 1 September 2022.  Park Junior School converted to become an academy school in September 2022. When its predecessor school, Park Junior School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be good for overall effectiveness.  The school has a specially resourced provision. This caters for pupils aged seven to 11 with social, emotional and mental health needs.  The school does not make use of any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s educational 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. 25 and 26 March 2025

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 The inspector met with trust leaders, a member of the board of trustees and representatives of the local governing body.  The inspector met with senior leaders of the school and considered a range of documents.  The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning 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 in lessons and around the school site.  The inspector spoke with groups of pupils and staff.  The inspector visited the school’s specially resourced provision.  The inspector considered the responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View,

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as well as Ofsted’s online surveys for staff and pupils.

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Inspection team

Paul Heery, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 25 and 26 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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