Park View School

Inspection of Park View School Church Chare, Chester le Street, County Durham DH3 3QA

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

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The headteacher of this school is Andrew Finley. This school is the only school in a single academy trust, which means the board of trustees also has responsibility for running the school. This board is chaired by Kevin Reynolds. 8 and 9 April 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Park View learn to be resilient, respectful and empathetic. This helps to create a positive learning atmosphere. The school has high expectations for its pupils to achieve well. Pupils rise to this challenge and thrive in their studies. The school supports pupils and makes their educational journey lively and engaging.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ behaviour in school is calm. They understand what the school expects of them in class and during social times.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The sixth-form provision is excellent. Students thrive and enjoy being part of a high- performing sixth form and achieve exceptional outcomes. Students benefit from a breadth of study routes and enrichment activities. For instance, they play sport, travel abroad and join in with social efforts to help others.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s extra-curricular offer broadens pupils’ experiences. There is a wide range of opportunities, which includes acting, singing and board games clubs. Pupils smile and have fun as they engage with a wide variety of activities during and after school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school provides a warm welcome to all. Staff understand pupils’ needs well, including any special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). This helps pupils believe in their worth and feel valued.

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

The school provides pupils with a diverse curriculum that sets out the knowledge they should acquire. Knowledgeable subject teachers bring lessons to life and add clear meaning to content. All pupils, including those with SEND, can study a range of subjects. The staff understand the importance of meeting pupils’ needs and removing any barriers to learning. For example, teachers provide additional resources and bring in members of the special educational needs team to help in class where necessary. This helps improve learning. While the attainment of pupils is high, leaders know the progress of some pupils is lagging behind at times, and leaders are taking steps to tackle this.

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

Pupils learn well over time. The school offers personal support to pupils as they get ready for work and education after Year 11 and/or the sixth form. Careers guidance is individualised and unbiased. Pupils are presented with a variety of options for their next steps.

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

When pupils join the school, the school welcomes them and makes an effort to understand the child. The school identifies and meets the needs of pupils effectively. The school values and integrates daily reading opportunities for all. Teachers spot pupils who may require additional reading help and support them to become skilled readers quickly.

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

The school’s core values are built around care and respect. Teachers reinforce, develop and apply these values from day one. This supports pupils to be tolerant and show a strong social awareness of others. 8 and 9 April 2025

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Expectations for pupils’ behaviour are high. Pupils told inspectors about how their behaviour and attitudes to learning have improved over time with the support of staff. The school celebrates success, and pupils aspire to be their best selves. Staff are proud of pupils’ successes.

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The sixth form has the academy of sport that draws students from far and wide. Students receive high-quality coaching and academic support. There are numerous examples of individual and team success in national sport. However, the sixth form is much more than sport. Study programmes are diverse and are supported by many extracurricular opportunities. The school values students, and in turn, students value the opportunities it offers them.

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The school’s personal development offer has many valuable aspects. For example, in ‘Active Starts’, pupils take part in activities ranging from sports and arts to off-site trips. The school offers many local, European and worldwide educational visits. Travelling and seeing the world is very much part of the offer to pupils at Park View. The school runs a Combined Cadet Programme, where students develop their exceptional leadership skills and are given opportunities to put these skills into practice. There are some areas of the school’s personal development offer where delivery lacks consistency. Not all planned sessions are implemented with the same rigour, which can result in some pupils receiving a less cohesive experience. For example, a few pupils showed some uncertainty when asked about fundamental British values, indicating that key messages are not always embedded as securely as intended.

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Trustees have a detailed knowledge of the school. They offer support and challenge to school leaders, which informs their strategic decisions.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some aspects of the delivery of school’s programme for personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education are not yet fully developed. Planned content is not delivered to a consistently high standard. As a result, some pupils do not fully grasp certain key concepts. The school should now ensure that all elements of the taught PSHE curriculum are delivered effectively and with consistency so that all pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain. 8 and 9 April 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). 8 and 9 April 2025

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provision

Number of pupils on the school roll 1,614

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form

Dates of previous inspection 14 and 15 December 2022, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school currently uses three unregistered provisions.  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.

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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. 8 and 9 April 2025

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 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.  The lead inspector met with trustees.  Inspectors met with senior and middle leaders, including those responsible for safeguarding, personal development, careers, attendance and behaviour.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, mathematics, science, art and design, history and modern foreign languages. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Members of the inspection team looked at a range of documentation regarding the support that pupils with SEND receive. Inspectors looked at the quality of the provision

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for pupils with SEND across the school.  Inspectors scrutinised a range of documentation, including minutes of governance meetings.  Inspectors looked at a range of information regarding behaviour. Inspectors observed the behaviour of pupils at social times.  Inspectors spoke with pupils and staff formally and informally throughout the inspection. Responses to Ofsted’s surveys for staff, pupils and parents were considered by the inspection team.  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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Inspection team

Richard Jones, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Jacqui Johnson Ofsted Inspector 8 and 9 April 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 looked-after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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