Park Brow Community Primary School

Park Brow Community Primary School

Address: Broad Lane, Southdene, Kirkby, Liverpool, Liverpool, Merseyside, L32 6QH Unique reference number (URN): 104429

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, pupils are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect schools for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The school has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. All legal requirements are met. Not met: The school has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Leaders have built strategically upon the strengths of the personal development programme to ensure that fundamental British values are not only taught, but are securely embedded in pupils' everyday interactions. Pupils show a mature and detailed awareness of different beliefs, cultures and viewpoints. They demonstrate respect and a positive understanding of difference.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Leaders' promotion of diversity is deliberate and carefully woven through the curriculum and wider school life. This ensures that pupils' understanding is deepened over time. For example, diversity week is used to reinforce prior learning through workshops and the study of inspirational people, while leaders draw meaningfully on pupils' own backgrounds. Activities such as sharing food from a Nigerian restaurant enable pupils to value the diversity within their school community. This approach strengthens pupils' sense of identity and belonging and prepares them extremely well for life in modern Britain.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

The personal, social, health and economic education curriculum is coherently planned and sequenced to develop pupils' skills progressively. Pupils speak with confidence about managing money, understanding risk and recognising the dangers of debt, particularly as a result of a well-designed Year 6 project. Other projects, such as one developed with a local university, have been designed to raise pupils' aspirations. The curriculum also supports pupils to develop a secure understanding of healthy relationships. Pupils identify the features of positive friendships readily, know when to resist peer pressure and understand how to keep themselves safe. They apply this learning sensibly in real-life situations.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Leaders ensure that the personal development offer is inclusive and responsive to the needs of all pupils, including those who are disadvantaged and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Adaptations enable all pupils to participate fully and benefit equally. Leaders check the quality and impact of provision regularly, ensuring that personal development is a consistent strength across the school.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders have put in place a clear curriculum that defines and sequences the key knowledge that they want pupils to know in all subjects. They have ensured that there is a focus on securing the essential knowledge in English and mathematics before moving on to more complex learning. For example, the consistent teaching of phonics is helping pupils to secure a much better understanding of letters and the sounds they need to know. This is starting to make a difference to pupils' achievement. For example, there has been a marked improvement in pupils' language development. Leaders have put in place effective interventions to support pupils who have gaps in their learning. However, these interventions are at an early stage of making a difference to pupils in terms of their overall achievement. Teachers’ subject knowledge has been enhanced by high-quality staff development. Staff have a secure subject knowledge, which helps inform the questions that they ask pupils.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

They demonstrate learning well to pupils and anticipate any common misconceptions to help deepen pupils’ understanding. Teachers understand pupils' needs well and know how to adapt their teaching to address a diverse range of needs. This supports pupils well, including those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, those who have social care involvement or those who face other barriers to their learning.

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Early years Expected standard

The curriculum in the early years sets clear expectations for children's achievement. Leaders have thought carefully about how the 2- and 3-year-old provision lays the foundations for children's future learning. For example, leaders have put in place a consistent approach to phonics by introducing children to different sounds in Nursery before matching sounds to letters in Reception. The mathematics curriculum is similarly focused on developing children's early mathematical development.

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Early years Expected standard

Leaders have focused on developing the interactions that staff have with children. They have ensured that all adults consistently ask children questions to deepen their understanding. Where these exchanges are most effective, staff explore children's thinking, gently coaxing them to investigate their surroundings and work cooperatively with others. These developments have been particularly successful in strengthening children’s language knowledge and widening their vocabulary. However, more time is needed for these improvements to be fully realised in children’s outcomes. The tasks children complete are well designed to ensure that learning is revisited and consolidated, helping them to remember key knowledge. As a result, children achieve well by the end of the Reception year, and this continues to improve. They are well prepared for the Year 1 curriculum.

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Early years Expected standard

Staff work closely with parents and carers to promote learning at home. This is exemplified in the higher attendance of parents at workshops that have been commissioned or led by the school.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders have remodelled adult support to better cater for pupils' needs. For example, they have put in place strategies at the start of the school day to support pupils to settle well so that they are ready to learn. Leaders identify children’s additional needs as early as possible in the early years. Across the school, staff effectively address the barriers to learning that affect some pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who have social care involvement. Leaders link well with other agencies, ensuring that any advice is put in place to meet pupils' needs. For example, the school works well with the local authority to provide effective support for the growing number of pupils with English as an additional language who join the school. Staff understand the staged approach to supporting pupils’ learning. Support intensifies if pupils are not moving through the curriculum as quickly

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Inclusion Expected standard

as staff expect. Staff use tried-and-tested interventions that are starting to make a positive difference to pupils' achievement. Leaders assure themselves about the quality of support pupils receive by checking on how well pupils progress across the curriculum.

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Needs attention

The school’s strategy for addressing the needs of disadvantaged pupils is also starting to show signs of improvement because of the way in which pupils’ needs are being addressed. This can be seen in the rising achievement of disadvantaged pupils at the end of key stage 2.

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Achievement Needs attention

Pupils' achievement has been hampered by a legacy of low attendance in recent years. Leaders are taking positive steps to improve this. These actions are starting to show early signs of improvement in pupils' attainment and recall of key knowledge. For example, at the end of key stage 2 in 2025, there was a marked improvement for disadvantaged pupils who now achieve as well as their peers in reading, writing and mathematics. However, overall achievement for all pupils over recent years has been low in a number of subjects. Pupils' recall of knowledge in subjects across the curriculum is beginning to improve. However, some pupils who have missed a significant proportion of their education due to absence have gaps in the essential basic knowledge that they need. The school has only recently started to put in place the support pupils need to close those gaps. As such, some pupils are not as well prepared for their next steps in their education as they should be.

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Attendance and behaviour Needs attention

Too many pupils miss too much of their education. As such, attendance of these pupils continues to hinder their achievement. Leaders have started to tackle the legacy of pupil absence. They are establishing more effective relationships with parents and carers to lay the foundations for pupils' improved attendance. Their efforts are making a significant difference to some of the most vulnerable pupils and their families by reducing persistent absence for some of these pupils. However, these improvements are not widespread enough.

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Attendance and behaviour Needs attention

Leaders have been successful in establishing positive behaviour among pupils across the school. They have established a calm and positive environment in which pupils settle well and are ready to learn. Pupils feel well supported by staff at the start of the day and have positive attitudes to learning. Leaders have ensured that pupils are respectful of one another's opinions and feelings.

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Attendance and behaviour Needs attention

Staff apply the behaviour policy consistently well. The rare instances of misbehaviour and/or bullying are dealt with swiftly by staff so that they do not persist. Pupils appreciate the high level of care that staff show for their wellbeing. This often individualised level of support includes adjustments for vulnerable pupils.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Despite recent positive changes introduced by leaders, some aspects of the school’s improvement have not been addressed swiftly enough over time. This is partly due to periods of disruption in leadership. Pupils’ achievement across the school is only beginning to show early signs of improvement. This reflects a legacy of low attendance and staff not identifying and addressing gaps in pupils’ learning quickly enough.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Nevertheless, leaders and governors have a clear and accurate understanding of the school’s strengths and what needs to be done to improve the school. They have prioritised key actions to tackle low attendance and raise achievement. Decisions are consistently taken in the best interests of pupils, particularly those who are vulnerable and require additional support. Governors undertake their duties effectively. They assure themselves of the quality of actions to improve the school by asking questions and holding leaders to account. They are rightly proud of the school's inclusive culture.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Staff benefit from a well-considered programme of professional development and speak positively about how leaders support their wellbeing and manage workload effectively. Leaders’ engagement with parents and carers is improving rapidly. Parents spoken to during the inspection were overwhelmingly positive about how leaders involve them in their children’s education.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils see Park Brow school as a place of stability and warmth where they feel safe and understood. They have positive relationships with staff who know them well and nurture them as individuals. Pupils are proud to be part of the school.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils understand and respect the differences and opinions of others. Leaders ensure that pupils who have had involvement with social care, those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who are disadvantaged, benefit from the wide range of experiences that are on offer at the school. Clubs are based on pupils’ interests and needs. For example, pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, have the opportunity to join in a rock band where they learn to cooperate and mix with other pupils.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils conduct themselves well around school and have productive relationships with their peers. They are polite and respectful. Staff consistently praise pupils for their positive behaviours to bring about a calm and purposeful environment. Bullying is not tolerated, and when it does occur, staff tackle it decisively.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils enjoy learning and are invested in their education. Leaders have secured improvements to the quality of the curriculum and teaching so that most pupils are beginning to learn well. Leaders are starting to address the barriers to learning for pupils who are disadvantaged and the increasing number of pupils who have English as an additional language. However, this action is not yet securing the improvements in pupils' overall achievement, which is below the national average. There are early signs of improvements for some groups of pupils.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

The school community has experienced turbulence in staffing in recent years. Governors and new school leaders are now bringing about positive changes to the school. However, many of the improvements are only just starting to show the early signs of change. Although the quality of the curriculum and the way in which it is taught is of an acceptable standard, the attendance of some pupils is still hampering their achievement.

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Next steps

• Leaders should continue to strengthen engagement with parents and carers to improve pupils’ attendance. • Leaders should ensure that staff provide consistent and effective support for pupils who have gaps in their learning to raise achievement over time. • Leaders should further support staff to ensure that pupils secure foundational knowledge more consistently. • Leaders should further ensure that they act with greater precision to tackle the school’s areas for development of improving attendance and achievement more rapidly.

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About this inspection

The chair of the board of governors in this school is Anna Truesdale.

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About this inspection

Inspectors carried out this full inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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About this inspection

Following our renewed inspection framework, all inspections are now led by His Majesty’s Inspectors (HMIs) or by Ofsted Inspectors (OIs) who have previously served as HMIs.

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About this inspection

Inspectors spoke with the headteacher, deputy headteacher and other school leaders. They also spoke to a representative from the governing body and the local authority.

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About this inspection

The inspectors confirmed the following information about the school:

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About this inspection

The school has undergone a significant change in leadership since the last inspection. The senior leadership team are all new to their roles. The current headteacher started her substantive post in September 2024.

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About this inspection

The school does not use any alternative provision.

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About this inspection

The school has provision for 2- and 3-year-olds.

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Team inspectors:

Liz Davidson, Ofsted Inspector Tom Johnson, Ofsted Inspector Michelle Pearson, Ofsted Inspector

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Facts and figures used on inspection

The data was used by the inspector(s) during the inspection. More recent data may have been published since the inspection took place.

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils currently at this school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils who can attend the school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with an education, health and care plan. This covers pupils with more support than is available through special educational needs support.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with reported special educational support needs at the school.

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What does this mean?

Based on the English Indices of Deprivation (2019) and the school's location, we have calculated whether the school is located in a more or less deprived area.

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What does this mean?

Whether school has Resourced Provision or SEND unit (if applicable).

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standards in a combined reading, writing and mathematics measure.

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in reading.

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing.

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average

2024/25 (revised) 67% 72% Close to average

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics.

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after.

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mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics.

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average

2024/25 (revised) 47% 47% Close to average

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national average

2022/23 (final) 32% 44% Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading.

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average

2024/25 (revised) 67% 63% Close to average

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average

2022/23 (final) 51% 60% Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher- assessed writing.

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average

2024/25 (revised) 61% 59% Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics.

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average

2024/25 (revised) 56% 61% Close to average

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average

2023/24 (final) 52% 59% Close to average

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average

2022/23 (final) 51% 59% Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance gap

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after. The school disadvantage gap is the difference between the performance of the school's disadvantaged pupils compared to the performance of all non-disadvantaged pupils nationally.

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mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics, including the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading and the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher- assessed writing and the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics and the disadvantaged gap.

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Overall absence

The percentage of all possible mornings and afternoons missed due to absence from school (for whatever reason, whether authorised or unauthorised) across all pupils.

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Persistent absence

The percentage of pupils missing 10% or more of their possible mornings and afternoons.

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other schools can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The school reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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Expected standard

The school is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The school needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

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Urgent improvement

services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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