Victoria Park Primary School

Victoria Park Primary School

Address: Atlas Road, Bedminster, Bristol, BS3 4QS Unique reference number (URN): 144863

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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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Early years Strong standard

Leaders have prioritised the early years. As a result, children in the early years get off to a flying start in their education. School leaders have ensured that there is an inspirational curriculum in place for the youngest children. Highly effective use of children’s starting points guides this curriculum and enables staff to adapt provision to precisely meet their needs. Due to the rigour around assessment and planning, children, particularly those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who are disadvantaged, progress well from their starting points. From the time children start school, they build a love of reading. The constant focus on developing children’s vocabulary is reinforced through whole-class story sessions that capture children’s attention. In addition, children enjoy role playing to understand how characters in stories might be feeling.

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Early years Strong standard

Ongoing high-quality interactions between children and staff ensure that gaps in knowledge or understanding are quickly addressed. Staff provide effective support to children who need additional help to catch up. Staff have high expectations of what children can achieve. They support children to achieve personal development targets across the curriculum. Staff describe the culture in early years as one where ‘nothing is left to chance’. This ensures that most children are well prepared for the next stage of their education.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

The provision for pupils' personal development is a strength of the school. Leaders have established a coherent, well-organised and ambitious programme for personal development and wellbeing. It is built around 5 pillars that ensure that pupils’ wider development is planned, sequenced and purposeful rather than incidental. Pupils speak with confidence and clarity about relationships, equality and diversity. They demonstrate warmth, respect and positivity around equality of opportunity and diversity of families and relationships. Pupils are clear about what healthy relationships should look like and the importance of consent. Pupils can also talk about different cultures and religions with a sense of appreciation and respect for those who lead lives different to their own.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Pupils speak confidently about fundamental British values and relate these to aspects of their school lives. Pupils have also visited council chambers to debate community issues such as littering, helping them understand democracy in action. This develops responsibility, resilience, confidence and active citizenship. As Year 6 pupils explained, 'Everyone is equal. Nobody is better than anyone else.'

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Pupils participate enthusiastically in a broad range of artistic, sporting, cultural and leadership opportunities. They speak positively about the extensive club offer and say there is always something to enjoy. Opportunities such as choir, cricket, music and art clubs help pupils to develop their talents and interests beyond the classroom. The 'school passport' provides a planned and progressive programme of enrichment experiences, ensuring that pupils develop confidence, resilience, cultural capital and wider life skills over time.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Through the school council and eco representatives, pupils make a meaningful contribution to decision-making, sustainability and the wider life of the school. Their work has led to

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Expected standard

tangible improvements, including changes to playtime resources, lunch options and environmental projects.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

School leaders have an unrelenting focus to improve rates of attendance to pre-covid levels. As a result, the number of pupils who attend school is now above the national average, and the number pupils who are persistently absent has also reduced. Across the school there are incentives that celebrate regular attendance. This means that pupils know the importance of coming to school. When necessary, the school works successfully with pupils and families to identify solutions to support those who struggle to attend regularly.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Leaders have high expectations for pupils' behaviour. The school behaviour policy is clearly understood. As a result, relationships between staff and pupils are polite and respectful. Pupils play well together on the playground. Older pupils demonstrate care and understanding for younger pupils and those who are different to them. Bullying is rare. If it does occur, the school deals with it swiftly and effectively. Classrooms are calm and orderly. Generally, pupils demonstrate a positive attitude towards their learning, and any off-task behaviour is swiftly addressed with sensitivity.

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Inclusion Expected standard

School leaders have high expectations for pupils who are disadvantaged and for those pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff know their pupils well, academically and emotionally. The school is skilled at quickly identifying the needs and barriers these pupils may face. There are effective systems to review the provision for these pupils. The support pupils receive is personalised and linked closely to their needs. Leaders and the school’s SEND team ensure that the impact of this personalised support has the intended impact. However, beyond this personalised support, some pupils with SEND and some disadvantaged pupils do not achieve as well as they could in class. This is because staff do not consistently check pupils’ errors in written work to identify misconceptions.

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Inclusion Expected standard

School leaders have ensured that there is ongoing professional development for staff so that they have the skills they need to support all pupils. The school plays an active role in the local SEND network as well as working with SEND support from the trust. The school’s strategy to support pupils who are eligible for additional funding has correctly focused on developing pupils’ communication and language skills. The school’s use of alternative provision is appropriate and based on supporting the needs of pupils.

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Achievement Needs attention

By the time they leave school, most pupils achieve well in national tests. However, published outcomes for disadvantaged pupils are well below the national average. While the school has had a renewed focus on improving outcomes for disadvantaged pupils, this is not consistently reflected in the quality of work pupils produce.

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Achievement Needs attention

In key stage 2, the work that pupils produce does not always reflect what they are capable of. Pupils, including those who are disadvantaged and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, have not secured the accuracy and fluency in spelling, handwriting and grammar to ensure that they are ready for the next stage of their education.

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Achievement Needs attention

Pupils in the early years and in key stage 1 are well supported to develop the foundational knowledge and skills in reading, writing and mathematics that they need. Effective modelling supports younger pupils to correct mistakes and develop fluency in handwriting. Any gaps in knowledge or understanding are swiftly identified and addressed.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Leaders have an informed understanding of teaching and the curriculum. However, in Key Stage 2, teaching does not always use assessment effectively. Teaching does not support pupils consistently to identify where they have made mistakes, spelled words incorrectly or have misconceptions. This means that pupils continue in their learning with ongoing gaps in their knowledge. Furthermore, teachers do not regularly adapt the learning activities to reflect what pupils know and can do. Pupils do not achieve as well as they should.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

The teaching of phonics is a strength of the school, and there are high expectations of what pupils can achieve when learning phonics. Staff skilfully and rigorously check pupils' understanding during these sessions. This supports pupils to learn the skills they need to read and decode unfamiliar words using their phonics knowledge well.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

The curriculum is ambitious and well planned. The key knowledge and skills that leaders want pupils to know and remember have been set out with precision. Teachers are skilled at presenting information clearly to pupils. Teaching includes an ongoing focus to develop pupils' oracy. For example, teachers expect pupils to reply to questions in full sentences to develop their speaking skills.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Leaders know the school’s context and the areas for development. While some aspects of their improvement work have been effective, leaders' monitoring of teaching and learning has not led to consistent improvements in the quality of work that pupils complete. Not all staff have high enough expectations of what pupils can achieve. For example, the work that pupils complete in books does not always reflect the high ambitions that leaders have. In some subjects, assessment and feedback to pupils is not always effective. This means pupils continue in their learning with gaps in their knowledge. The work pupils complete does not always reflect what they are capable of. As a result, pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, do not achieve as well as they could.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Leaders' recent school improvement work has focused primarily on improving pupils’ mathematical understanding, developing pupils’ oracy skills and ensuring that pupils know more and remember more over time. This development work is positively reflected in how pupils can explain what they have learned.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Governors have an understanding of the areas that the school needs to focus on to move forward. They support and challenge school leaders appropriately. However, aspects of leaders' monitoring do not always provide them with the information they need to challenge effectively. Governors and trustees support the school to fulfil its statutory duties.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Staff are supported through a well-considered programme of professional development and coaching. They say that their workload and wellbeing is considered when leaders make changes. Staff and parents are highly supportive of the school and school leaders.

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

Pupils are proud to attend their school. Pupils say that staff care for them and are there to support them. The school is calm, and pupils are happy and safe. Pupils and the school’s community embrace and live out the school’s values of respect, curiosity, kindness and determination.

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

Children in the early years begin their educational journey with momentum. They build the skills and knowledge they need to be successful. However, while published outcomes for older pupils are generally positive, pupils do not achieve as well as they should. Expectations for pupils' accurate use of handwriting, spelling and grammar are inconsistent. Furthermore, the misconceptions of older pupils are not always identified, which means they continue in their learning with gaps in their knowledge.

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

Throughout the school, pupils behave well. They are kind and caring towards one another. Incidents of bullying are rare. Pupils enjoy learning and coming to school. This is reflected in positive rates of attendance.

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

The provision for pupils’ personal development and wellbeing supports them to be highly prepared for life beyond school. It ensures that pupils develop the cultural understanding needed to contribute to society as responsible members of the community. The school council supports pupils to raise money for charity. Pupils value opportunities such as ‘Game Makers’ to develop their leadership skills and support younger pupils in their play. Pupils enjoy visits to farms, where they develop an understanding of the natural world. Visits to see local aviation attractions, Roman sites and historical ships help pupils to deepen their knowledge of what they have learned in class. Pupils are particularly proud of the opportunity to showcase their artwork when the school opens its doors to the public during the ‘Art on the Hill’ event.

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Next steps

Leaders should ensure that the school’s work on improving outcomes for disadvantaged pupils is having the intended impact and that governors and trustees hold leaders to account for the effectiveness of this work. Leaders should ensure that assessment and feedback are used consistently well to support teachers to design learning activities that build on what pupils know and can do. Leaders should strengthen writing across the Key Stage 2 curriculum, ensuring that there are high expectations for the accuracy of spelling, handwriting, punctuation and grammar. Leaders, governors and trustees should ensure that monitoring of teaching and learning, including the review of written work across Key Stage 2, focuses clearly on the impact on pupils’ achievement. This will enable them to identify promptly where further improvement is needed.

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About this inspection

This school is part of Amplify Education multi-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, Neil Blundell, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Sir David Eastwood.

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About this inspection

The chair of the board of governors in this school is Dan Foster.

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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, assistant headteachers, director of education, subject leaders, the special educational needs and/or disabilities coordinator team, governors and a trustee.

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About this inspection

The inspectors gathered parents’ views by considering the responses to Ofsted Parent View and by talking with parents and carers. The inspectors also reviewed responses to Ofsted’s online staff and pupil surveys.

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About this inspection

There is a before-school club for pupils who attend the school.

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About this inspection

The school makes use of 2 registered alternative provisions.

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Team inspectors:

Sean McKeown, Ofsted Inspector Helen Springett, Ofsted Inspector Sarah Ryder, 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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average

2024/25 (final) 64% 62% Close to average

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average

2023/24 (final) 59% 61% Close to average

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average

2022/23 (final) 53% 60% Close to average

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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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average

2024/25 (final) 71% 75% Close to average

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average

2022/23 (final) 74% 73% Close to average

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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 (final) 71% 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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average

2024/25 (final) 75% 74% Close to average

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average

2023/24 (final) 71% 73% Close to average

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average

2022/23 (final) 71% 73% Close to average

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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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national average

2023/24 (final) 41% 46% 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

2023/24 (final) 65% 62% Close to average

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average

2022/23 (final) 50% 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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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

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

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average

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

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average

2022/23 (final) 50% 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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national average

2024/25 (3 term) 5.6% 5.2% Close to average

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national average

2023/24 (3 term) 5.9% 5.5% Close to average

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Persistent absence

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

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national average

2024/25 (3 term) 13.7% 13.0% Close to average

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national average

2023/24 (3 term) 15.4% 14.6% Close to average

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national average

2022/23 (3 term) 12.8% 16.2% Close to average

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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

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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