Parklands Primary School

Parklands Primary School

Address: Dufton Approach, LS14 6ED, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS14 6ED Unique reference number (URN): 107943

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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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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Pupils' attendance has been below average over time. Leaders' determined and effective work to reduce absence has begun to bring improvements. This is particularly the case for some groups of pupils that leaders have focused upon. There is a sustained reduction in persistent absence. A considerable number of pupils join the school part way through their education. Some of these pupils have developed poor routines and attitudes to school. Staff work tirelessly with pupils, families and the relevant agencies to improve pupils' attendance. Regular rewards for pupils and updates to parents and carers ensure attendance is everyone’s responsibility. Leaders regularly review and adapt their approach to suit pupils' needs and circumstances.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Behaviour at the school is calm and purposeful. Pupils typically have positive attitudes to their learning. Pupils apply themselves to tasks well and engage in lessons. Staff use rewards to emphasise positive pupil achievement. Bullying is not tolerated. Leaders have undertaken deliberate work to ensure this is well understood. The school emphasises inclusivity and diversity. Pupils are kind and supportive of one another. At social times, pupils interact maturely and respond well to adult interactions. Staff form positive relationships with pupils.

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Early years Expected standard

Leaders recognise the importance of the early years in establishing secure foundations for later learning. The early years curriculum clearly identifies what children will learn and in what order. Expectations for children’s progress are clearly set out. Leaders continually develop the provision. Some of these improvements are more embedded than others. However, children typically make effective progress from their varied starting points and are well prepared for their next stage of learning.

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Early years Expected standard

Teaching in the early years is undertaken by knowledgeable staff. On occasion, teaching is not as well adapted to children's stage of learning as it might be. Staff prioritise the teaching of reading. There are frequent opportunities for staff to read to pupils. Staff often model high- quality vocabulary to develop children’s language. Adults in the setting generally engage well with children to enhance their learning. However, interactions between adults and children do not consistently promote learning and language development.

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Early years Expected standard

Children’s wellbeing is prioritised. Staff care for and support children well. The learning environment is typically well-resourced and inviting. Leaders understand individual children’s barriers to learning. These are typically considered when planning new learning. Children’s achievement is improving steadily over time. Children develop important reading and writing skills ahead of joining Year 1.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders give considerable thought to how to identify and support pupils' additional needs. They have undertaken a thorough review of the special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) register as well as considerable work to understand pupils' varied starting points. Consequently, pupils with SEND generally receive effective support. Individual support plans reflect pupils' needs precisely. Staff receive training on how to adapt the curriculum to meet pupils' needs in lessons. This training is still being embedded. Pupils who attend the school’s specially resourced provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities benefit from a highly tailored curriculum and support from staff who understand their needs well.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The school has a clear and strategic approach to supporting pupils who are eligible for pupil premium funding. Leaders are beginning to check more thoroughly how effective the support for these pupils is. They identify and remove barriers to help pupils to achieve their full potential. Leaders prioritise the wellbeing of disadvantaged pupils. Equally, pupils who are known to social care are well understood by leaders. They recognise the challenges these pupils might face to achieving well and take deliberate steps to remove these.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Pupils who speak English as an additional language form a significant part of the school’s cohort. Adaptations for these pupils to help them access the curriculum are typically effective.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders understand the strengths and areas for improvement at the school. They balance competing priorities well and take appropriate action to bring about change. Improvements continue, notably in the teaching of reading, embedding inclusive practice and attendance monitoring. Leaders' work has led to consistent improvement over time in many areas of their work. However, more remains to be done to ensure that all pupils experience a high- quality education and achieve well across the curriculum. Some leaders are new to their posts or have taken on additional responsibilities of late. This has slowed the pace of change in some priority areas.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Most governors are also new to their roles and are still developing their understanding and expertise. However, there are effective systems and processes to help them monitor the school and hold leaders to account. Governors can give clear examples of the positive impact those responsible for governance have had on the school over time. Governors have a strong understanding of their statutory duties and how to hold leaders to account.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Staff are proud to work at the school. The school has undergone significant change over time. Staff say that their workload is typically well considered by leaders. Staff wellbeing surveys have been conducted. However, some staff state that wellbeing support is not as effective as it could be. The school is outward looking and engages with its parents and community. Leaders actively support families through a range of initiatives including mental health, housing and financial support. Leaders consistently act in the best interests of pupils and their families.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

The school’s curriculums for personal, social and health education and relationships education are appropriate to pupils' age and stage of education. Pupils know about relevant risks and how to keep themselves safe online and in the community. Leaders are engaged

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Needs attention

in a project to enhance pupils' mental health and resilience. This work is at an early stage. Pupils' understanding of mental health and wellbeing is limited at present. Pupils appreciate the importance of being a good friend and respecting one another. Leaders provide meaningful opportunities for pupils to engage with different cultures. However, pupils do not have a secure understanding of the different faiths taught by the school. Leaders have taken deliberate steps to improve this. For example, visiting speakers help pupils deepen their appreciation of others' differences.

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Needs attention

There are frequent and varied pupil leadership opportunities on offer at the school. These promote cooperation and collaboration between pupils. By electing their peers for the student council, pupils develop an appreciation of democratic processes. However, pupils' knowledge of British values more widely is not fully embedded. Pupils understand the important values that the school teaches such as respect, kindness and self-belief. Pupils recognise the importance of not discriminating against others. The school's pastoral care offer is of a high quality. Staff support pupils' wellbeing very effectively.

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Needs attention

Leaders prioritise disadvantaged pupils when planning enrichment opportunities to ensure equal access for all. This work is supported by staff and governors who are committed to equality of opportunity. There are a range of clubs on offer at the school. At present, a relatively small number of pupils participate in these. Leaders listen to different opinions about which activities might benefit pupils most. These views help to shape a meaningful enrichment offer at the school. Careers education is woven into pupils' education from an early age.

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Achievement Needs attention

Leaders prioritise securing pupils' basic knowledge and skills. The teaching of reading for younger pupils is a strength of the school. More pupils now read with confidence and fluency. Increasingly, this applies to older pupils as well. However, pupils' transcription skills and number knowledge are still too variable. This impacts upon how well prepared some pupils are for the next stage of their education.

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Achievement Needs attention

Pupils often join the school with considerable gaps in their education or speaking English as an additional language. These gaps are identified and filled better by some staff then others. Gaps in attainment between disadvantaged pupils and their peers are closing. Some pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities make very effective progress from their starting points. However, this is not consistently the case. Pupils’ attainment in national tests has been below the national average over time.

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Achievement Needs attention

Leaders are ambitious that pupils will develop a deep, rich body of knowledge across the curriculum. However, pupils' learning in subjects other than English and mathematics is underdeveloped.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Leaders understand that there is more to do to ensure that staff teach the curriculum consistently well. Leaders have identified several pressing priorities for improvement, but only some of these have so far been rectified. Leaders' focus on securing pupils' basic skills in reading, writing and mathematics has been successful in the main. The curriculums in each subject have a clear structure. This helps guide staff through what to teach and when. The school has a consistent and effective approach for teaching pupils to read. Strategies to improve writing and understanding of number are less consistently embedded at present.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

The school’s curriculum continues to undergo considerable change. Where these changes have been most effective, staff now follow clear sequences of learning. However, staff are sometimes unsure how to adapt this learning to meet individual pupils' needs.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Staff do not consistently check what pupils know and can do before planning new learning or making activity choices. They do not use prior learning effectively to plan the next steps for each pupil. When this happens, pupils do not learn the knowledge and skills that leaders intend. Sometimes, activity choices prioritise pupil engagement rather than the intended learning set out within the curriculum.

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

Pupils enjoy attending this diverse and nurturing school which is at the heart of its community. Pupils state that they feel safe and well supported by staff. Relationships are a strength of the school. Staff take the time to get to know pupils and their individual needs and interests. This helps to foster a supportive and caring school culture. Bullying is rare and pupils say when it does happen, it is handled effectively by staff. Pupils have an adult they would speak to if something worried them. Pupils support one another well. There share positive relationships with their peers. Play leaders and school council members are proud of their roles and the impact they have on others.

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

Leaders have high expectations for pupils' achievement and the quality of teaching at the school. While both have improved, pupils have not achieved as well as they should have done over time. They are not as well prepared for the next stage of their education as they might be. Teachers do not consistently respond to gaps in pupils' knowledge and skills when planning new learning. This is beginning to change. Where the curriculum and teaching practice is securely embedded, pupils are now making better progress through the curriculum than they did in the past.

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

Typically, pupils engage well with their learning. They are keen to contribute to lessons. This also applies to children in the early years. The youngest children at the school benefit from a variety of learning activities that are increasingly well considered. Enrichment opportunities at the school help pupils to engage with their education more deeply. These include a variety of visiting speakers, educational trips and an effective rewards system. Pupils appreciate the recognition they get for working hard and attending regularly. Increasingly, they understand the value of both of these for their future success.

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Next steps

Leaders should ensure the curriculum is consistently taught well and that staff draw on their knowledge of pupils' starting points, particularly those who are disadvantaged, when planning new learning or adapting existing activities. Leaders should ensure that pupils develop the foundational knowledge and skills they need to be well prepared for the next stage of their education and that this is reflected in their attainment in national tests and examinations. Leaders should maintain their focus on reducing pupil absence so that rapid and sustained improvement is secured and pupils attend at least as well as their peers nationally. Leaders should ensure the school’s programme of personal development is extensive and highly tailored to the school’s context and that pupils develop secure and detailed knowledge across the personal, social and health education curriculum.

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About this inspection

The chair of the board of governors in this school is Sue Hawkshaw.

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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, other senior leaders, the special educational needs coordinator and designated safeguarding leader. The lead inspector also met with those responsible for governance and a representative of the local authority. One inspector met with the head of the virtual school during the inspection.

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About this inspection

The school includes a specially resourced provision for 25 pupils with speech, language and communication difficulties, an autism spectrum diagnosis or moderate learning difficulties.

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About this inspection

The school currently uses no alternative provision.

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About this inspection

The school has undergone a significant change since the last inspection, including several changes to the senior leadership team.

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Team inspectors:

Alison Black, Ofsted Inspector Vicki Shaw, Ofsted Inspector

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Facts and figures used on inspection

This was the data available at the time of the full inspection, taken from different sources . More recent data may have been published since the full inspection took place.

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Facts and figures used on inspection

The inspector(s) used this data during the full inspection on 16 June 2026

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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 6 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 needs support 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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What does this mean?

The type of Special Educational Needs provision provided at the school (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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Pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics.

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average

2023/24 (final) 67% 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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average

2024/25 (final) 37% 47% 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 (final) 60% 63% 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 (final) 50% 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

2023/24 (final) 61% 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

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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