Park View Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Work more closely with the families of those pupils with the most absence to improve their attendance levels.
• Improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment to ensure that the most able pupils, including those that are disadvantaged, make more rapid progress in mathematics, by:
  • offering more opportunities to practise using their mathematical skills to solve a wider range of problems in subjects across the curriculum
  • selecting tasks and problems that extend and deepen their understanding more effectively.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The interim headteacher provides excellent leadership for the school and since the previous inspection has fostered rapid improvements in teaching and learning. She is ambitious for the school and, along with an equally ambitious and supportive governing body, has moved the school forward.
• There have been several staff changes in leadership, and the interim headteacher has developed a collaborative and positive team spirit that permeates through the school. This ensures that the school meets its aim of ‘learning together, achieving forever’.
• Staff are very committed to improving the pupils’ achievement. In the online staff questionnaire, 100% of staff agreed that the school is well led and managed and that they are proud to be a member of Park View. A typical comment from staff was, ‘There is a strong sense of community – as a team we all strive to achieve the best for our children.’
• The quality of teaching, learning and assessment has improved because leaders, supported by governors, hold staff to account more closely for pupils’ achievement. Well-chosen staff training has enabled leaders to improve the quality of teaching and learning.
• The school has an accurate view of its work. Leaders have carefully considered plans for development and accurately identify aspects needing further improvement. They rigorously review the changes to assess their effectiveness. For example, leaders know that there is more to be done to improve the provision for the most able pupils in mathematics.
• Middle leaders contribute to school improvement effectively. They observe learning, lead training, and scrutinise pupils’ work and teachers’ planning. They have helped to eradicate weak teaching and develop a culture of continuous improvement.
• Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. An extensive range of educational visits and visitors to the school enrich their experiences. Pupils take part in elections for the school council and learn about democracy. They become aware of different faiths, through studying different cultures and festivals.
• The school is strongly committed to providing equality of opportunity, fostering good relationships and discouraging discrimination. Additional funding is used effectively to support pupils who have a range of special educational needs and/or disabilities.
• Leaders have developed the ‘Park View learner award’ which focuses on fostering pupils’ good behaviour. A Park View learner is ‘respectful, resilient, cooperative, open-minded, reflective and tolerant’. These principles enable pupils to have a very good understanding of British values. The school prepares them well for life in modern Britain.
• Carefully planned lessons, along with a wealth of extra activities, inspire and motivate pupils’ learning. Additional activities include residential trips, visitors to the school and performances at theatres. These activities help pupils to learn new skills and make a significant contribution to their personal as well as academic achievement.
• The school uses pupil premium funding effectively. The careful monitoring of the progress of disadvantaged pupils shows that, overall, the funding is having a positive impact on pupils’ rates of progress.
• The school uses sport premium funding effectively. Leaders use the funding to support staff training and for professional coaching to take place. The school provides a variety of sports and physical activities for pupils, including netball, football and hockey. Pupils enjoy sport, and participation in sport is high in the school.
• Parents and carers express support for the school’s leadership and all aspects of the school’s work. One parent’s view summed up the views of many others when they said, ‘I can’t fault the teaching. I wouldn’t fault this school for the world.’
• The school has a good relationship with the local authority, which has provided effective support and guidance to the school since the last inspection. This has been useful and constructive in supporting the improvements made.

Governance of the school

• Since the school’s last inspection, governors have been proactive in developing their roles. They share the passion of senior leaders to secure the best possible outcomes for pupils.
• The governing body provides effective support to the interim headteacher and senior leaders. Governors know how well the school is doing and how it compares with other schools through detailed reports from the interim headteacher and their own first-hand visits. They regularly visit classrooms and speak to subject leaders to gather evidence about the quality of teaching and learning.
• Governors ensure a clear link between pay and teachers’ performance. Governors do not tolerate weak teaching.
• Governors monitor the use of additional funding, both for pupil premium and the sports grant. Governors ensure that the pupil premium funding is beginning to diminish the difference in attainment between disadvantaged pupils and their peers.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Rigorous and robust systems are in place in all areas of safeguarding, and all staff understand them. The school sensitively handles relationships with parents and families that may need extra support and advice at times. There are effective relationships with other agencies to ensure that pupils are safe and that welfare needs are met. Regular and appropriate training for staff is undertaken and is up to date. All parents who responded during the inspection agreed that the school keeps pupils safe.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Teaching, learning and assessment have improved since the last inspection and are now good. School monitoring records and inspection evidence show that closer and more rigorous monitoring has resulted in pupils making better progress over time.
• Relationships between teachers and pupils are excellent and, as a result, pupils work hard, are willing to take risks and want to do well. There is a strong learning ethos in the school. Pupils are confident to ask if they do not understand, as they know teachers will help them.
• The teaching of writing is good and teachers develop pupils’ writing skills well. For example, in a Year 3 lesson, when pupils were writing a set of instructions on ‘how to catch a woolly mammoth’, the teacher provided the pupils with effective ways of developing their vocabulary and styles of writing. These methods helped the pupils to consolidate their learning.
• Teachers successfully foster an enjoyment for reading. They introduce interesting books to the class and provide a number of effective ways to encourage pupils to read widely and enthusiastically. Pupils say that they enjoy reading. There is a good range of opportunities for pupils to apply their reading skills in different subjects to find information.
• Teachers’ comments and guidance typically make clear how pupils can improve their work. The school’s marking policy is followed consistently and is helping to improve pupils’ outcomes.
• Teaching assistants provide good support and guidance for pupils and ensure that they communicate closely with teachers. Disadvantaged pupils and pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are carefully nurtured, and teachers closely match most activities to their needs.
• Activities encourage pupils to develop their mathematical skills, knowledge and understanding. They apply their understanding in problem-solving situations. Mathematics is generally taught well, resulting in good achievement across the school. Nonetheless, there are too few opportunities for pupils, especially the most able and disadvantaged most able, to apply their mathematical knowledge in a variety of ways in subjects other than in mathematics. Work in books demonstrates that pupils occasionally complete work which does not make them think hard enough about their learning. Indeed, the most able pupils in mathematics commented that they would like more challenging work in this area.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good. The pupils are friendly and confident towards visitors, for example welcoming them warmly and opening doors for them. Pupils are clearly proud of their school and wish to share their experiences with other people. One pupil said, ‘School is awesome; we love to learn and it’s fun.’
• All pupils feel valued, and equality of opportunity is clearly within the culture of the school. Pupils told inspectors that there is always someone to talk to if you ever have a problem.
• Pupils are very confident when they mix with other pupils and adults. Pupils play enthusiastically and they help and support one another, aiding their good progress.
• Pupils have a good understanding of the different types of bullying, including cyber bullying. Through assemblies and personal, social and health education pupils know how to keep safe in a range of situations. This includes when using the road and when exposed to potential hazards. Pupils also have a good appreciation of e-safety. They apply their understanding to everyday situations when they arise.
• Some parents who completed the Ofsted Parent View questionnaire raised behaviour and bullying as a concern. Inspectors considered a range of evidence which shows that bullying and racist incidents are rare. Pupils who spoke with the inspectors confirmed this was the case.
• Discussions with staff who support pupils with additional needs show that the school has effective links with external agencies and is active in supporting families who need additional help.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good. They are polite and courteous, and pupils of all ages have well-developed social skills. They work together in pairs or groups and support each other well.
• The school manages behaviour well. Pupils understand the consequences of poor behaviour and why it is important to behave. Pupils who spoke with inspectors have a clear understanding of right and wrong. They also said that behaviour was typically good in the school.
• Pupils enjoy taking on additional responsibilities. For example, the school councillors gather the wishes and worries of other pupils and meet with leaders and governors to help improve the school.
• Pupils are keen to learn. Very occasionally, in some classes, a few pupils go off task and talk when they should be working. This tends to occur if activities are not sufficiently challenging.
• Pupils’ attendance is lower than national averages. The leaders of the school have worked hard at identifying ways it can improve and there are signs that attendance is rising, especially for pupils who are persistently absent.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Outcomes for pupils have improved to a good level since the last inspection.
• The improvements to the teaching of writing are reflected in pupils’ national results. In 2016, Year 6 pupils made good progress and had results that were in line with the national average. The most able pupils attained scores that were above the national average.
• In 2016, Year 6 pupils made good progress in reading. Progress in mathematics was below the national average and not enough pupils reached age-related expectations.
• Disadvantaged pupils currently make good progress across the school. The school uses clear information about current progress made by pupils to ensure that they do not fall behind others. Where any pupil’s progress in mathematics is not as strong, additional support is having an increasing impact to help them catch up more quickly.
• Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities receive good support from teachers and teaching assistants, which is suited to their specific needs. They currently make good progress from their individual starting points.
• Pupils typically achieve well across the broad curriculum. For example, pupils have opportunities to develop their questioning and enquiry skills in history. French and music lessons enable pupils to develop a wider cultural awareness and contribute to current pupils’ good outcomes.
• Pupils’ work completed since September, and observations of teaching, indicate that pupils currently make good progress. However, teaching and planning does not consistently ensure that the most able and most able disadvantaged pupils make rapid progress. Pupils are well prepared for secondary school in terms of their reading and writing, but less so in their mathematical skills.
• Parents who spoke with inspectors considered that their children made good progress and achieve well throughout the school.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 116237 Hampshire 10024517 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Junior School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Community 7 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 259 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Interim Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Jan Earney Danielle Owens 01256 322616 www.parkview-jun.hants.sch.uk adminoffice@parkview-jun.hants.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 4–5 February 2015

Information about this school

• This is an average-sized primary school.
• The vast majority of pupils are White British. The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is below the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is above average. The proportion with education, health and care plans or statements of special educational needs is above average.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils supported by the pupil premium funding is above the national average.
• The school has a hearing-impaired unit with capacity to meet the needs of four pupils of junior-school age. Currently the school has less than four pupils in this unit.
• The school met the government’s current floor standards in 2016, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.
• There have been changes to leadership with the appointment of an interim headteacher and a new chair of the governing body.
• The local authority brokered support from Marnel Junior School, which is usually led by the interim headteacher.
• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed learning in 26 lessons; 12 of these were joint observations with either the headteacher, the English leader or the mathematics leader.
• The inspectors observed the school’s work. They looked at a wide range of documentation including safeguarding documents, the school’s procedures for gaining an accurate view of its own performance, and pupils’ work in books.
• Discussions took place with several groups of pupils, as well as informal conversations with other pupils during lessons and at playtimes. Inspectors listened to pupils read and talked to them about books they enjoy.
• Meeting were held with school staff, three members of the governing body, parents and carers.
• Inspectors took into consideration 11 responses to the online staff questionnaire and 17 responses to the Ofsted’s Parent View questionnaire.

Inspection team

David Harris, lead inspector Christine Bulmer Steph Fawdry Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector