Parkside School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Strengthen the impact of leaders on the quality of teaching and learning by ensuring that:
  • subject leaders in science, history and geography adopt the successful practice used to improve pupils’ progress in other subjects
  • teachers use information about pupils’ progress to set sufficiently demanding work for the most able.
• Continue to raise pupils’ aspirations of what they can do and achieve by:
  • extending the range of opportunities for pupils to receive careers education and guidance so that they understand the options available to them
  • developing pupils’ skills in reading and communication.
• Build on the work to improve the attendance of disadvantaged pupils across the school and students in the sixth form.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The headteacher and his senior team lead the school with energy, drive and determination. As a result, the quality of teaching, behaviour and achievement are much better than they were two years ago. They have welcomed support from other schools and from the Bradford Partnership to ensure that improvement is rapid.
• School leaders communicate high expectations to pupils and staff. Strong relationships result in a purposeful atmosphere. Pupils said that there is mutual respect. Staff said there is a climate of trust between leaders and teachers.
• Leaders have an accurate view of the school’s strengths and areas to improve and are ambitious to keep improving. Self-evaluation is rigorous and school improvement plans are well focused on the key priorities.
• The quality of teaching is improving because leaders use robust performance management and targeted training to address underperformance. Best practice is beginning to be shared across subject areas. Teachers are appreciative of the opportunities to plan together and coach each other to become better teachers and leaders.
• The school’s marking policy is used very well, with sharply focused feedback to help pupils improve their work. Consequently, pupils make good progress across a range of subjects.
• Subject leaders are fully involved in leading improvements in teaching and pupils’ progress within their areas of responsibility. They track pupils’ progress closely and provide detailed feedback to teachers. Less experienced leaders in science, history and geography are fully committed to making the necessary improvements in these subjects and they are receiving the guidance they need to become more effective.
• The coordinator for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities has a comprehensive awareness of her role and the pupils in her care. She leads the specialist provision for autism spectrum disorder very effectively. Consequently, pupils who are supported through this resource are fully integrated into the school.
• A broad and balanced curriculum enables pupils to study a range of courses at GCSE level. The curriculum has been adapted at key stage 3 so that pupils develop the skills and knowledge they need much earlier. The use of alternative provision is well chosen to meet pupils’ interests and abilities.
• Opportunities for developing pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding are well planned through the curriculum, assemblies and tutorials. A programme of combined humanities and citizenship provides a range of activities for pupils to debate and share views on life in modern Britain. For example, democratic values were promoted when pupils took part in their own European Union referendum and when they voted for the names of the ‘houses’. Assemblies focus on the value of respect for others and on raising aspirations.
• Curriculum enrichment is strong. Pupils said they value the range of extra-curricular activities available to them, which include artistic, dramatic, musical, sporting and cultural events. They gave examples of strong engagement with the local community, including work with feeder schools and community groups.
• School leaders use the pupil premium funding effectively to make sure that the differences are diminishing between the performance of disadvantaged pupils and other pupils nationally, but they do not always share this information as clearly as they could with parents.
• Reading for pleasure is well promoted in the school and the school’s ‘listening programme’ is well managed. However, the literacy and numeracy support, provided for pupils who need to catch up in Year 7, is not monitored as well as it should be by leaders.

Governance of the school

• Governance has improved considerably since the last inspection. Governors have reviewed their skills, taken part in relevant training and recruited new governors to ensure that they can be highly effective. They have an accurate view of the school’s strengths and weaknesses.
• Governors communicate a strong ambition to improve the school further. They challenge senior and middle leaders to show them how different groups of pupils are progressing. They check on the way in which the pupil premium funding is used to raise the levels of attainment and progress of disadvantaged pupils.
• Governors oversee the school’s performance management arrangements effectively.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Leaders have created a culture in which safeguarding is seen as highly important. All staff are clear about their responsibilities and they follow thorough procedures to identify and respond to concerns.
• School staff have developed constructive relationships with parents and other agencies to keep children safe. The school works successfully with alternative providers to ensure that pupils are safe when working off-site. The school’s mental health programme is particularly effective in supporting pupils appropriately.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• The majority of teachers have very good subject knowledge which they use to engage pupils in their learning. Most teachers have high expectations, set challenging targets and encourage pupils to prepare well for their examinations. As a result, pupils are making good progress in most subjects.
• Consistent expectations of teachers across different subjects ensure that learning begins promptly and no time is wasted.
• Questioning is well used by a number of teachers to check pupils’ understanding and to reshape tasks as necessary. Skilful questioning also encourages pupils to think more deeply about the topic and to consider the views of others. For example, in a science lesson on selective breeding, pupils were fully engaged in debate and made good progress because the teacher asked probing questions.
• The school’s programme for improving pupils’ literacy is developing. Across a number of subjects, pupils apply a range of literacy skills so that they can meet the demands of the examination. Teachers emphasise the importance of using subject-specific vocabulary but they sometimes miss opportunities to develop pupils’ reading and communication skills. A number of pupils lack the confidence and vocabulary to explain what they are learning and how they are making progress.
• Where learning is strongest, teachers provide appropriate levels of challenge for pupils from different starting points, including the most able pupils. For example, in some science and mathematics lessons, teachers plan a range of tasks and ‘challenge questions’ to stretch the most able pupils. In some English lessons, teachers ask more challenging questions of the most able pupils. However, this is not consistent across the school. In some other subjects, all pupils complete the same level of work and expectations of the most able pupils are too low.
• Homework is set in line with the school’s policy. Pupils say that the work is sufficiently challenging and most parents agree. Consequently, homework is contributing to pupils’ understanding of their work.
• Pupils who are supported through the specialist provision for autism spectrum disorder are well supported by adults in classrooms. This effective support enables pupils to learn confidently alongside their peers.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school's work to promote pupils' personal development and welfare is good. There are clear systems in place for noticing any pupils who are at risk and then supporting them. Pupils said that there is a team of staff to help them and they value the support they receive.
• Leaders have been successful in creating an atmosphere of respect and aspiration, through establishing clear boundaries. Thought-provoking assemblies and tutorials celebrate pupils’ achievements and contribute to the positive ethos in the school.
• Bullying and the use of derogatory language are very rare. Pupils show a high level of empathy for others. They say that they have taken part in a range of discussions about different types of bullying and they show a good understanding of online safety. They express confidence that any concerns will be dealt with by staff and they say they feel very safe in the school. Parents agree that their children are safe.
• Pupils in Year 7 are very positive about the way in which they have been supported to settle into their new school. School staff have used strong relationships with local feeder schools to build on pupils’ starting points. For example, the ‘Aspire’ programme is being used to challenge some of the most able pupils from Year 6 through to Year 11.
• Pupils receive careers education, information, advice and guidance which support them to make choices at GCSE and post-16, but they have a limited understanding of the varied options available to them and they are not as well prepared for the world of work as they could be.
• Pupils who attend off-site provision are well supported. Their transition to Keighley College for part of their curriculum is well planned with the involvement of parents and pupils. Clear systems for tracking their behaviour, attendance and achievement ensure that this group of pupils is safeguarded.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• Pupils conduct themselves well around the school site, even when space is limited, for example in the dining area. Corridors and social areas are well supervised by staff who challenge any behaviour that does not meet the school’s expectations.
• Most teachers create a purposeful atmosphere in lessons. When activities are planned well, and pupils are given the opportunity to collaborate, they do so with interest and confidence. Pupils are keen to contribute ideas, taking turns to talk, and they listen well to each other.
• When the work is too easy and activities do not engage pupils, for example in some science or humanities lessons, a few pupils engage in off-task conversation which prevents them from making good progress.
• The number of fixed-term exclusions has declined considerably and there are very few repeat exclusions.
• The vast majority of pupils are punctual to school and to lessons. They arrive ready to learn, with their planners and equipment, and show positive attitudes to learning. The few pupils who arrive late are sanctioned, in line with the school’s policy.
• A large majority of parents say that behaviour is good. Pupils say that behaviour has improved over the last two years but, in a few lessons, when teaching is not challenging enough, their learning is affected by off-task behaviour from a small number of pupils.
• Attendance has improved markedly and is now above the national average. This is because leaders have adopted a simple but effective approach to supporting pupils whose attendance has been low. The number of pupils who are absent for long periods has also reduced. Persistent absence for disadvantaged pupils has fallen but remains above that of pupils nationally.
• Pupils who are taught in alternative provision for part of the week behave well because they are engaged in their learning and respond to clear expectations.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Over the last three years, outcomes have improved steadily, particularly in English and mathematics. Progress is most rapid in English. Progress in mathematics continues to improve.
• Across a broad range of subjects, pupils currently in the school are making good progress from their starting points. Improvements in science are evident in pupils’ books and pupils continue to achieve well in modern languages, religious studies and citizenship. Progress in history and geography continues to be weaker because leaders are not tackling variations in the quality of teaching so effectively.
• In 2015, the proportion of pupils achieving the English Baccalaureate was below average. Leaders have reviewed the curriculum to increase attainment for the pupils currently in the school.
• In 2015, the most able pupils underachieved. Leaders are taking decisive action to improve the level of challenge for this group, and the school’s own progress information for 2016 suggests that this has been successful in raising both the attainment and progress of the most able pupils.
• Additional support and programmes to raise the aspirations of boys have been successful. In 2016, the school’s own progress information showed that the differences in attainment and progress between boys and girls had diminished. This is still the case for pupils currently in the school.
• The progress of disadvantaged pupils, including the most able disadvantaged pupils, has improved considerably across a range of subjects. As a result of the effective use of the pupil premium, well-targeted intervention by teachers and effective support by teaching assistants, the differences between the progress of disadvantaged pupils and their peers are diminishing rapidly, in English in particular.
• The progress of those pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities has also improved across a range of subjects, as a result of targeted support by teachers and other adults in the school.
• School leaders now track the progress of pupils very closely. Assessment information has proved to be reliable and indicates that pupils in the current Years 8, 9 and 11 are on track to make good progress. Targeted support is in place for the pupils in the current Year 10 who are not yet meeting their targets.
• Alternative provision is well matched to pupils’ abilities and interests. As a result, pupils on this programme make good progress on their different courses.
• Pupils are making improved rates of progress and consequently are well prepared for the next stage of their education, training or employment.

16 to 19 study programmes Good

• The sixth form is smaller than average but offers a range of academic and vocational subjects. Students in the sixth form achieve well from starting points that are below those of sixth forms nationally. Students’ progress on vocational programmes is particularly strong and the small numbers of students on academic courses achieve in line with others nationally.
• Teaching and learning in the sixth form are good. Teachers plan very effectively to challenge students’ thinking and to develop the skills they need to work independently. For example, in an English lesson, students worked in pairs to analyse an extract of their own choice from a text they were studying: through skilful questioning, the teacher led them to make connections between language, characterisation and theme, and students showed excellent attitudes to learning.
• Teachers use their detailed subject knowledge to guide students to understand the examination requirements. For example, in a textiles lesson, the teacher’s high expectations enabled students to annotate their designs to a very sophisticated level so that they could reach the highest grades on their coursework.
• Students who did not gain C grades in GCSE English and/or mathematics are well supported to make further progress on these courses in the sixth form. Progress in GCSE English is above the national average and is improving in GCSE mathematics, so that it is now in line with the national average.
• Students are very appreciative of the level of personalised support they receive from subject teachers. Detailed written and verbal feedback make a strong contribution to their learning. Students said that teachers’ expectations of the quality of written work they produce can vary.
• The newly appointed leader of the sixth form has already introduced a more rigorous approach to the monitoring of teaching and assessment. In the past, retention into Year 13 has been weak. Therefore, she is beginning to review the school’s approach to information and guidance so that students are guided onto appropriate courses. She is also aware that students’ attendance in the sixth form is low and is taking action to address this.
• Overall, the school meets the requirements of the 16–19 provision but there are limited opportunities for students to gain real experience of the workplace. Students receive impartial careers education, information and advice but these are mainly related to higher education.
• Students talked about a culture of peer-to-peer support and this is evident in lessons and during social times. This culture makes a positive contribution to students’ personal development and welfare. Students said that they feel safe in school and safeguarding is effective in the sixth form.

School details

Unique reference number 132217 Local authority Bradford Inspection number 10019748 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Secondary School category Foundation Age range of pupils 11 to 18 Gender of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils in 16 to 19 study programmes Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 985 Of which, number on roll in 16 to 19 study programmes 96 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Umberto Vietri Headteacher Andrew Taylor Telephone number 01535 272 752 Website www.parksideschool.net Email address mail@parksideschool.net Date of previous inspection 26–27 November 2014

Information about this school

• Parkside School is an average-sized secondary school with a sixth form.
• Most pupils are White British.
• The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is above average.
• The school has specially resourced provision for 14 pupils who have special educational needs for autism spectrum disorder. These pupils are taught in mainstream lessons for the vast majority of the time.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is average.
• The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress by the end of Year 11.
• Forty-nine pupils attend alternative provision off-site for part of the week. A small number of pupils attend off-site provision full-time. The providers are Keighley College, ‘PRISM’ and ‘TRACKS’.
• The school is supported by the Bradford Partnership, an organisation which was set up to share effective practice across 32 secondary schools in Bradford.
• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed teaching and learning in 41 lessons across all key stages and subjects. Some were observed jointly with members of the senior leadership team. In addition to an examination of books in lesson observations, three inspectors undertook an examination of books with subject leaders. Inspectors also undertook three learning walks with senior leaders to evaluate behaviour and pupils’ progress across a number of subjects.
• Meetings were held with the headteacher, senior and middle leaders, the head of the sixth form, the chair and members of the governing body. The lead inspector also spoke on the telephone to a representative of the Bradford Partnership. Inspectors met with pupils from all year groups, including the sixth form.
• Inspectors reviewed the school’s self-evaluation, the school improvement plan, the school’s quality assurance, monitoring and assessment records, minutes of governors’ meetings and case studies of vulnerable pupils receiving additional support. Inspectors scrutinised safeguarding procedures and related policies.
• Inspectors considered the 70 responses recorded on Parent View and 49 responses to Ofsted’s survey received from staff.

Inspection team

Lynn Kenworthy, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector Wendy Bradford Ofsted Inspector Rebekah Taylor Ofsted Inspector David Pridding Ofsted Inspector Steve Rogers Ofsted Inspector