Pallister Park Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 16 July 2024

Pallister Park Primary School is a calm and purposeful learning environment for children from the age of two. The school teaches pupils to behave through their school ethos of 'work hard, play hard'. Staff set the expectations for behaviour, modelling the school rules 'ready, respectful, safe' from Nursery. Pupils know these rules and, as a result, pupil conduct is exemplary. The school has high expectations for pupils. These are realised through the secure end of key stage outcomes. The tranquil start to the day begins with a 'book and bagel'. This allows pupils to have a healthy breakfast in a secure environment. Pupils respond swiftly to instructions and have positive behaviours for learning. Pupils are keen to nominate their peers for an 'above and beyond' accolade, spotting little kindnesses that make a big difference. The school has a wealth of skilled adults to support pupils with their mental health and well-being. 'Soft starts' to the school day, where some pupils arrive early, ensures that pupils can regulate their emotions in readiness to learn. Pupils make good use of the Christmas, Easter and summer holiday clubs provided by the school. It ensures that pupils access fun and focused activities in a safe setting during the school holidays. The school provides leadership opportunities through the junior leadership team (JLT). The JLT impacts positively on improving the school. For example, they instigated planting shrubs and installing exercise equipment on the playground.

What the school should improve

• The school's assessment system in the wider curriculum is not precise enough. This means the school does not have an accurate overview of what pupils know and remember. The school should ensure that their processes inform future planning and are consistently applied.
• The school does not effectively monitor the implementation of some of the wider curriculum. As a result, the school makes assumptions about the quality of their curriculum. The school should ensure that subject leaders have time to monitor the wider curriculum.
• The proportion of pupils who are persistently absent is considerably higher than the national average. This is showing little sign of improvement. These pupils are missing essential learning. The school should take effective action to continue to work with families to reduce persistent absence rates.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)