Panshanger Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 30 March 2023

Panshanger is a happy school. Pupils are polite. They are taught to value and respect each other. Pupils trust staff and know that they will listen if they have concerns. Parents describe the school as 'wonderful, nurturing, amazing and supportive'. Pupils feel safe and are kept safe. Pupils behave well. This includes in the early years, where children listen carefully and follow routines. All pupils value their 'buddy group'. This helps pupils to develop a keen sense of caring for others. Bullying is rare. Staff support pupils who need help with behaviour, and deal quickly with any problems. Pupils work hard and achieve well. They enjoy their learning, particularly in music, art and Spanish. Pupils read widely and often. They speak about their favourite authors with enthusiasm. Pupils develop a good understanding of fairness and equality of opportunity. They learn to challenge stereotypes and that any occupation is open to them, regardless of their background or gender. Pupils learn about democracy through election onto the school council. They learn about a diverse range of cultures and religions. Pupils develop as well-rounded individuals. They leave at the end of Year 6 as confident young people, ready for their next stage in education.

What the school should improve

• Governors bring a wealth of knowledge to their roles, which they use to support school leaders towards school improvement. However, governors are not secure in their understanding of leaders' work to improve provision for pupils with SEND or those who are disadvantaged. Governors should ensure that they gain the skills and expertise required to offer constructive and effective support and challenge to leaders.
• In a few subjects, leaders have not identified the precise knowledge and vocabulary that they want pupils to know and remember, including in the early years. This means that staff do not know precisely what they should be teaching. Leaders need to ensure that they identify the most important knowledge and vocabulary that they want pupils to learn, so that teaching builds effectively on pupils' prior learning from early years to Year 6 in all subjects. This will support pupils to develop the deeper understanding that leaders expect.

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