Park Junior School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 21 April 2026

Pupils’ day-to-day experiences of school life vary considerably. While some pupils enjoy learning at school, many do not. Pupils do not receive an acceptable standard of education. For several years, pupils in Year 6 have left the school with weak knowledge in reading, writing and mathematics. Across the school, gaps in learning and misconceptions persist. This limits how well pupils build their knowledge, skills and understanding over time. Since the previous inspection, the school has experienced significant staffing instability. This has affected the consistency of pupils’ education. Leaders have not taken sufficient action on the most important priorities to tackle weaknesses. Teachers’ expectations of pupils are too low. Pupils study a curriculum that is weak and not taught well. The support for disadvantaged pupils and for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities is ineffective. Too many pupils struggle to access the learning that is intended for them. Despite these weaknesses, leaders have focused on improving pupils’ behaviour in recent years. This is having a positive effect. Many pupils are polite, considerate and happy. They live up to the ‘PARK values’ of ‘Perseverance, Aspiration, Respect and Kindness’. Pupils understand what bullying is and know that staff will deal with it. Across the school, pupils feel safe and have trusted adults they can turn to with any worries. Not all pupils attend regularly. Some miss too much school and, as a result, do not benefit fully from lessons or wider opportunities. Pupils enjoy the clubs on offer, such as Lego, choir and netball. However, pupils find it difficult to recall some of the essential knowledge that they need to prepare them for life in modern Britain.

What the school should improve

• Leaders should ensure that teachers have the expertise needed so that disadvantaged pupils, pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face other barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing receive effective support.
• Leaders should ensure that an ambitious and well-sequenced curriculum is fully developed and implemented effectively so that teaching enables pupils to build the knowledge and skills they need for their next stage of education.
• Leaders must ensure that staff accurately identify and address gaps in pupils’ knowledge, particularly in reading, writing and mathematics, so that pupils make the progress that they should and achieve well.
• Leaders should continue to ensure that teaching supports pupils to build consistently on their early letter and number formation skills to help them secure fluent, accurate and legible handwriting.
• Leaders must rebuild trust with staff so that pupils' best interests and their enjoyment of school sit at the heart of school life.
• Those responsible for governance must build their knowledge and expertise so they can evaluate the use of additional funding, including pupil premium funding, fulfil their statutory duties and hold leaders effectively to account.
• Leaders and governors must act quickly to improve pupils’ attendance and punctuality, particularly pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those from disadvantaged backgrounds, so that pupils do not miss out on important learning.
• Leaders should ensure that pupils develop a secure understanding of life in modern Britain, including knowledge of fundamental British values and the protected characteristics, and that staff have the confidence to deliver the personal development programme as intended.

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