Park Lane Academy

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 7 May 2025

Leaders are ambitious for pupils to behave and achieve well. However, the expectations for pupils' achievement have not been realised, as reflected in published outcomes since the last inspection. Too few pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, make expected rates of progress by the end of key stage 4. Over time, the proportion of pupils obtaining GCSE qualifications in a range of subjects, including English and mathematics, has remained very low. Leaders have improved the standards of behaviour since the previous inspection. Pupils benefit from calm, settled classrooms, where routines are well embedded. Positive relationships between pupils and staff are commonplace. Pupils attend school regularly. Pupils are happy, polite and respectful. Bullying is rare, and pupils feel safe at school. They have access to trusted adults, who provide guidance and reassurance when matters arise. Pupils' wider development is well supported through the school's personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education programme. A range of extra-curricular opportunities are on offer. Pupil leadership roles are both popular and active. Pupils receive appropriate career advice. Nevertheless, many leave school without a sufficient range of qualifications to ensure that they have a broad range of options for the next stage of education, training or employment.

What the school should improve

• Over time, pupils have not achieved the qualifications that they are capable of attaining in external assessments, such as GCSEs. This reduces pupils' options when moving on to the next step in education, training or employment. The school should improve the quality of education offered for pupils throughout key stages 3 and 4, to ensure that pupils receive the support needed to achieve better academic outcomes.
• The quality of the implementation and delivery of subject curriculums is variable. As a result, pupils do not learn as well as they should. The academic progress they make is not as strong as it should be. The school should further develop staff subject expertise so that the intended subject curriculums are delivered consistently well.
• The school's inconsistent approach to assessment is not supporting pupils to make the intended progress. This means that some pupils have unidentified gaps in learning that are not addressed or resolved before starting new subject content. The school should ensure that assessment is linked to the content taught and is used effectively to identify and close gaps in pupils' learning.
• Some staff do not fully use the information provided to meet the needs of pupils with SEND. This means that, on occasion, pupils with SEND are not fully supported to access and understand the important knowledge content. The school should ensure that staff use the precise information shared about each pupil with SEND effectively to allow these pupils to access learning fully and thrive.

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