Park Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 8 October 2024

Pupils are happy in school. They arrive each day with big smiles, eager to greet their teacher at the classroom gate. Pupils play and work together well. When conflicts arise, pupils know that they can speak to a trusted adult in school to get the help they need. The 'buddy bench' is popular for those seeking friendship. Pupils enjoy a variety of experiences, including trips, art activities and music lessons. They particularly enjoy playing violins and creative projects linked to wider world issues. Pupils' excitement is high for events such as the choir trip to the O2 arena and the Year 6 residential. Older pupils enjoy taking on responsibilities such as supporting younger pupils at lunchtime and fulfilling monitor roles. Younger pupils look forward to earning these privileges as they move through the school. Throughout the school day, most pupils behave well. They move around the school calmly and stay on task in lessons. Staff are trained well to support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They effectively manage unwanted behaviour when it occurs. However, at times, the behaviour of a small number of pupils makes other pupils feel anxious. The school has high expectations for pupils' achievement. However, these have not been met in all subjects for all pupils. This is especially true for older pupils.

What the school should improve

• Some pupils in key stage 2 cannot read well enough. This affects their overall academic progress. The school should strengthen the reading curriculum and implement further targeted support to enable pupils to swiftly catch up, so they are able to read confidently and fluently.
• The school's curriculum thinking in some subjects is undeveloped. Teachers do not always know the exact skills and knowledge pupils need to know and the order these should be taught. The school should further sharpen its thinking in the curriculum areas that have been mapped out, while developing those at an early stage, for all subjects from early years to Year 6.
• Assessment is not routinely used to guide curriculum thinking. Pupils have gaps that are unknown to leaders. The school should use assessment to identify knowledge gaps and develop targeted plans to address these gaps.
• Subject leaders in non-core subjects lack support and resources. This leads to inconsistent teaching quality and missed professional development opportunities. The school should establish a programme of regular training and support for subject leaders so that they are able to provide the necessary support to teachers.
• The behaviour of a small minority of pupils is disproportionately impacting pupils' understanding of the behaviour policy. This is causing anxiety for some pupils. The school should work with pupils and their families to communicate how the behaviour policy is applied while supporting the mental health of all pupils.

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