Parkgate Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 20 March 2024

Pupils are a credit to themselves, to their families and to the school. Their considerate behaviour, positive attitudes to learning and genuine regard for others make Parkgate a warm and welcoming place to be. Pupils talked about their school as a family, a caring community and a place where teachers love and respect everyone. While Year 6 pupils spoke excitedly about the upcoming move to secondary school, they shared their bittersweet feelings at leaving behind a school that they are proud to attend. Children enter the early years ready to learn. The school capitalises on this strong start. It expects pupils to be ready for the next stage in their education. Teachers and pupils alike rise to this challenge. Pupils achieve well across a wide range of subjects. As well as enjoying academic success, pupils also develop into mature and empathetic individuals who understand the world beyond their school gates. Well-crafted subject curriculums and an array of educational visits ensure that pupils are more than ready to take their place in society. Pupils make a positive contribution to their school community through acting in various leadership roles. For example, older pupils sit with children in the Reception class at lunchtime, modelling positive behaviour and showing a real, caring interest in the children's chatter. Such selfless behaviour typifies the trusting relationships that permeate the school.

What the school should improve

• The school's expectations for pupils' early writing are not high enough. This means that some pupils have not mastered legible and accurate letter formation by the time they leave Year 2. This hinders their writing fluency and communication as they move through the key stage 2 curriculum. The school should ensure that there is an increased emphasis on pupils' writing skills from the start of their time in the early years.
• The systems used to identify pupils with SEND lack clarity. This means that the school is not as aware as it should be of some pupils' learning needs. It also means that the school cannot be fully assured that these pupils are receiving the additional support that they need. The school should review its current approach to identifying pupils' needs so that there is a clearer understanding of which pupils require extra help, including from external agencies.
• In some subjects, the key concepts that pupils should know are not clear enough. This makes it difficult for teachers to know what to emphasise, recap and check to make sure that pupils have secure building blocks for the next stage of their learning. The school should review these subject curriculums to ensure that there is greater clarity about the essential knowledge that should be taught and assessed.

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