Parklands Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 16 June 2026

Pupils enjoy attending this diverse and nurturing school which is at the heart of its community. Pupils state that they feel safe and well supported by staff. Relationships are a strength of the school. Staff take the time to get to know pupils and their individual needs and interests. This helps to foster a supportive and caring school culture. Bullying is rare and pupils say when it does happen, it is handled effectively by staff. Pupils have an adult they would speak to if something worried them. Pupils support one another well. There share positive relationships with their peers. Play leaders and school council members are proud of their roles and the impact they have on others. Leaders have high expectations for pupils' achievement and the quality of teaching at the school. While both have improved, pupils have not achieved as well as they should have done over time. They are not as well prepared for the next stage of their education as they might be. Teachers do not consistently respond to gaps in pupils' knowledge and skills when planning new learning. This is beginning to change. Where the curriculum and teaching practice is securely embedded, pupils are now making better progress through the curriculum than they did in the past. Typically, pupils engage well with their learning. They are keen to contribute to lessons. This also applies to children in the early years. The youngest children at the school benefit from a variety of learning activities that are increasingly well considered. Enrichment opportunities at the school help pupils to engage with their education more deeply. These include a variety of visiting speakers, educational trips and an effective rewards system. Pupils appreciate the recognition they get for working hard and attending regularly. Increasingly, they understand the value of both of these for their future success.

What the school should improve

• Leaders should ensure the curriculum is consistently taught well and that staff draw on their knowledge of pupils' starting points, particularly those who are disadvantaged, when planning new learning or adapting existing activities.
• Leaders should ensure that pupils develop the foundational knowledge and skills they need to be well prepared for the next stage of their education and that this is reflected in their attainment in national tests and examinations.
• Leaders should maintain their focus on reducing pupil absence so that rapid and sustained improvement is secured and pupils attend at least as well as their peers nationally.
• Leaders should ensure the school’s programme of personal development is extensive and highly tailored to the school’s context and that pupils develop secure and detailed knowledge across the personal, social and health education curriculum.

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