Shaftesbury Park Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 13 September 2023

Pupils at Shaftesbury Park are kind, courteous and respectful to each other. This helps pupils feel safe and be kept safe at school. Many describe their school as 'joyful' and 'welcoming'. Pupils are rightly proud of their school and treat one another and their surroundings well. For example, pupils tend to the flowerpots and the playground so that the site is inviting for visitors. Pupils take on additional responsibilities as peer mentors, friendship buddies and road safety officers. There are a range of extra activities available to pupils, including history, gardening, chess and choir, many of which are initiated and led by pupils. Pupils are given opportunities to take their interests further and embody the school's vision of being people who 'think about, enlarge and change their world', for example through the 'Tycoon' entrepreneur project and as publishers for the school newspaper. The curriculum is ambitious for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff typically have high expectations of pupils, and in turn, they produce work of good quality. The school has two streams: the 'bilingual' stream and the 'enterprise' stream with pupils having access to lessons in French from the start of Reception in both. In most subjects, pupils develop a deep understanding of different subjects over time and are typically well prepared for the next stage of their education.

What the school should improve

• In a few subjects, the activities that pupils, including those with SEND, complete do not help them to embed and apply important knowledge. This limits the depth of understanding some pupils secure in these subjects. The school should make sure that tasks and activities match the ambition of the curriculum and build on pupils' prior knowledge.

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