The Park Junior School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 11 June 2024

The Park Junior School has recently undergone a period of change. New leaders have quickly identified the priorities for the school. They have started to take action to address these priorities and improve the quality of education that pupils receive. The majority of pupils enjoy attending school. They feel safe and they know that they can speak to an adult if they have any worries or concerns. Pupils talk confidently about the school's PRIDE (perseverance, respect, independence, avoiding distractions, and developing their explanations) values. However, pupils do not always demonstrate these values. In lessons, teachers do not consistently make their expectations of pupils' behaviour clear, which means learning is interrupted by low-level disruption. The school has put a clear focus on improving access to extra-curricular activities and visits. Pupils talk with excitement about the trips that they have already been on and the trips that are planned for the future. Leaders know there is more to do to ensure that all pupils receive a good education. Staff, parents and carers and pupils appreciate some of the changes that have been made already. One parent summed this view up well when they said: 'As a parent I am excited to watch the school grow.'

What the school should improve

• In some subjects, the curriculum does not identify precisely what pupils should learn and when. Teachers do not always ensure that the work that pupils complete is matched to their knowledge. They do not consistently teach lessons that provide pupils with opportunities to build on prior learning. As a result, gaps develop in pupils' knowledge and they cannot remember what they have been taught. The school should ensure that the curriculum sets out what pupils should learn and when in each subject, and that teachers routinely provide pupils with opportunities to build on prior learning.
• Assessment in some subjects is underdeveloped. Teachers do not consistently check pupils' understanding in these subjects. This means that pupils' misconceptions are not always identified and addressed. The school should ensure that consistent assessment processes are in place so that teachers can identify how well pupils have learned the intended curriculum.
• The school has not ensured that there is a commonly understood approach to dealing with low-level disruption. This means that learning is often disrupted and off-task behaviour goes unchallenged. The school should review the approaches being used to manage behaviour, identify priorities and ensure that staff have the knowledge and confidence they need to set and uphold high expectations of behaviour.

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