Park Community School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school Leaders have established an ethos of high aspiration throughout the school. Staff are committed to the headteacher's vision to ensure that pupils' academic and personal needs are met. Strong leadership of teaching and learning has ensured that teaching is good.

Lessons are purposeful and learning time is used well. Teachers carefully teach the required skills and then support pupils to apply and master them. Assessment is sharply focused on how well pupils are doing.

Leaders use it carefully to identify progress and to provide effective support where needed both for pupils and teachers. Teachers make good use of assessment information to ...shape plans and teaching activities. Outcomes for pupils have improved.

In 2016, the progress of Year 11 pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, was broadly in line with all schools nationally. The vast majority of current pupils make good progress in most subjects. Leaders are working to improve teaching in the few subjects in which pupils' progress is not yet rapid enough.

In some lessons, the work teachers set for the most able pupils is not challenging enough. This means they do not achieve as well as they should. The broad and balanced curriculum effectively supports academic success alongside creative additional opportunities and ensures pupils are well prepared for their future lives.

Effective provision through the welfare, support and guidance team helps develop pupils' emotional and mental well-being. Each pupil is well supported by the mentoring system, which successfully provides quality discussion about personal development and academic challenge for pupils. Strong safeguarding processes are embedded and help keep pupils safe.

These processes are rigorously monitored and evaluated by governors. Governors are highly active and know the school well, visiting frequently. They provide useful support and are increasing their level of challenge to hold school leaders to account.

Pupils are rightly proud of their school and their achievements. They are respectful and supportive of each other, demonstrating good behaviour. The new behaviour policy is successfully addressing the inappropriate behaviour of the small minority who disrupt learning for others.

Leaders' actions to tackle the persistent absence of a minority of pupils have brought some success. However, leaders are aware that they need to evaluate and refine these actions to improve attendance further.

Information about this school

Park Community School is an average-sized secondary school for pupils aged 11 to 16.

The proportion of pupils who are eligible for pupil premium funding is higher than in other schools nationally. The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is higher than average. The majority of the pupils are of White British heritage.

The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website. A small number of pupils attend alternative provision at Woodlands Education Centre. The school meets the government floor standards, which set the minimum standards for pupils' attainment and progress.

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