Central Park Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Central Park Primary School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils' behaviour in class is impressive. Lessons are rarely, if ever, disturbed by pupils talking out of turn or chattering.

Pupils get stuck into their work quickly and stay focused throughout the lesson. This is because leaders and staff create an environment that is supportive, caring and focused on learning. They expect pupils to behave well and always to do their best, both academically and personally.

Pupils do well in the subjects that they study, particularly in mathematics. They also have lots of opportunities to develop their personal interests and skills. There are... 23 after-school clubs, for example, and pupils visit places of interest as well as mosques and churches.

Many pupils get involved in helping around the school, taking responsibility for leading on things like the environment or as house captains.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), and those who speak English as an additional language, are supported effectively. As a result, their experience of school is positive.

Parents and carers agreed that the school takes great care of their children and keeps them safe. Pupils, too, were adamant that they felt safe. Bullying is 'rare' they said and, if it does happen, it is dealt with effectively.

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders at all levels have worked together to create a finely tuned, ambitious curriculum. They have given careful thought to what they want pupils to learn by the time they leave the school. Learning is organised in a way that helps pupils to develop their knowledge and skills in a connected series of topics.

In history, for example, leaders have identified the essential concepts that pupils should cover and how the knowledge of each is built up over time.

This thoughtful way of planning the curriculum is carried through to other subjects. In mathematics, leaders have identified the fundamental concepts that pupils need to learn.

Opportunities are built in to check learning regularly and for pupils to revisit learning again and again, helping them to retain these ideas in their memories. Pupils become fluent in using arithmetic as a result, and in applying their learning to other mathematical problems. In science, pupils learn to work like scientists.

Practical experiments help them to understand the important scientific ideas. This ensures that pupils consolidate their learning over time and remember it in the long term.

There are similar strengths in the Nursery and Reception classes, where children experience a well-planned curriculum that develops their early knowledge and skills most effectively.

Carefully selected story books tie the curriculum together and provide the basis for developing pupils' reading, writing and mathematics. Early reading begins in the Nursery. The teaching of phonics is tightly organised, including training to ensure that staff have the expertise to teach the chosen programme effectively.

Pupils who fall behind, including those with SEND or who speak English as an additional language, are quickly identified and given support to catch up. The careful attention to detail means that pupils become self-assured, fluent readers.

There are one or two areas where the quality of education could be improved.

In subjects other than English, mathematics and science, the work to put the well-designed curriculum into practice in the classroom is in full swing but not complete. Occasionally, teachers' lack the subject knowledge that they need to ensure pupils' learning is maximised. In other cases, teachers have the subject knowledge but their understanding of how to teach this effectively is not fully secure.

Leaders and teachers have already identified these factors and staff training is filling the gaps effectively.

The school's core values of 'honesty, kindness and respect' sum up the very essence of the school accurately. Leaders' and teachers' high expectations of pupils, and of themselves, mean that behaviour is highly positive.

This ensures that lessons flow without interruption.

Leaders also make sure that the provision for pupils' wider development is of a high quality. Pupils are taught to treat each other and their teachers with respect, to understand difference and diversity, and to know right from wrong.

They learn about the fundamental British values and what these mean in practice. After-school clubs and visiting specialists, for example for music and sports, expand pupils' experiences effectively.

The thoughtfulness with which everyone is treated, and the thoughtfulness of leaders, contribute significantly to everyone's well-being.

Teachers' workload is managed effectively and there is always support if it does get too much. Teachers feel valued and know that they can talk to leaders honestly.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders ensure that the procedures to identify pupils who may be at risk, or need early help, are effective. Teachers are knowledgeable about how to recognise and report concerns. When they do, leaders follow up concerns quickly, referring them to the appropriate local agencies where necessary.

This helps to ensure that vulnerable pupils get the help they need in good time.

Recruitment arrangements are equally robust. The process is well managed, including ensuring that the necessary staff vetting checks are carried out.

Staff training is comprehensive so that their expertise is updated regularly. Pupils, too, are made aware of the risks to their safety, for example crossing roads safely.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• There are a few areas where the quality of education could be improved.

In some of the foundation subjects, the implementation of the well-designed curriculum is not securely embedded in practice. In some subjects, teachers lack the specific knowledge they need to ensure that misconceptions and gaps in learning are quickly addressed. In other cases, teachers have the subject knowledge but their pedagogical understanding of how to deliver these subjects is not yet fully secure.

Leaders and teachers have already identified these factors and staff training is filling the gaps effectively. Leaders need to ensure that staff training strengthens teachers' knowledge of the foundation subjects and of the approaches to teaching these effectively.

Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good.

This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in July 2013.