Old Park Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Creativity and community are at the heart of Old Park Primary. It is a happy, friendly school, where everyone is welcome and valued as an individual.

Year 6 pupils 'make their mark' by creating a piece of artwork that will be permanently displayed after they have moved to secondary school.

Pupils enjoy being in school. They value being able to learn a musical instrument and belonging to one of the many school orchestras.

They make the most of the varied sporting activities on offer.

Leaders have high ambitions for all pupils. This is matched by pupils' attitudes in their lessons.

They delight in much of their learning and like getting involv...ed in group discussion work. They are determined to be successful and take pride in their written work.

Pupils behave well in lessons and around school.

They care for each other. Leaders provide a supportive response if pupils make the wrong behaviour choices. Pupils respect the school environment, staff and each other.

They learn about behaviour and learning expectations from the moment they join nursery.

Pupils know about bullying through the school's 'Stop Stop' approach. Pupils trust staff to deal with bullying quickly if it happens.

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

In designing their curriculum, leaders have carefully thought about the learning journey they want pupils to experience from the early years to the end of Year 6. In most subjects this has been clearly sequenced, so that teachers know the order of the small steps of learning pupils need to make within each year. Teachers know which lesson activities will help pupils to know and remember more of their learning.

They check pupils' learning regularly and provide structured opportunities to remember previous learning. This helps pupils to be successful learners in those subjects over time.

However, a few subjects have not been organised as effectively as the others.

Because of this, teachers map out the learning in different sequences, based on the overall theme they want to cover. Sometimes, this means that pupils are not learning as well as they need to, and in a way that builds their subject knowledge over time. Pupils' work in a small number of subjects can sometimes lack depth.

Pupils enjoy their lessons. They work cooperatively in groups to help each other learn. They are keen to take part in learning activities and enjoy a healthy sense of competition with each other in mathematics lessons.

They produce impressive written work in literacy. Orchestra lessons are a joyful experience, where pupils develop personal resilience and collaborative skills, as well as practise playing their instruments.

Pupils achieve strong outcomes in the end of key stage tests.

Over the last year, leaders prioritised closing any gaps in literacy and numeracy pupils may have developed during the COVID-19 pandemic. They ensured that Year 6 pupils left able to be successful as they moved on to their next school. They are now working to strengthen some of the other subjects in the curriculum.

Teaching pupils to read is a priority. Pupils read every day and a love of books and stories is established from their first day at Old Park. Leaders provide staff with the high-quality training and support they need to ensure that phonics teaching is effective.

Teachers intervene as soon as small gaps in pupils' learning appear to make sure they do not fall behind. Younger pupils use their knowledge of phonics with confidence when reading. Older pupils enjoy the choice of reading books available to them in the bookcases located around the corridors and classrooms.

Leaders make sure that any pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) have their needs quickly identified. They turn these needs into clear plans that staff use well to ensure that pupils with SEND have the support they need and can work alongside their classmates.

Leaders have an unwavering determination that every pupil will feel valued and be a positive member of the community.

Through the strong pastoral and inclusion systems in place, this ambition is made real. All staff are committed to helping every pupil be successful in lessons. The Safari base provides intensive support for a small number of pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs.

Pupils talk with consideration about the differing needs of their peers. This reflects the way pupils learn about people other than themselves and the importance of tolerance and understanding.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Every member of staff understands their role in ensuring all pupils are kept safe. They know the specific local risks pupils may face. Leaders act swiftly when a concern is raised to secure the support pupils and their families may need.

They have highly productive relationships with external agencies. Leaders ensure all recruitment checks are carried out appropriately.

Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe, in real life and online, through their 'friendships and relationships' and computing lessons.

They know who to talk to if they are worried about anything.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a few subjects, leaders have not set out the smaller components of knowledge that pupils need and the order in which they need to learn them within each year group. This means that learning is not designed well enough to build knowledge in a logical sequence.

This hinders pupils developing the specific knowledge and skills they need to become confident learners in that subject. Leaders should ensure that all teachers are clear about the best order for learning to take place in each subject. ? Leaders do not have a precise enough understanding of the strengths and areas for development in each subject.

They do not consistently focus on the way pupils build cumulative learning across the year. This means that pupils' learning is less secure in a few subjects. Leaders should ensure that their monitoring activities enable them to identify and address any emerging curriculum weaknesses promptly.