Park Hill Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Park Hill Primary School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

What is it like to attend this school?

Park Hill is a multi-cultural school where everyone is treated equally.

The values of 'community, respect, equality, compassion, aspiration and resilience' permeate the school. The school sits at the heart of the local community and is highly valued by parents and carers. Pupils feel proud to be members of Park Hill Primary School.

Staff set ambitious aims for pupils' achievement. These are realised. Pupils achieve well in reading and mathematics by the end of Year 6.

Staff set high expectations for how pupils ...should behave. Pupils show respectful and responsible behaviour. They display good manners.

Caring relationships are typical. Pupils know that if they have worries, adults will help them. As a result, they feel happy and safe.

Classrooms are calm places for pupils to learn in. Pupils listen attentively to staff.

Pupils are proud to understand what fundamental British values are.

They visit different places of worship and are tolerant of the beliefs of others. Pupils take part in visits linked to their learning, such as when completing a river field study and taking a trip to a toy museum. They develop their talents, including learning to play cricket with the support of a nearby cricket club.

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

In most subjects, the curriculum sets out what pupils should learn and when. This enables pupils to build on what they know and can do. In these subjects, they know and understand important concepts.

However, in a few subjects, the curriculum is not coherently set out. When this is the case, teachers are not able to share important knowledge clearly with pupils. In these subjects, pupils can become confused and struggle to know and remember more.

Reading is prioritised. Staff receive high-quality training. This supports staff to teach phonics well.

Pupils are taught phonics as soon as they start school. Children in the early years learn how to recognise letter sounds. Pupils progress through the phonics curriculum successfully.

They receive regular reading practice. This leads to pupils becoming confident readers. Those who need to catch up with their peers are identified swiftly and supported appropriately.

Pupils read books that are well matched to their knowledge of reading. Pupils achieve well in reading.

The curriculum for early writing and its implementation has improved to ensure that, for example, pencil grip is corrected swiftly and effectively.

As a result, outcomes in writing are improving.

In the early years, children are well cared for. Staff are calm and nurturing.

They have identified that children start school requiring additional support with fine motor skills and communication and language. Therefore, staff sing songs and rhymes to help children develop their vocabulary. They provide opportunities for children to practise their fine motor skills through activities such as threading and modelling with dough.

Children learn to play co-operatively and take turns role playing in the 'Park Hill baby clinic'. This is impacting positively on children's achievement in the early years.

Staff possess the right expertise to support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) appropriately.

Most staff know how to appropriately adapt the curriculum for pupils with SEND, based on their specific needs. Necessary changes to the curriculum for most pupils with SEND are being implemented successfully. The school works with external agencies to provide pupils with SEND with the support they need.

Some pupils do not attend regularly. This means that pupils miss important learning. The school analyses the reasons why some pupils do not attend well.

It works with parents to provide pupils and families with the right support. Pupils' attendance is beginning to improve. However, this improvement in attendance has not been sustained over time.

The school helps pupils to become active citizens. Pupils contribute to society by raising funds for national and international charities. They make a difference to school life and develop leadership skills by taking on roles as school councillors, house captains and play leaders.

Pupils build their confidence, for example in Year 6, through attending an outdoor learning residential. The school helps pupils to broaden their interests. Pupils participate in activities including football, tennis and multi-skills sports.

They represent their school when competing in tennis and athletics competitions. The school helps pupils to become active citizens.

Governors know their roles and responsibilities well.

Governors ask challenging questions and provide effective support. As a result, they know the school well. Funding for disadvantaged pupils is well spent.

Governors make decisions in the best interests of children. Staff report that their workload is well managed, and their well-being is supported.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a few subjects, the curriculum does not coherently set out what pupils should learn and when. When this is the case, teachers do not clearly share important knowledge with pupils, and pupils can become confused. The school should ensure that the curriculum is coherently sequenced in each subject so that staff can share important knowledge clearly and pupils know and remember more.

• Some pupils do not attend regularly. As a result, they miss important learning. The school should continue to ensure that clear strategies are in place to help pupils and their families so that attendance improves, and pupils do not miss out on important learning.

Background Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted's website. From September 2024, graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade.

This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. 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's work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection 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 first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in April 2019.