Park Road Junior Infant and Nursery School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Park Road Junior Infant and Nursery School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils thrive in this happy and caring school.

They are friendly, polite and keen to talk about what they like about their school. They talk about the school being respectful. They show respect for each other and for staff.

Older pupils reflect maturely on the diverse community that the school serves.

Pupils behave exceptionally well. At social times, there is a lovely atmosphere as pupils interact with each other.

Pupils engage enthusiastically with their lessons, responding well to the interesting work and varied activities that teachers prov...ide for them. Teachers have high expectations of their pupils. Pupils speak positively about the extra-curricular clubs, which include baking, gymnastics and music.

They relish the leadership roles that they are asked to perform such as school councillors, prefects, sports leaders and well-being champions.

Parents are very positive about the school. The overwhelming majority of those spoken to by the inspector said that the school communicates with them well.

All of the parents who filled out the survey would recommend the school. One parent wrote, 'A lovely school with a friendly staff who understand children and their needs.'

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

The school is ambitious for all its pupils.

There is a wide-ranging curriculum. It has been designed to reflect the diverse community that the school serves and to give pupils the knowledge and skills they need to progress. However, there is still work to do in developing some subjects.

Leaders are aware that there needs to be greater clarity in identifying precisely what pupils will know. Teachers can then use this information to check that pupils build their knowledge in the subject.

Reading is a priority for the school.

The school has recently invested in enhanced staff training. Staff are very positive about the support they receive so they are confident in their ability to teach pupils to read. However, there are still minor inconsistencies in their practice.

Pupils are taught phonics through a carefully sequenced programme, which starts in early years. There are opportunities for pupils to access extra support and programmes for older pupils who are still having difficulties with their reading or who speak English as an additional language. The books that early readers practise with match their knowledge of letters and the sounds they represent.

Older pupils speak positively about reading and can name favourite authors whose work they enjoy.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are very well provided for. Most are able to access, with support, the same work as their peers.

For instance, in mathematics in Year 3, pupils use blocks to support their understanding of three-digit numbers. When necessary, a bespoke programme is created.

Pupils enjoy mathematics, often saying it is a favourite subject.

Teachers explain things well and expect pupils to be able to justify their answers. They use a range of techniques to record pupils' work so that they can check their understanding. Older pupils have good knowledge of their multiplication tables.

The curriculum for mathematics starts in the early years. Children in Nursery can already count to four and children in Reception learn about patterns. In early years, children learn a wide-ranging curriculum that prepares them for the subjects they will learn as they move up through the school.

Several subjects are delivered through a thematic approach. This means that there are helpful links created. Pupils often read text in their reading lessons, which gives them information about the work they will do in another subject.

Pupils understand what subject they are learning within a theme such as history. Year 5 and 6 are working on the Victorian period and can talk confidently about the life and achievements of Isambard Kingdom Brunel. However, there are some gaps in their knowledge when questioned about earlier work.

Teachers provide a wide range of activities, and pupils engage and respond positively to them. These activities not only help pupils learn, but also help them develop positive attitudes.

The personal development of pupils is a priority for the school.

There is a strong personal, social and health education curriculum. Pupils are able to talk about what they have learned and the experiences they have had. The school ensures that the curriculum is enriched by trips.

For instance, to support their work on Victorian times, Year 5 and 6 pupils will be visiting a coal mining museum.

The school's emphasis on pupils' personal development supports the exceptionally good behaviour of pupils. Good behaviour is based on the excellent relationships between staff and pupils and on clear routines that are consistently used by staff.

Children in the early years are already well used to these.

Staff are proud to work at the school and feel part of a team. They support the vision of senior leaders, whose commitment and dedication are unflinching.

The governing body knows the school well and provide support and challenge to the school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some topics, teachers are not sufficiently clear about what the key knowledge is that pupils must learn.

This means that pupils do not always learn what they need to in order to build their knowledge over time. The school must ensure that all topics have the key knowledge identified and that teachers check that pupils have gained the knowledge that they need.

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 first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in April 2018.