Park View Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school. Better leadership and management since the last inspection have improved teaching and raised standards. Despite changes to senior staffing, an excellent lead from the acting headteacher and good backing from the rest of the staff have kept up the pace of improvements.

Senior leaders often visit lessons and give colleagues feedback and advice to help them improve their teaching. Good teaching now ensures that all pupils make good progress. Achievement has risen as a result and is good throughout the school.

Reading is a particular strength. Teachers keep a careful eye on how each pupil is doing so they can give them all work at just the r...ight level. They quickly see if any individuals start to fall behind, and make sure these pupils are given extra help to catch up.

Pupils are well behaved in class, try hard and are keen to do well with their learning. Pupils enjoy school and feel safe there. Their attendance has gone up, to be above average.

It is not yet an outstanding school because : There is not enough outstanding teaching to make achievement outstanding. Marking does not always show pupils clearly how to improve in future. Occasionally, learning slows for parts of lessons when some pupils wait for the next task.

Chances are sometimes missed for pupils to show initiative and make choices about their own learning. In a few lessons, pupils' progress is not checked as they work, so that misunderstandings are not spotted or opportunities are missed for challenging pupils to improve. Most staff, especially those who are in charge of different subjects, do not have enough chance to work alongside their colleagues in the classroom to share ideas and expertise.

Information about this school

This primary school is of above-average size, with a Nursery which provides part-time education for 50 younger children in the Early Years Foundation Stage. The majority of pupils are White British but about a third come from a wide range of different minority ethnic heritages. An average proportion of pupils speak English as an additional language.

The proportion of disabled pupils or those with special educational needs who receive the level of support known as 'school action' is below average. The proportion supported at 'school action plus' or who have statements of special educational needs is also below average, but a few year-groups have a high proportion of such pupils. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for extra funding from the pupil premium (which is provided to support the learning of pupils who are entitled to free school meals or in the care of the local authority) is similar to that in most schools.

The school meets the government's floor targets, which set minimum standards for pupils' attainment and progress. A new deputy headteacher took up post 18 months ago. She has been acting headteacher in the school since September, following the retirement of the previous headteacher.

This term, the assistant headteacher has been on long-term leave. Other members of staff have filled in the resultant gaps in the senior leadership team. The school runs a daily breakfast and after-school club for its own pupils.