Parkham Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Parkham Primary School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Parkham Primary School welcomes everyone. Staff are ambitious for all pupils. Children are encouraged to learn to read from the Nursery class onwards.

The confidence younger pupils show with their early reading skills is impressive. This prepares them well for the next stage of their education.

Pupils are thoughtful and kind to each other.

The school's values of respect, kindness, honesty, courage and forgiveness permeate the school. Pupils know that some people live differently to themselves and that it is alright to be different. Pupils are well prepared for life in mode...rn Britain.

Incidents of bullying are very rare. Pupils say that they feel safe in school and that there is always an adult they can speak to. They say that the school is like one big family.

Pupils behave well in lessons and during social times. They work hard in lessons.

Parents and carers are very positive about the education that the school provides.

All parents who responded to Ofsted's survey, Parent View, would recommend the school.

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

Leaders and governors place inclusivity at the centre of all decision-making. Governors have a good understanding of their roles.

They work closely with staff to check how well the school is doing. They have a strong focus on ensuring that both pupils and staff are well cared for. Staff morale is high.

Reading is the at the heart of the school's curriculum. Children in the early years learn to read quickly. They confidently use the sounds that letters represent to help them to read unfamiliar words.

They use their knowledge of phonics to spell words and write sentences well. Adults listen to pupils read regularly, using books that match the sounds that pupils are learning. Pupils talk with enthusiasm about their favourite books and authors.

Leaders have ensured that pupils develop a love of reading. However, older pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) do not read as well as they could. This is because teachers' checks on what pupils know and understand are not precise enough.

As a result, additional activities to help pupils catch up are not well planned.

In some subjects, such as mathematics and science, leaders have improved the curriculum plans. This is helping pupils to remember more about each subject.

However, this is not the case for all subjects. For example, in history, older pupils cannot remember what they have learned. They have a confused understanding of the ordering of key events and periods of history.

Leaders recognise that the history curriculum is not where it should be. They are in the process of developing the history curriculum further.

The new mathematics leader has made significant changes to the mathematics curriculum.

There are clear plans in place. Most pupils achieve well in mathematics. Teachers know exactly what they have to teach, and when to teach it.

They ensure that pupils revisit and understand key concepts. This helps pupils to be ready for new content. In the early years, children explore number in lots of different ways using a range of practical equipment.

Children concentrate hard to work things out. Across the school, pupils are able to use their knowledge to solve mathematical problems well. However, the activities that staff give older pupils with SEND do not always build on what they can do.

This is because checks on what SEND pupils know and understand are not precise enough.

Pupils behave well. In lessons, they are keen to do their best.

They have a clear understanding of what is expected from them. Through the curriculum, staff make sure that pupils know the different forms that bullying might take. Pupils are confident that staff will help them with any concerns.

Pupils enjoy a range of experiences that develop their understanding of the wider world. They fundraise for many local, national and international charities. Through the 'connecting classrooms' initiative, pupils have established strong links with Uganda.

The personal, social and health education (PSHE) curriculum is well thought out and ensures that pupils develop as thoughtful citizens with a strong understanding of equality and diversity.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders take appropriate action to keep pupils safe.

Staff know pupils and their families well. Regular and up-to-date training ensures that staff know the things to look out for that might indicate a pupil is at risk of harm. Staff know that safeguarding is everyone's responsibility.

The computing and PSHE curriculums provide pupils with valuable opportunities to learn how to stay safe, including when using the internet. Pupils know that they should speak to an adult if they are concerned about anything.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Leaders need to ensure that teachers make the necessary checks on what pupils with SEND know and understand in some subjects.

Older pupils with SEND do not learn as well as they could in reading and mathematics. Leaders must ensure that teachers use all the information they have to plan activities that build on what pupils know, so that all pupils with SEND achieve well. ? Leaders are making improvements to the curriculum.

However, the history curriculum is not as well organised as it needs to be. The order of the content is not well planned. Some pupils do not remember key periods in history.

This leads to misconceptions of historical events. Leaders need to ensure that the history curriculum is well organised so that pupils secure all the essential knowledge they should.

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 a section 8 inspection of a good or outstanding school, because it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find some evidence that a good school could now be better than good, or that standards may be declining, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will convert the section 8 inspection to a section 5 inspection immediately.

This is the second section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good on 12 July 2016.