Parkside School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

A significant proportion of pupils at Parkside School do not feel safe. This is due to the disruptive behaviour of a significant minority of pupils, particularly on the corridors and during social times. Many staff share pupils' concerns about the impact of this negative behaviour within the school.

Leaders have started to take steps to address poor behaviour. However, the impact of the school's work has been limited. There is much more to do to ensure that pupils demonstrate positive behaviour and attitudes throughout the school.

In lessons, pupils' behaviour is more positive. However, some pupils play truant from lessons or arrive late and disrupt classes. Pupils wh...o do follow the rules, and want to focus on their learning, can find it difficult to do so because of the actions of other pupils.

Teachers do not use the behaviour policy consistently. As a result, pupils' learning experiences from lesson to lesson can vary significantly.

Most pupils have confidence to speak to an adult if something worries them.

Leaders' records show that bullying, including racist and homophobic incidents, is rare. However, many pupils do not have a strong understanding of other faiths and cultures. This limits their understanding of diversity in the school community.

Sixth-form students benefit from a more positive atmosphere in their lessons. Students are dedicated to their studies, produce high-quality work and are well supported by the majority of teaching staff.

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

The school has recognised that the behaviour and attitudes of some pupils at the school are poor.

This negative behaviour is having a significant impact across the school. The school has used external support to increase the pace of change. The school's focus has been specifically to improve behaviour and attitudes as well as the quality of education pupils receive.

However, much of this school improvement work is recent and not embedded. Leaders and governors have an over-generous view of the impact of their work in several areas.

The school is clear about what it wants pupils to know and be able to do by the time they leave Parkside School.

The school has considered which topics or skills pupils will find the most difficult. There are planned opportunities to revisit these regularly so that pupils gain a strong understanding of the curriculum. However, there is too much variation in how well the curriculum is taught.

Certain activity choices do not enable pupils to learn the curriculum as well as they might.

In some subjects, teaching is not well adapted in order to meet the needs of all learners. Where this is the case, pupils do not engage well in their learning.

This leads to gaps in their knowledge and understanding of important curriculum content. In contrast, students in the sixth form benefit from a better quality of education. They respond well to teachers' questions, understand how to improve their work and achieve well over time.

Teachers assess what pupils know and can do regularly. In some lessons, staff use the information they collect to plan future learning well. However, this is not consistently the case across the curriculum.

The activities that teachers set to reinforce learning do not always help pupils to remember important knowledge. As a result, pupils continue to have gaps in their knowledge and skills.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive a variable quality of education because their needs are not consistently well met.

The school recognises that there is more to do to ensure that all teachers follow the specific learning and support plans for each pupil. The school's quality assurance of SEND education is underdeveloped. Specific SEND training linked to pupils' needs has been limited.

However, those with responsibility for SEND are knowledgeable and have already made some improvements to processes at the school.

Despite problems in managing pupils' behaviour, there are strengths in the pastoral support that vulnerable pupils receive. The school and those responsible for governance have invested a significant amount of time and resources into 'The Bungalow', which is intended to improve pupils' physical and mental well-being.

Pupils appreciate the support this provision offers. In some cases, this is increasing pupils' engagement in lessons and rates of attendance.

Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding lacks depth.

Pupils understand important messages about healthy relationships, the risks of drugs and alcohol, as well as equalities. However, their understanding of fundamental British values, other faiths and cultures is weak. The curriculum for religious education is underdeveloped at key stage 4.

As a result, pupils are not as well prepared for life in modern Britain as they might be.

Careers education at the school is well established. Pupils from Year 7 to Year 13 have regular opportunities for engagement with the world of work, visiting speakers and independent advice and guidance.

Sixth-form students benefit from leadership opportunities which prepare them well for future education, employment or training.

Too many staff, pupils and parents share concerns about standards of behaviour at the school. A significant number of staff do not feel well supported when managing poor behaviour.

They do not have confidence in the school's ability to improve pupils' educational experiences, particularly in key stages 3 and 4. In the sixth form, the views of students and parents are more positive.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders' systems for monitoring safeguarding concerns at the school are effective.The school's IT system has filters in place to protect pupils from inappropriate online content. Leaders provide ongoing training and support so that staff are confident to report any concerns they might have about pupils' welfare.

The school shares safeguarding concerns with external agencies promptly to protect pupils from harm. Staff understand the specific risks pupils may face, such as those posed by county lines or radicalisation.

Despite these actions, the negative behaviour of a significant minority of pupils affects how safe and secure some pupils and staff feel.

Leaders are taking action to address this behaviour, but pupils and staff continue to have concerns.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• A significant minority of pupils display a poor attitude to their education and a lack of respect for others. Some pupils play truant internally and/or show a significant disregard for school rules and staff instructions.

Pupils' behaviour, especially outside of lessons, can be disruptive. The school should act swiftly to improve the behaviour of pupils who consistently misbehave and disrupt the learning of others. ? The school has not taken effective action to tackle embedded weaknesses.

In addition, governors do not carry out their core functions effectively and their oversight of statutory policies and school procedures is weak. Leaders and those responsible for governance should urgently identify how they will check the effectiveness and impact of their work. They should develop a clear, strategic approach in order to bring about school improvement and ensure that statutory duties are met.

• The quality of education pupils receive across the curriculum is too variable. In several subjects, teachers do not adapt learning in order to meet the needs of all pupils well. Teachers do not consistently check that pupils have understood what they have learned before moving on to the next stage of learning.

Leaders should provide appropriate professional development to improve the quality of education and assessment across the school. ? Plans to support pupils with SEND vary in quality, and teaching is not sufficiently adapted to meet pupils' needs. Leaders have not routinely checked the impact of their work in order to support the education of pupils with SEND.

As a result, some pupils with SEND do not achieve as well as they might. Leaders should work with staff to better equip them to meet the needs of pupils with SEND and to check the effectiveness of their work in this area. ? Some pupils' knowledge of fundamental British values, other faiths and cultures is weak.

This is particularly the case for older pupils who do not have access to a comprehensive religious education curriculum. As a result, pupils are not as well prepared for life in modern Britain as they might be. Leaders should ensure that all pupils have access to high-quality religious education that improves their knowledge of other faiths and cultures.