Parkway Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Parkway Primary School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

The pupils at this school are a pleasure to be around. They are happy and feel safe and love to talk about their learning. They know that, if they are worried about anything, there is a trusted adult they can talk to.

Bullying rarely occurs but, if it does, pupils know that staff will take it seriously and it will be dealt with properly.

The school has high expectations for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders have set out a broad and ambitious curriculum across the school.

Pupils are focused and work hard in lesson...s. Their behaviour is consistently strong. Pupils are respectful and polite to staff and to each other.

Pupils enjoy a range of activities which enhance the curriculum. They have 'history days' where, for example, pupils studying the Gunpowder Plot learn about the properties of gunpowder. Pupils also enjoy visits to places like the British Museum and HMS Belfast.

Pupils have opportunities to develop as young leaders. They can become play leaders and help younger pupils at lunchtime or become a school councillor and present the views of their classmates.

Pupils are proud of their school and how it develops their character.'

It helps me to change and become a better person,' said one.

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

Pupils study an ambitious curriculum that matches the breadth of what is expected nationally. Leaders prioritise curriculum development, including in the specially resourced provision.

The early reading curriculum begins in the Nursery, where pupils enjoy shared books, rhymes, and songs. Staff are well trained to deliver the phonics programme once pupils start learning to read. Pupils use phonics to blend sounds and read words, and the books which are read are at an appropriate level.

Staff intervene swiftly and effectively when pupils need extra help to keep up with their peers. The enjoyment of reading is also encouraged by the school in many ways. For example, pupils have access to the school library, reading areas around the school, and book corners in classrooms, and a reading trolley is available at break and lunchtimes.

Teachers check pupils' understanding and address misconceptions appropriately in lessons. For example, in history teachers check pupils' understanding of which seaside activities were common in the past and why they no longer happen in the present. Pupils use concrete resources to support their learning.

For example, in mathematics, pupils use cubes to help them determine the volume of shapes.

In most subjects the curriculum is designed to build on pupils' past learning. When discussing history, for example, pupils could talk about the different kinds of empires that had existed across time and what they had in common.

In some subjects the school is still refining the curriculum to ensure that pupils are learning the most important knowledge in the right order and so are fully prepared for secondary school. These refinements have not yet had a chance to be fully established or to embed.

Pupils with SEND are identified as quickly as possible.

Teachers make appropriate adaptations to enable pupils to access the full curriculum. Pupils in the specially resourced provision access the curriculum at a level suitable for their needs. Where it is possible and desirable these pupils are included in the mainstream activities.

They attend assemblies and swimming lessons, take part in school productions and have participated in the local paralympics. Parents and carers praise the caring atmosphere at the school and the support offered to pupils with SEND.

The school has effective systems in place to ensure that pupils behave well.

Pupils, including those with SEND, are enthusiastic and attentive in lessons. They listen well and are eager to answer questions. If something goes wrong, then staff talk to pupils and help them to understand how to behave in the future.

The school is doing everything it can to improve attendance. This includes first day calls and following up carefully for vulnerable pupils. It also includes offering different types of support to parents, depending on each family's circumstances.

Pupils are also offered rewards for good attendance, such as awards and certificates.

The school has thought carefully about supporting pupils' wider development. This includes after-school clubs such as choir, dodgeball, and gymnastics.

The school enables all pupils to attend clubs if they wish to do so. Pupils can talk about different world religions they study and important British values. Pupils also contribute to the local community, including working to create a healthier environment around the school and donating to the local food bank.

Governors understand the systems for safeguarding at the school. They provide both challenge and support for leaders. Staff are proud to work at the school, they think that their workload and well-being are taken into account.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Leaders are refining some subjects in the curriculum to ensure that pupils learn the most important knowledge in the right order and so are fully prepared for secondary school. Changes are not yet fully established and embedded.

This means that sometimes pupils do not recall key learning or more complex concepts in some subjects. The school should ensure that key knowledge and skills are identified and that these alterations and new developments are in place securely across all subjects.

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 second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in October 2014.