Pinner Park Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have developed a warm, caring and welcoming community. They have high expectations for all pupils.

Pupils study a broad and balanced curriculum. It aims to develop pupils as active citizens who can apply their learning to the real world. The school is ambitious for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Pupils respond positively to these expectations. They achieve well in their learning. Pupils, staff and parents and carers are rightly very proud of their school.

Leaders have created an environment where pupils are expected to work hard and behave well. Pupils are happy, polite and enjoy learning. They s...how respect and kindness towards each other and build positive, trusting relationships with staff.

Pupils enjoy coming to school.

The development of pupils' character is exceptional and central to the whole curriculum. The school's core values of learning, character and community are woven with care through all of the personal development offer.

Pupils reflect these values in all that they do. There is a range of opportunities designed for pupils to develop their leadership skills. This includes the 'Smart School Council', whose members identify issues within the school and then establish action groups, such as the green team, eco warriors and play champions.

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

Leaders have designed an ambitious curriculum for all. This includes pupils with SEND. Leaders ensure that pupils' learning in all subjects meets the ambition of the national curriculum.

The school's curriculum thinking is well developed, including in early years. For example, in mathematics, children in early years learn to count through songs, games and role play. Older pupils use this growing knowledge of number to solve increasingly complex problems.

Similarly, in science, children in early years explore different seasons. Older pupils build on this knowledge confidently when explaining environmental variations.

In most subjects, the curriculum is effective in developing pupils' knowledge over time.

Pupils achieve highly in subjects such as English and mathematics. However, in some wider curriculum subjects, the school has not considered clearly enough what they want pupils to know and remember. This means that teaching is not focused on the most important knowledge that pupils need to learn.

The school recognises this and is working hard to ensure that pupils achieve the same highly positive outcomes across all subjects.

Teachers have the subject knowledge to deliver the curriculum well and to explain concepts clearly. For example, adults in Reception encourage children to use language such as 'primary' and 'secondary' when exploring colours in art.

Teachers typically check pupils' understanding and address misconceptions.

Leaders have a sharp focus on children learning to read, right from when they first join the school. Staff regularly assess pupils and provide targeted support to enable them to keep up with the ambitious phonics programme.

The school promotes a positive reading culture and involves parents in supporting their children to learn to read. Pupils enjoy the daily reading time and choosing books from the school library. They also practise and apply their knowledge with reading books that match the phonics that they have been taught.

In early years, the curriculum provides a clear focus on ensuring that children acquire a wide vocabulary. Staff help to develop children's communication and language skills effectively.

The school identifies the needs of pupils with SEND swiftly.

Staff are well trained to ensure that they can provide high-quality support for pupils with a range of needs. Adaptations are made during lessons to ensure that pupils with SEND learn successfully alongside their peers.

Pupils behave well during lessons and focus on their learning.

Systems to manage behaviour are consistently used by staff and understood by pupils. In early years, children follow routines sensibly and concentrate on activities. They listen and respond positively to adults and each other.

Leaders have high expectations of pupils' behaviour and attendance. They have clear systems in place to help pupils to attend school regularly.

The personal development programme is seamlessly integrated across the whole curriculum.

This is of exceptional quality and allows pupils to constantly use the skills they learn in all aspects of school life and beyond. There is a wide range of enrichment activities to enhance pupils' learning, such as well-planned activities in the outdoor wooded area and high-quality provision for music, sports and art. The school often enters pupils in competitions for sports and pupils also participate in music festivals.

Pupils enjoy these experiences immensely.

Staff, including those in the early stages of their career, are proud to work at this school. They appreciate that they are supported with their workload and their well-being.

Leaders have successfully steered the school through the amalgamation of the infant and junior schools, creating a coherent vision and forging strong community links. The governing body knows its statutory duties and carries these out supportively.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a few foundation subjects, the school has not precisely identified the most important knowledge pupils need to learn and build on. This means that the curriculum is not enabling pupils to deepen their understanding as securely as they could. The school needs to continue their work on curriculum development so that all subjects identify the component knowledge that pupils are expected to acquire and recall at each stage of learning.