A primary school in south Bristol has been described as a place where “everyone is welcome” following an ungraded Ofsted inspection in October. Knowle Park Primary School, on Queenshill Road in Knowle, was judged to have maintained the ‘Good’ standards that it had previously been given in a graded inspection in 2015.
The primary school has 620 pupils on its school roll and was previously subject to an ungraded inspection in 2019. Ungraded inspections assess whether a school has maintained previous standards identified at a proper inspection.
The inspection, on October 22 and 23, showed that Knowle Park Primary remains ‘Good’ and that pupils are “happy, friendly and respectful”. Pupils have confidence in the staff to sort any worries which they may have.
The staff at the school have high expectations of pupils, who rise to these and achieve well. Pupils recognise that persistence and practice is needed to get better at something and are keen to do their best.
Pupils are proud of the responsibilities they hold, including being team captains and participating in community events. In addition, pupils learn new skills and talents through a range of clubs, which are monitored to ensure they are available to all.
The school identifies and meets the needs of all pupils including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Published outcomes at the school “do not reflect the quality of education that pupils receive”, the curriculum has undergone significant change which means there is clarity over what pupils should learn and when.
Pupils are able to deepen their knowledge across the curriculum through revisiting learning regularly and linking this to new ideas. In many subjects, teachers check what pupils know and remember and pupils who fall behind are supported to catch up.
The report said: “However, sometimes the checks that teachers make on pupils’ learning do not identify gaps in pupils’ knowledge. Therefore, pupils sometimes move through the curriculum with ongoing gaps and misconceptions in their learning. On occasion, the curriculum is not delivered well and consequently, in some subjects, pupils do not build a sufficient knowledge.
“The school weaves the development of pupils’ oracy skills through the curriculum. A structured approach to the extension of children’s vocabulary begins as soon they start school and adults model the use of important vocabulary for children to use in their daily interactions.
“This improves their communication and acts like a springboard to improve pupils’ understanding more widely. Older pupils enjoy opportunities to debate and discuss their views, which extend their ability to reason. Pupils communicate courteously, even when they have differences of opinion.”
The school has a “sharp focus” on reading, where the school put in “precise support” in place for pupils who fall behind. The provision for pupils’ broader development is “well considered and thorough”.
Knowle Park Primary has established a new behavioural system which sets expectations in lessons and around the school. Pupils conduct themselves well and as a result, the school environment is calm and orderly. The report added: “Occasionally, pupils become distracted in lessons, but this does not disrupt the learning of others.
“The school has taken appropriate steps to improve pupils’ rates of attendance. Most pupils attend well. The school works closely with families to ensure that all pupils develop positive attendance habits.
“Governors have the skills and expertise to fulfil their roles well. They have an accurate picture of the school through robust systems of checking and quality assurance. They ensure that the education that the school provides has a positive impact on all its pupils.”
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