Ofsted: Northampton primary school celebrates ‘monumental moment’ of jumping from ‘inadequate’ to 'good'

A Northampton primary school is celebrating the “monumental” achievement of receiving a ‘good’ Ofsted rating just five years after being graded ‘inadequate’ and being placed in special measures.

Parklands Primary School was visited by inspectors in January and, this week, they shared their report which concluded that the school has improved rapidly since being taken on by the Preston Hedges Trust in 2017.

Trust Chief Executive Paul Watson said: “When we took on this school it was letting children down. I am delighted that under the superb leadership of Executive Principal Tracey Coles and Principal Carmilla Cassidy, so much has been achieved so rapidly, turning the school around and giving Parklands children an excellent education and the best possible start in life.

“Of course everyone has played their part, and it has been amazing to see the whole school community responding to the challenge; the new leadership team we appointed, the hard work of the pupils, the dedication and commitment of the staff and the support of the local community; all have risen to the challenge.”

Ofsted described Parklands pupils as “inclusive and welcoming” with good manners and respect towards staff and each other.

The school was commended for making the curriculum accessible to pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), for enhancing children’s personal development and for the sharp focus on communication in the Early Years.

Ofsted found that, during a time of change and improvement, leaders have considered the well-being and workload of staff. One member of staff told an inspector, “We’re a little family here.”

Carmilla Cassidy was appointed as headteacher to the school in 2020. She told Chronicle & Echo that the school’s new rating was down to years of hard work and described this recognition as a “monumental moment” for the school.

She continued: “This does not happen by magic. It is so much hard work, commitment and dedication from the staff and we have asked a lot of them to get the school where it is.

“I think the pride that everyone now has is just a really special thing to come from that and knowing the difference we have made and the difference we will continue to make now is very wonderful.”

Ms Cassidy said that she is most proud of overcoming the challenges presented by the pandemic and giving children experiences that will stay with them for a lifetime, such as performing at the Royal & Derngate theatre or competing at the Bedford Athletics Club.

She added: “We started completely from scratch with a brand new leadership team and fresh team members. It’s almost like a brand new school.”

To improve to outstanding, leaders need to refine their approach to assessments so that teachers can check on pupils’ progress in all subjects and quickly address misconceptions when they arise. Teachers also need to help some pupils read more fluently.

Also registered under the Preston Hedges Trust is Pineham Barns Primary School - currently rated good - and Preston Hedges Primary School, which is rated outstanding.

The full report on Parklands Primary School will be available here when published on the Ofsted website.