Parklands Primary School

Parklands Primary School is a larger-than-average primary in a deprived area of Leeds, with high proportions of disadvantaged pupils and pupils with education, health and care plans, and a resourced SEND provision for speech, language and communication difficulties, autism, and moderate learning difficulties. The school has undergone significant leadership change and this was a full section 5 inspection. Safeguarding standards are met. Overall, the school is performing at the expected standard, with calm and purposeful behaviour, strong reading teaching, effective early years provision, and an inclusive culture that supports pupils with SEND well. Pastoral care and relationships are particular strengths, and pupils feel safe. However, several areas need attention. Pupils' attainment in national tests has been below the national average over time, and learning in subjects beyond English and mathematics is underdeveloped. The curriculum is not consistently taught well, and staff do not reliably use prior knowledge to adapt learning to individual pupils' needs. Personal development also requires improvement, as pupils' understanding of mental health, British values, and different faiths is limited. Attendance and persistent absence remain above national averages, although leaders' work is beginning to bring improvements. Gaps between disadvantaged pupils and their peers are closing but remain significant, and some pupils with SEND do not consistently make effective progress.

Strengths

• Calm and purposeful behaviour with positive pupil attitudes to learning.
• Strong teaching of reading, with more pupils reading confidently and fluently.
• Effective early years provision that prepares children well for Year 1.
• Inclusive culture with effective support for pupils with SEND, including a highly tailored resourced provision.
• High-quality pastoral care and strong relationships between staff and pupils.
• Leaders understand the school's strengths and areas for improvement and have driven consistent improvement in several areas.
• Governors have effective systems to monitor the school and hold leaders to account.
• Pupils feel safe, and bullying is rare and handled effectively.
• Enrichment opportunities and pupil leadership roles promote cooperation and democratic processes.
• Strategic support for disadvantaged pupils and those known to social care.

Areas for Improvement

• Pupils' attainment in national tests has been below the national average over time.
• Transcription and number knowledge are too variable, leaving some pupils unprepared for the next stage of education.
• Curriculum and teaching are not consistently well taught; staff do not reliably check prior knowledge or adapt learning to individual needs.
• Pupils' learning in subjects other than English and mathematics is underdeveloped.
• Personal development is not fully embedded; pupils' understanding of mental health, British values, and different faiths is limited.
• Attendance and persistent absence remain above national averages, though improving.
• Gaps in attainment between disadvantaged pupils and their peers remain, despite closing.
• Some pupils with SEND do not consistently make effective progress.
• The pace of change has slowed in some priority areas due to new leaders and governors.
• Some staff report that wellbeing support could be more effective.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Parklands Primary School attended 92.6% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 26.6% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 1.4% of pupils at Parklands Primary School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Parklands Primary School had 21.3 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 13.7% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 16.4% of pupils at Parklands Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 8.1% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

The school has resourced provision with 7 pupils.

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 Parklands Primary School received £9,113 and spent £9,299 for each of its 360 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £276,000 (-£766 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Leeds · Leeds local authority: places and applications

What is Parklands Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Parklands Primary School is Needs attention, from an inspection in September 2026.

When was Parklands Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Parklands Primary School was last inspected in September 2026.

How many pupils does Parklands Primary School have?

Parklands Primary School has 360 pupils on roll.

What age range does Parklands Primary School cover?

Parklands Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Parklands Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 45% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Parklands Primary School?

Parklands Primary School is at Dufton Approach, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS14 6ED.