Parkgate Junior School

Parkgate Junior School requires significant improvement. Safeguarding standards are met, and leaders have recently developed a clearer understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses after a period of leadership change. The curriculum is ambitious and covers a broad range of subjects, and there are positive signs in pastoral support, targeted work to improve attendance for some pupils, and pupils’ opportunities to take responsibility. However, achievement is uneven, especially in reading and mathematics and for disadvantaged pupils, and too many pupils do not progress as they should. Teaching quality varies, agreed approaches are not applied consistently, and support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities or disadvantage is not precise enough. Behaviour is the most serious concern: disruption, unkind and discriminatory language, including racist language, are frequent and not handled consistently, and some pupils do not feel safe. Attendance oversight is not strategic, and personal development, inclusion, leadership and governance all need attention. Leaders are acting on priorities, but monitoring and evaluation are not yet sharp enough to show impact or embed improvement across the school. Governors understand their statutory duties and staff value recent support, but workload remains affected by inconsistent systems. The next steps focus on consistent behaviour expectations, sharper monitoring and evaluation by leaders and governors, and building staff expertise so all pupils, including those with SEND and disadvantaged pupils, receive precise support and secure knowledge.

Strengths

• Safeguarding standards are met and there is an open culture of safeguarding.
• The curriculum is ambitious and covers a broad range of subjects.
• Leaders have recently developed a clearer understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses.
• Staff value the support leaders have provided during a demanding period.
• Governors understand their statutory duties and have supported recent leadership changes.
• Pastoral and targeted support has helped some pupils improve attendance and manage emotions.
• Some pupils achieve well when teaching is engaging and well structured.
• Pupils value responsibilities such as play leaders and school council.
• Attendance overall is broadly typical and most pupils attend regularly.
• Pupils generally arrive calmly and settle into clear routines.
• New playground activities are enjoyed by pupils.

Areas for Improvement

• Achievement is uneven, with weaker reading and mathematics and gaps for disadvantaged pupils.
• Too many pupils, especially those facing barriers, do not progress as they should.
• Teaching quality is variable and expectations are not consistently clear.
• Teaching does not consistently check understanding or address misconceptions.
• Basic skills in reading, writing and mathematics are not built consistently.
• Curriculum and teaching are not sufficiently inclusive for disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND.
• Identification, assessment and target setting lack clarity and precision.
• Pupil premium funding is not shown to improve learning and outcomes.
• Oversight of pupils known to social care is not systematic.
• Behaviour and attitudes to learning are a significant concern, with frequent disruption.
• Unkind, discriminatory and racist language is reported frequently and not dealt with consistently.
• Some pupils do not feel safe because behaviour is poor or inconsistent.
• Attendance oversight is not strategic enough to show improvement for disadvantaged pupils.
• Leaders’ monitoring and evaluation do not clearly show impact or ensure consistency.
• Governors do not consistently use precise information to challenge leaders.
• Professional development impact on staff practice is not evaluated clearly.
• Personal development impact is uneven and some pupils’ understanding of respect and tolerance is not secure.
• Online safety understanding is variable and not evaluated well.
• Pastoral support planning, tracking and evaluation are inconsistent.
• Staff workload remains affected by inconsistent behaviour and systems.

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 Parkgate Junior School attended 96.0% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 7.0% 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, 0.8% of pupils at Parkgate Junior 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 Parkgate Junior School had 19.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 0.0% 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, 14.8% of pupils at Parkgate Junior School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.4% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

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 Parkgate Junior School received £6,467 and spent £6,642 for each of its 236 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £139,000 (£589 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 Watford · Hertfordshire local authority: places and applications

What is Parkgate Junior School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Parkgate Junior School is Urgent improvement, from an inspection in October 2026.

When was Parkgate Junior School last inspected by Ofsted?

Parkgate Junior School was last inspected in October 2026.

How many pupils does Parkgate Junior School have?

Parkgate Junior School has 236 pupils on roll.

What age range does Parkgate Junior School cover?

Parkgate Junior School for pupils aged 7 to 11.

What are Parkgate Junior School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 58% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Parkgate Junior School?

Parkgate Junior School is at Southwold Road, Watford, Hertfordshire, WD24 7DN.