City school rated “outstanding”
Another south Norwich school has been given top marks by Ofsted.
Inspectors visited The Parkside School last month and in a report published today said: “Parkside provides an exceptional quality of education and care for its pupils and almost all aspects of its work and pupils’ outcomes are outstanding.”
The 
school on College Road caters for 146 pupils, aged 7-16, with complex needs from across Norfolk. Around half the pupils have moderate learning difficulties, some with autistic spectrum disorder, severe learning difficulties, and others with speech, language, communication and learning difficulties. Many pupils have additional needs such as physical disabilities, emotional, social and behavioural difficulties, and significant medical needs.
The report highlights the pupils’ progress: “Their self-confidence and self-esteem grow as they mature and they make an outstanding contribution to their school. They relish responsibility, such as for recycling school waste and supporting the wild-life area, being members of the school council and contributing to staff appointments. Pupils understand the difference between right and wrong, take responsibility for their own actions and are proud of their achievements.”
Head teacher Barry Payne said: “Obviously it’s been a big team effort on everybody’s part and we’re delighted by the news.” But he added in a time when schools could face budget cuts of anything between 5% and 40%, the next few years are going to be tough: “To maintain and improve a good school at a time of reducing budgets will be very difficult to manage.”
The school became a specialist school in interaction and communication in September 2008, and a foundation special school in October 2009, supported by The Parkside Community Trust.
Comment
