Co-op Academy Oakwood

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Co-op Academy Oakwood are friendly and welcoming. Leaders have high expectations of them and are determined for all pupils to fulfil the school's motto of 'be the best that you can be'.

There are some aspects of the school where leaders' high expectations and ambition are not realised in practice.

The staff at Co-op Academy Oakwood provide a good quality of education for the pupils in their care. Leaders worked diligently to build parents' and carers' trust in the school as a safe environment for learning during the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.

Despite this, many pupils were absent for extended periods of time. These absences impacted very negati...vely on their learning and outcomes in 2022.

Many pupils in school behave well.

A minority of pupils struggle to manage their behaviour. Adults support these pupils to minimise the impact on their learning. Pupils say that bullying does sometimes happen, but that adults quickly sort it out.

Pupils are happy in school. The school provides exceptional pastoral support to pupils and their families. They know that they can talk to a trusted adult, such as the therapeutic practitioner, about any of their worries or concerns.

There is a wide range of opportunities for pupils to develop their talents and interests through extracurricular activities, such as the choir and the pottery, drama or coding clubs. Older pupils access science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) workshops through the University of Bradford. This is part of the school's high-quality, careers-related learning programme.

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders have developed a coherently sequenced curriculum that reflects the diverse community that the school serves. The curriculum is planned from early years through to Year 6. Leaders ensure that children in early years are prepared well for Year 1 and beyond.

Early years staff fulfil the particular focus of developing children's language and communication skills well.

Some subjects, such as mathematics and science, are more developed than others. In these subjects, pupils remember what they have been taught and can talk about the content knowledgeably.

In less well-developed subjects, for example geography, pupils find it more difficult to articulate their learning. In all subjects, teachers regularly check what pupils know and remember so that they can adapt their teaching.

Reading is a key priority for leaders.

Children in early years are exposed to high-quality texts to help them build their vocabulary. All staff have been trained to teach the school's phonics programme well. Teachers check pupils' progress in reading to make sure that they do not fall behind with learning to read.

Pupils, when necessary, are given extra help to catch up with their peers. The books that pupils read match the sounds and letters that they know. Pupils speak positively about reading.

They are keen to read often so that they can earn tokens to spend at the school's book-vending machine. Teachers write 'key reader' texts to be used in subjects such as history and geography. These help pupils to develop their fluency skills, and also help them to learn key knowledge.

Leaders have formed effective links with Leeds City College. The college offers English and mathematics courses to parents and carers. These courses help parents to better support their children with reading at home.

Leaders' vision is that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) have the same opportunities as their peers. While much of the provision for pupils with SEND is effective, there are some instances where the provision identified on support plans does not closely match pupils' needs. In addition, some targets on the plans are too broad.

This means that pupils do not consistently get the precise support that they need.

The curriculum for personal, social and health education (PSHE) is well thought out. Pupils learn about challenging and complex issues through carefully chosen texts.

These texts are particularly effective in developing pupils' understanding of the protected characteristics, such as disability and race. Leaders are very clear about the character virtues, such as self-help and self-responsibility, that they want pupils to learn. The PSHE curriculum enables pupils to develop these virtues.

The school's 'skills builder' programme supports pupils to develop their leadership skills.

The way in which leaders engage with the community is a strength of this school. The pastoral team establishes positive relationships with families.

The use of external agencies, for example art psychotherapists, helps to strengthen bonds between parents, their children and teachers. Leaders arrange for visitors to speak to pupils about potential future careers. This raises pupils' aspirations.

Some pupils are targeted for additional support to help them overcome their individual barriers to learning. For example, leaders work cooperatively with a charity that offers residential opportunities for pupils. These residential visits prepare pupils to be independent and resilient at secondary school and beyond.

The trust provides effective support and training for staff. Staff report that leaders prioritise their workload and well-being consistently. Governors and the trust's leaders have an accurate view of the school's current strengths and the areas requiring further development.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders know pupils and their families well. They understand their vulnerabilities and provide effective and caring support with the assistance of external agencies where necessary.

Leaders follow up concerns about pupils' welfare tenaciously.

Staff and governors receive regular safeguarding training and updates. Appropriate procedures are in place to ensure that staff are recruited to the school safely.

Leaders are acutely aware of the risks that pupils may be exposed to in the local area. They have reviewed the curriculum to ensure that pupils are educated about these risks. Pupils can talk about how to keep themselves safe when online and offline.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The targets and provision listed on some support plans for pupils with SEND are not specific enough. This means that some pupils do not get the precise support that they need in order to achieve the best possible outcomes. Leaders should ensure that staff are trained in how to write targets that are specific, measurable and time-bound so that the provision that pupils get aligns closely with their needs.

• Some leaders do not have sufficient oversight of their area of responsibility. Inconsistencies in practice mean that pupils do not make the progress of which they are capable. Leaders should ensure that they have clear oversight of, and address deficiencies in, the delivery of the planned curriculums across the school.