Oak Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Oak Academy seeks to reinforce the core values of respect, courage, kindness and excellence in all areas of school life. It has reviewed the curriculum to make it more ambitious.

This is beginning to address the low published outcomes for pupils. The trust has recently undergone significant changes of leadership. It is now able to provide greater support to the school and there has been an increase in the pace of improvement.

However, at this time, many of the changes at the school have been made recently and therefore have had limited impact.

The school has raised expectations for pupils' behaviour. Pupils now understand what behaviour is unacceptable.
<...br/>Adults apply the behaviour policy fairly. As a result, the school is calm and pupils can learn without disruption. Pupils value the 'oak points' and the other rewards they are given for their good behaviour and contributions to school life.

Pupils take part in a range of extra-curricular activities, such as drama and the Duke of Edinburgh's Award. They enjoy chess, coding and podcast clubs, as well as taking part in a wide range of sports. Pupils appreciate that leaders have listened to them when planning new activities such as girls' football.

Pupils take on leadership roles within the school. The new year group prefects are keen to play their part in improving the school.

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

Pupils now study a broad curriculum.

Subjects have set out what pupils will learn in each year. However, as much of this curriculum change has been recent, older pupils who studied the previous curriculum have gaps in their knowledge and understanding. While the school is aware of this and seeking to support pupils, it is hindering their ability to learn new content.

The checks that teachers make to see if pupils understand are not accurately identifying what pupils know and can do. This means that the work pupils are given is not closely matched to their starting points. Some pupils are repeating work that they have already grasped.

Other pupils are given difficult work without the support that they need to complete it successfully.

Pupils read regularly. The weakest readers are quickly identified and supported to improve their reading accuracy and confidence.

This helps pupils to catch up and keep up with their peers. Pupils enjoy sharing books as a class. Pupils with English as an additional language receive additional support to develop their confidence with subject vocabulary so that they can learn the curriculum.

The school identifies the individual needs of pupils with special education needs and/or disabilities (SEND). However, the curriculum is not adapted well enough to support these pupils to learn as well as they might.

Raising attendance is a priority for the school.

It has significantly strengthened its monitoring systems to identify concerns with attendance quickly. The school supports pupils and their families effectively so that both overall absence and persistent absence are falling. Pupils are increasingly showing positive attitudes towards their learning.

Pupils are prepared for adult life through their 'Learning for Life' lessons and enrichment activities. For example, they learn about healthy relationships and different cultures. Pupils understand the importance of fundamental British values and tolerance.

They have trusted adults who they can talk to. The school considers the local context to identify what pupils should know to keep themselves safe. This includes recent workshops about knife crime, for example.

Pupils learn about the world of work. They meet employers through assemblies and work experience. Impartial careers advice supports pupils to consider all the options for post-16, including apprenticeships.

The school has begun to make improvements across many areas of its work. Leaders have been considerate of staff workload and well-being when implementing changes. Staff value professional development opportunities and are keen to take part in upcoming trust-wide projects.

However, the systems that are in place to monitor and review the impact of these changes are in their infancy. This means that the trust and those responsible for governance do not have a clear view of what is working well and what is not.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The curriculum is not adapted precisely enough to meet the needs of pupils with SEND. Consequently, these pupils do not learn the curriculum as well as they might. The school should ensure that support for pupils with SEND is consistently effective.

• Assessment within the classroom does not help adults accurately identify pupils' starting points or gaps in their knowledge and understanding. This means that some pupils do not receive the support or challenge they need to learn as well as they should. The school should make sure that routine checks for understanding are effective to help pupils achieve more highly across the curriculum.

• The school currently does not have sufficient systems in place to accurately monitor and review the quality of education within the school. This means that this school is unclear of what is working well and where further improvements may be needed. The trust should ensure that leaders at all levels, including governance, can accurately monitor, assess and challenge the quality of education provided.