Oakfield Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Oakfield Academy has improved significantly in recent years.

Leaders have taken significant action to raise aspirations and outcomes for all pupils. Their positive and decisive actions have led to strong, sustainable improvements for pupils. The school remains ambitious to improve further still.

Pupils want to do their best, both in their work and behaviour. They are now achieving the academic outcomes they are capable of in many curriculum areas. Children in the early years get an excellent start.

This underpins their future learning. Support for disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is well considered.
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Pupils thoroughly enjoy coming to school.

The focus on pupils' personal development is highly impressive. Everyone is living up to the core 'Habits of Mind at Oakfield', which include being empathetic, creative and curious. From the day pupils start, the emphasis is on building strong relationships between staff and pupils.

Through carefully crafted opportunities, all pupils develop a strong sense of character and belief in themselves. This enables pupils to leave ready for the next stage of their education.

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

The pace of improvement has been rapid since the appointment of new leaders at the school and trust.

They have wasted no time establishing a dedicated team of staff who work together to improve outcomes for pupils. Parents greatly appreciate the efforts staff make, and this makes for a very positive environment for pupils to learn in.

The school has developed a well-sequenced curriculum that details the key knowledge, skills and vocabulary pupils will learn in all subjects.

Teachers' subject knowledge is strong. They ensure that disadvantaged pupils, including pupils with SEND, make equal gains in their learning. Teachers check how well pupils have learned, but do not put all this information to best use when planning future lessons.

This means that, despite their efforts, teachers miss some opportunities to build on pupils' previous learning.

The school understands the fundamental importance of pupils' learning to read well. It has embedded an early reading scheme that enables pupils to learn phonics quickly and effectively.

Teachers make sure that the books pupils read are ones they can understand and read well. Pupils who are struggling to learn to read are given high-quality support to help them catch up. Across the school, the sense of pupils' love of books is clear.

Older pupils talk with pleasure about the novels they choose to read from the well-stocked library.

A very well-organised transition helps children in early years get into the school's routines with no delay. Parents appreciate this greatly.

Children become immersed in a highly ambitious and developmental curriculum in Reception. This focuses strongly on learning how to communicate with others.

Pupils' behaviour in the classrooms and around the school is good.

This helps create a calm and conducive learning environment. There is very little disruption caused to learning by the behaviour of other pupils. However, teachers need to ensure all pupils fully engage in the classroom learning.

Some pupils lose concentration and do not retain focus in some lessons. Pupils' attendance is high. The school works with families effectively to ensure few pupils miss school frequently.

The school and trust are right to be proud of the excellent impact the curriculum has on pupils' wider development. They place a high priority on this. Pupils enhance their life skills very effectively.

They also develop greater knowledge of themselves as individuals. For example, the school has developed a strong 'Outdoor Woodland Learning' ('OWL') environment. The aims of this provision blend seamlessly with the school's values.'

OWL' learning encompasses both forest school activities and the learning that has been taking place in the classroom. For example, Year 1 pupils learn about structures in design and technology and apply this by building dens outside. Pupils also access a very wide range of activities and clubs.

Pupils enjoy the many and varied class trips, including residential trips which become progressively adventurous as pupils get older.

The vast majority of parents appreciate the great efforts made by the school. One parent, who reflected the views of many, said: 'This school has done wonders for both my children.

It has changed for the better immeasurably. The staff are amazing and we cannot thank them enough.'

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In foundation subjects, teachers do not use assessment strategies fully effectively to inform future learning. This hinders some teachers from rectifying misconceptions and gaps in pupils' knowledge as quickly as they could. The school should continue to refine its approach to assessment in these subjects in order to support teachers to identify and address any gaps in pupils' knowledge.

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