Oakfield Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

This is a happy and welcoming school where pupils get on well together. They recognise and celebrate each other's talents and achievements. Pupils understand the importance of hard work and responsibility.

This helps them achieve well.

Routines and values are clear and well established. Pupils rise to meet the high expectations adults have of them.

They strive to show the three simple rules: 'be ready, be respectful, be safe'. Pupils value the recognition they receive for modelling these, including through celebration certificates and in assemblies.

Pupils behave well.

They feel safe, trusting that adults will look after them. Pupils are ext...remely polite, courteous and attentive. They welcome visitors warmly, holding doors open for adults and each other.

Pupils take turns when talking and listen carefully to what others have to say. They value the rewards on offer, including house points, achievement certificates or winning a prize from the book vending machine for reading regularly at home.

Pupils make a significant contribution to their school.

Eco and school councillors plan and carry out work and events to promote their aims. Recent visits from a Paralympian and a professional drummer were extremely popular.

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

The school has recently overhauled its curriculum.

Pupils now benefit from a curriculum that is broad, engaging and well thought out. The knowledge and skills pupils need to learn are carefully sequenced. Teachers are clear about what pupils need to know and remember.

However, because some subject plans have changed, there are gaps in what pupils can remember from previous learning in some subjects. These are quickly closing. The school has not had enough time to check exactly how well all pupils are learning the new curriculum.

The school acted swiftly to address weaknesses found at its last inspection. There are new, well-designed approaches to the teaching of reading in key stage 2. These ensure that pupils can read and understand more complex texts.

They now learn and remember new vocabulary at an impressive rate. A revised approach to teaching writing is improving pupils' ability to write in depth and creatively. Nevertheless, some pupils do not take enough care when presenting their written work across the curriculum.

Teachers do not always address this.

Early reading is well taught. Pupils learn phonics in a logical and systematic order.

The books pupils read are closely matched to the sounds they know. Pupils soon begin reading with fluency and comprehension. Older pupils who find reading difficult now receive high-quality support.

Pupils who need help with phonics receive well-tailored support to become confident readers. The well-stocked library and the outdoor 'Treehouse' help promote a love of reading.

Children get off to a positive start in the early years.

Carefully designed activities help children remember much of what they have been taught. For example, children have a secure understanding of how to share counters equally into groups, because they have learned to draw diagrams to help them strengthen and explain their understanding.

The school has made significant improvements to the quality of education for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

The school identifies these pupils quickly and accurately, putting appropriate support in place. Adults are skilled at adapting teaching. The quality of individual planning for pupils with SEND has improved immensely.

The school has introduced new checks to ensure that pupils who receive extra help make strong progress. Pupils with SEND learn well.

The design of the curriculum, along with a wide range of extra-curricular activities such as karate and dance, develops pupils' talents and interests well.

Class discussions and assemblies focus on topics including current affairs, personal safety, well-being and citizenship. This prepares pupils well for their future lives. Visits to places of interest, including the British Museum, further enrich pupils' learning.

The school is calm and orderly. The pupils are positive and respectful due to the clear routines and high staff expectations. Pupils' motivation and attitudes to learning are positive.

They engage well and are keen to learn.

Leaders have transformed much at the school in a short period of time. They have prioritised the right things.

At all levels, leaders understand their roles and responsibilities. The school has tackled weaknesses well. The school has a clear vision and a capacity for continued improvement.

Staff value the support leaders provide. They appreciate how leaders give them the time, training and resources they need to do their jobs well.

Governors work strategically.

They challenge and support leaders and they make decisions in the best interests of pupils.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The school has reviewed and changed the curriculum in some subjects.

Teachers are delivering the new curriculum in these subjects effectively. Leaders, though, have not had enough time to refine assessment processes or review the curriculum's impact in these subjects to check that pupils are learning well. Leaders should ensure they use assessment information to check that pupils are learning well and to make any further adaptations to the curriculum that are needed to address any gaps pupils have.

• Teachers do not consistently ensure that all pupils take enough care in how they present their written work across the curriculum. This means that some work is untidy and pupils do not always take pride in their writing. The school should ensure that teachers are clear about expectations for the presentation of pupils' writing and that these expectations and standards are applied consistently across all classes and subjects.