Oakfield Primary and Moderate Learning Difficulties Resource Provision

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and safe at Oakfield Primary and Moderate Learning Difficulties Resource Base. They know that staff care deeply about their well-being.

Pupils enjoy attending each day because of the warm relationships that exist across school.

The school has an ambitious vision for pupils' education. However, this is not lived out in pupils' day-to-day experiences of the curriculum.

Pupils gain the English and mathematics knowledge that they need to start their next stage of learning with confidence. However, the quality of the curriculum in most other subjects is not good enough. Where this is the case, pupils do not learn well and find it hard to remember ...enough of their learning over time.

The majority of pupils behave well. Incidents of poor behaviour sometimes occur but are dealt with swiftly by staff, so there is minimal impact on pupils' learning. Pupils say that bullying is rare.

They have faith in the systems in place to share any concerns they may have with staff.

Many parents and carers feel there have been recent positive changes to the communication that they receive from the school, including information about their child's learning.

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

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

The curriculum is carefully designed to give children the essential knowledge that they need, while following their interests. Staff support children's language development well. Effective professional development has led to staff being confident to guide children's learning and know when to take a step back and encourage independence.

In key stages 1 and 2, the curriculum in too many subjects does not help pupils to learn the essential knowledge that they need to deepen their understanding. This is because the school has not identified the most important knowledge that it wants pupils to know and remember. Moreover, staff lack the secure subject knowledge needed to teach the curriculum well.

Some of the learning activities that pupils are asked to complete do not help them to learn the intended outcomes. Consequently, pupils have gaps in their knowledge and find it hard to remember enough of their learning over time.

The school has a high number of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

It appropriately identifies pupils' additional needs and shares these with parents. However, at times, this information is not used effectively enough by staff to make learning clear and meaningful. When this happens, these pupils find it difficult to connect new learning to what they already know.

The school prioritises reading. Pupils learn to read well. Staff have a secure understanding of the school's approach to phonics.

In the Nursery Year, children gain the skills that they need to begin the phonics programme at the very start of the Reception Year with gusto.Staff skilfully spot pupils who find reading difficult. These pupils receive the additional help that they need to make improvements and become confident readers.

Pupils hold a range of roles of responsibility. They relish these roles and fulfil them to the best of their ability. Pupils show genuine care towards others.

This makes the school a friendly and welcoming place. There is an expectation that older pupils take care of younger pupils and act as role models. For example, older pupils make sure that lunchtimes run smoothly and guide younger pupils back to their classrooms.

Pupils have a strong understanding about what makes people different, including race and religion. They fiercely believe that everyone deserves to be treated with respect and have the confidence to stand up for what they think is right.

Pupils are kind and courteous.

Those who find it more difficult to meet the school's high expectations for behaviour receive the support that they need to improve. This includes receiving help from a range of external agencies that the school works closely with. The school monitors pupils' attendance regularly.

They provide well-placed support to families who need it.

Staff say that the school prioritises their well-being and workload. They consider the school to be a caring place to work.

Many staff are new to the school. The trust is helping the school to stabilise staffing after the many recent changes. It provides effective support for professional development.

The trust has robust plans in place to strengthen the implementation of the curriculum so that pupils receive high-quality learning across all subjects that are on offer.

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 not identified the most important knowledge that pupils need to know and remember across the wider curriculum.

Pupils do not deepen their understanding as well as they could. The school should set out the key knowledge in all wider curriculum subjects so it is clear what pupils need to know and remember. ? The school has not ensured that staff have the subject knowledge that they need to teach the wider curriculum well enough.

For some pupils, learning is not broken down into clear meaningful steps. Too many pupils, including those with SEND, do not learn as well as they could and find it hard to remember their learning. The school should make sure that staff have the knowledge and skills to deliver the curriculum in line with leaders' expectations.

• The school's curriculum is not designed well enough so that pupils' learning activities help them to learn the intended learning outcomes. Where this is the case, pupils do not build new knowledge securely. The school should improve how it makes checks to ensure that the curriculum delivery meets its expectations.