Oakley Primary Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils experience a highly supportive school environment. They know and follow the school values of being ready, responsible and respectful.

Pupils feel safe and valued. They know their well-being is a top priority for staff. Children in the early years respond positively to the kind and caring relationships adults build with them.

Expectations for pupils' achievement are high. They benefit from a broad, well-structured curriculum. This helps them build rich knowledge over time.

They are motivated by knowledgeable teachers who provide clear, interesting and engaging lessons. While there is some variability in how well individual pupils' needs are met, pupils ...generally receive the support they need to achieve well.The school has a clear emphasis on exemplary behaviour and strong values.

Pupils are highly respectful, tolerant and kind to each other. Right from the start of early years, children learn how to sit politely and share an enjoyable lunch together.Beyond the classroom, pupils enjoy a range of activities that help their personal growth.

They enjoy participating in clubs such as karate, sports fixtures and community events such as the harvest festival. These help pupils to develop a strong sense of belonging and togetherness as a happy school community.

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

The school has a strong commitment to supporting all pupils to feel valued as part of the school.

This includes those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). This supportive environment helps pupils, including children in early years, feel confident and cared for.The trust has developed an ambitious and well-structured primary curriculum.

It provides extensive training for the school in how to use this curriculum well. For example, staff work together in regional groups to share best practice. This means that teachers have the subject knowledge they need to teach the curriculum well.

As a result, pupils build and secure their knowledge in each subject securely.Teachers provide clear explanations and check what pupils know. However, on occasion, the school does not make the adjustments pupils need to access the learning fully or extend their learning further.

This means that some pupils, including pupils with SEND, do not always produce work of as high quality as they could.Pupils learn to read well. The trust has supported the school to put in place an effective phonics programme.

Staff have received ongoing training for this. Adults are knowledgeable in how to teach children to read. As a result, children quickly build reading fluency from the start of Reception.

In the early years, there is an increased focus on developing children's communication and language skills. Staff model speech through the activities children choose. This helps children, including those with SEND, to develop the communication and language skills they will need to learn to read well.

Pupils develop a love of reading right from early years. Pupils regularly visit the reading corners in each classroom and the well-stocked library. Pupils talk enthusiastically about what they read.

Older pupils are well supported to read challenging texts. This helps them to successfully develop more complex vocabulary and comprehension skills.Pupils attend extremely well.

They want to come to school. The school teaches pupils how to be kind and considerate. This is reflected in pupils' exceptional behaviour and positive attitudes to learning.

Pupils are accepting of differences between themselves and others. They learn the value of respect for all. This was evident as pupils happily worked alongside their grandparents during 'grandparents and extended family afternoon'.

The school provides a range of opportunities that broaden pupils' horizons and understanding of society. For example, pupils' cultural and social understanding is developed through the learning about the Windrush experience. This involves pupils hearing first hand from someone who was part of it.

Pupils also enjoy a range of trips and experiences that enhance the curriculum. This has included meeting their local Member of Parliament to learn more about democracy. Pupils' mental health is well supported, especially when they read to, or stroke, Nova, the school dog.

The trust provides an extensive programme of training for governors. This enables them to challenge and support the school effectively. The trust ensures the school fulfils its statutory responsibilities such as safeguarding.

The school engages extensively with parents and the wider community, who are highly positive about the school. Staff feel well supported in terms of workload and value the resources and collaborative opportunities the trust provides to help them develop their teaching.

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 does not always provide precise enough adaptations for pupils' individual needs, including for some pupils with SEND. As a result, not all pupils access their learning as well as they could or have the opportunity to extend their learning and deepen their knowledge further. The school needs to ensure that it puts adaptions in place to meet all pupils' individual needs precisely and effectively so that all pupils achieve as well as they should.

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