Oaks Park High School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

This is a welcoming school. Pupils are happy here.

They speak positively about how much the school has improved over time. Staff have high expectations of all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Most pupils achieve well.

Pupils are well looked after and kept safe. Bullying is rare, but should it occur, it is taken seriously and dealt with effectively. Staff know their pupils well, and they build positive relationships with them.

Pupils' behaviour in lessons and around the school is orderly. Most pupils focus well on their learning, follow staff's instructions and respond to the school's high expectations.Pupils' ...views play an important part in the development of the school.

For example, in Year 7, the 'make a change' project involved pupils working with leaders to improve the range of healthy options that were made available in the canteen.Pupils get involved in a range of clubs and trips to develop their interests and talents. The offer includes sports, arts, books and crafts.

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

The school is ambitious for all pupils, including those with SEND. It has designed a curriculum that sets out high academic expectations. Leaders are currently working with the trust to help recruit and develop more staff expertise so that they can widen the overall curriculum offer further.

Leaders have considered the important knowledge that they want pupils to know and remember. Teachers ensure that pupils make connections with previous learning to build on their understanding. Across the curriculum from Year 7 to Year 13, teachers ensure that pupils have frequent and purposeful opportunities to revisit important concepts.

This helps pupils to develop their thinking and remember key knowledge in a subject. Pupils achieve well overall. However, in a few subjects, the curriculum that pupils study lacks depth.

As a result, in this small number of subjects, pupils are not acquiring the depth of knowledge and skills that they should.Currently, the proportion of pupils studying the English Baccalaureate is low. Leaders recognise that this is largely due to the lower numbers of pupils opting to study a modern foreign language.

They are reviewing the curriculum for languages with the aim of ensuring that more pupils study languages at GCSE.Teachers have strong subject knowledge. This is reflected in their high-quality explanations of subject content.

They also use assessment well. For example, using their checks on pupils' learning, they select resources and tasks that help pupils, including those in the sixth form, to develop and apply their learning.Leaders make sure that teachers receive up-to-date training in supporting pupils with SEND.

Pupils' needs are identified well. The school uses 'pupil passports' to give teachers the information that they need to adapt their teaching and cater appropriately for pupils' needs. Pupils with SEND access the same curriculum as their peers.

The school identifies effectively those pupils who need further help with learning to read. These pupils are well supported in becoming more confident and fluent readers.Pupils are respectful and polite.

They understand the school's expectations in terms of conduct and behaviour, and this is reflected in the way that most pupils focus and engage during lessons. There are a few instances where low-level disruption is not managed consistently well. When this happens, it affects how well these pupils are able to focus on their learning.

Leaders prioritise attendance. They have clear systems in place to identify and deal with absence quickly. In the sixth form, students have positive attitudes towards their education.

They have high levels of attendance, achieve well in national examinations and are being prepared effectively for their next steps.The school has carefully designed a personal, social, health and economic education curriculum to promote pupils' wider development. Pupils are taught a range of topics in an age-appropriate way, including subject content related to relationships, how to stay safe online and looking after their mental health.

The school's careers programme ensures that pupils learn about a range of future options for careers and continuing their education further, including apprenticeships.The school offers a wide range of extra-curricular clubs, including sports, chess and the arts. Pupils and students in the sixth form undertake national and international educational visits to places such as universities, art galleries and museums.

Those responsible for governance are knowledgeable and understand their roles. For example, they work well with leaders to engage staff about improvement priorities. Leaders consider staff's workload and well-being.

Staff feel supported and appreciate the training opportunities provided, including those offered by the trust.The school is currently working to develop the small number of areas in Years 7 to 9 where the curriculum needs further depth.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a few subjects, the curriculum lacks depth. As a result, pupils do not build up the deep body of knowledge and skills that they should. The school must ensure that a rigorous body of subject knowledge and skills is identified and then explicitly taught in these subjects.

• Occasionally, expectations of pupils' behaviour are not high enough. As a result, some low-level disruption is not dealt with effectively and interrupts these pupils' learning. The school must ensure that its behaviour policy is implemented consistently.