Oasis Academy Clarksfield

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Oasis Academy Clarksfield is a happy school.

The warm welcome that pupils and their families receive each morning from staff ensures a positive start to the day.

Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), enjoy positive and encouraging relationships with each other and with staff. Pupils know that staff will help them if they have any worries.

Leaders deal with any bullying concerns thoroughly. This helps pupils to feel safe.

Pupils were keen to explain that the '9 habits' outlined by leaders help them to understand how to act in school.

Their behaviour is exemplary. Pupils work enthusiastically in the...ir lessons and achieve increasingly well because leaders have increased everyone's expectations of what pupils can do.

Pupils participate in an extensive range of experiences to enrich their learning.

Many pupils love 'Tremendous Tuesdays', when they attend exciting after-school clubs to pursue their interests and talents. Pupils enjoy taking part in regular sporting activities and musical performances.

By carrying out special roles, such as 'habit heroes', school councillors and well-being champions, pupils learn that they can make a difference in their school and community.

Pupils spoke with pride about raising funds for a recent earthquake appeal.

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

Leaders have designed a broad and ambitious curriculum for all pupils, including those with SEND. Leaders have identified the important knowledge that pupils should learn, and have ordered this knowledge carefully, from the early years onwards.

This ensures that when new ideas are introduced, they build progressively on pupils' previous learning.

Subject leaders use their expertise to provide clear guidance and support to teachers. For the most part, teachers have strong subject knowledge and explain ideas clearly.

Often, they recap on pupils' prior knowledge before introducing new content. This helps pupils to remember what they have learned and to approach new learning with confidence. However, on occasion, teachers do not use assessment strategies effectively to check pupils' understanding and respond to any misconceptions.

This means that some gaps in learning are not addressed promptly, which prevents some pupils from achieving as well as they could.

Children in the early years benefit from a calm and encouraging atmosphere. They enjoy singing songs and reciting rhymes.

Staff read to the children every day, which helps to develop their spoken language and vocabulary.

Leaders have placed a high priority on teaching pupils how to read well. Many older pupils enjoy reading independently.

They are enthusiastic when discussing the books their teachers read to them in class.

Children start to learn how to recognise sounds and letters in the Nursery class. From the beginning of the Reception Year, pupils practise reading, writing and spelling using their phonic knowledge in daily lessons.

Teachers check regularly on how well pupils are learning to read, and arrange additional support for any pupils who fall behind. Most pupils learn to read fluently and accurately by the end of Year 2. However, some of the books that some pupils read do not match the sounds that they know.

This limits these pupils' opportunities to practise their phonic knowledge. In some cases, this delays their fluency and confidence in reading.

Leaders ensure that the needs of pupils with SEND are identified early.

Teachers deploy a range of strategies to ensure that this group of pupils access the same curriculum as their classmates. Leaders work well with a range of external agencies to provide pupils with appropriate specialist support when required.

Pupils are friendly, polite and well-motivated.

The calm and inclusive school environment means that pupils learn happily together and without interruption. Leaders have worked diligently to improve attendance, with some success. Although most pupils now attend school regularly, a significant number of pupils miss too much of their education.

This prevents them from achieving as well as they should.

Leaders provide a rich menu of opportunities for pupils, to foster an understanding of the world beyond their school and the local community. Pupils understand that people have different beliefs, families and cultures.

They demonstrate respect for all. Pupils are keen to take on special responsibilities which enable them to play an active role in improving the school. These activities help pupils to learn about important concepts such as democracy and prepare them well for life in modern Britain.

Trustees and leaders are ambitious for the school and have an accurate view of the school's strengths and areas for improvement. They have worked with determination to build positive relationships with families and to raise the profile of the school in the community. For example, many parents and carers value the English language workshops and social opportunities on offer at the school's community hub.

Staff value the opportunities that leaders provide for career development. They appreciate the way that leaders are approachable and considerate of their workload and well-being.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders ensure that staff receive regular training so that they are sensitive to the signs that might indicate that a pupil is suffering or at risk of harm.Staff understand that safeguarding is everyone's responsibility. They follow agreed procedures to report any concerns, and these are followed up promptly by leaders.

The safeguarding team works successfully with a range of outside agencies to access support for vulnerable pupils and their families.Pupils learn about how to keep themselves safe when online and how to avoid risks in the wider community. They recognise some of the features of healthy relationships, such as consent.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Some of the books that pupils are given to practise their reading do not match their phonic knowledge. This prevents them from practising the sounds they have learned to gain sufficient confidence and to read with improved accuracy and fluency. Leaders should ensure that pupils at the early stages of learning to read are given books that match the sounds and letters that they know.

• Some teachers do not use assessment effectively to check that pupils' knowledge is secure before they move on to new content. This means that some pupils have gaps in their understanding which prevent them from achieving as well as they should. Leaders should make sure that teachers develop their use of regular assessment strategies, to enable them to check what pupils understand and address any misconceptions promptly.

• Some pupils do not attend school regularly. This means that they miss out on important learning, which has a negative impact on how well they achieve. Leaders should work with families to develop effective strategies to improve the attendance of these pupils so that they do not miss out on their education.