Oasis Academy Johanna

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Oasis Academy Johanna has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

The (interim) principal of this school is Paul David. This school is part of the Oasis Academy Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school.

The trust is run by the chief executive officer, John Barneby, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Caroline Taylor. There is an (interim) executive principal, Joanna Poplett, who is responsible for this school and one other. There is also a regional director, Adam Browne, who is responsible for this school and a number of other schools.

What is it like to attend this school? ...b>

There is a strong community at this small and friendly school. Parents and carers say it is like a 'village in the heart of the city'. The school has an inclusive ethos and new pupils are made to feel welcome.

Families benefit from a wide range of services through the 'Community Hub'. Pupils feel safe here and attend well.

The school has high expectations for what pupils can achieve, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

The school has recently introduced an ambitious new curriculum which is in the early stages of implementation.

Pupils typically behave well in lessons and around the school. They are polite to visitors and treat each other with kindness.

Pupils of different ages play well together and older pupils help to take care of younger pupils.

Careful consideration has been given to pupils' social and emotional development.Pupils have many opportunities to experience the local area, including historic sites such as Tower Bridge.

The school has partnerships with local businesses, including an architect's firm. These provide unique opportunities for pupils to participate in creative projects, such as the Southbank Winter Windows project. Year 6 pupils speak enthusiastically about their residential trip where they take part in outward bound activities.

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

The school has recently been through a period of change and instability. The trust and school leadership have managed this period well. They have been successful in ensuring the school has the resources and support it needs to maintain a good standard of education for pupils.

Most parents are positive about how the school has communicated these changes.

Staff are proud to work at the school. They appreciate the way that leaders consider their workload and well-being.

Relationships between staff and pupils are positive. Staff know their pupils and families very well. They make every effort to ensure that families have access to appropriate support.

This contributes to the good levels of pupil attendance.

Since the last inspection, the school has introduced a new curriculum developed by the trust. The curriculum is broad, rich and ambitious in all subjects.

Training has been prioritised so that staff can deliver the new curriculum with confidence. Where this is successful, staff have identified what the important knowledge is and present new information clearly. However, sometimes too much information is introduced at the same time, or before pupils are ready for it.

This means that sometimes pupils' knowledge is not secure.

The school identifies the needs of pupils with SEND well. In lessons, staff make effective adaptations to their teaching so that pupils with SEND can learn alongside their peers where appropriate.

Pupils in the new 'Gold Class' provision follow a curriculum that is tailored to their individual needs. In addition to their academic learning, these pupils are supported effectively to increasingly regulate their own behaviour. As a result, they develop increasing independence in their learning and relationships with others.

The school has recently introduced a new phonics programme. This is not yet fully embedded. Where staff have had the relevant training and support, this is delivered consistently well.

Staff are skilled in identifying pupils who need additional support and put in place appropriate interventions to help address any gaps in learning. However, pupils do not have enough planned opportunities to practise what they have learnt. This means that some pupils at the earliest stages of reading do not develop the skills as effectively as they could.

Overall, there is a calm environment around the school and pupils conduct themselves well in lessons. Pupils cooperate well with their peers, and many are able to carry out their work independently. In some lessons, however, staff do not reinforce the behaviour expectations with enough consistency.

This means that some pupils do not settle as quickly as they should and, in some cases, learning is disrupted.

The school has carefully considered how to develop pupils' character. Pupils learn about a wide range of important issues, including how to keep themselves safe online and how to be a good citizen.

Pupils have good knowledge of the British values. They experience what democracy means through the pupil parliament. Pupils are taught the skills of discussion and debate and some pupils have delivered presentations to their peers.

This is helping to develop pupils' presentation skills and their confidence speaking in front of others.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some lessons, pupils are introduced to a number of different ideas or concepts at the same time, or before they are ready.

This is because there is a lack of precision about exactly which key content should be prioritised in the new curriculum. As a result, knowledge in some subjects is not secure and some pupils become overwhelmed. The school should ensure that staff have the training needed to precisely identify what the important knowledge is and the confidence to prioritise that learning before moving on to new content.

• There are insufficient opportunities for pupils at the earliest stages of learning to read to practise and rehearse what they have learnt. This means that some pupils do not develop the fluency needed to access the wider curriculum. The school should ensure that all staff have the necessary training to deliver the new phonics programme well and that pupils who need it, have frequent opportunities to recap and rehearse what they have learnt.

• Sometimes, teachers do not consistently reinforce the behaviour expectations. As a result, routines are not well established, and sometimes this interrupts learning. The school should ensure that staff are consistent in their application of the behaviour expectations to support pupils in being able to learn without disruption.

Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted's website. From September 2024 graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade.

This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.

We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school's work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection is carried out under section 5 of the Act.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in March 2015.