Oasis Academy Limeside

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe and well cared for. They told inspectors how much they enjoy the many clubs, trips and activities that are on offer to them. Pupils explained that these opportunities broaden their horizons and encourage them to develop new talents and interests.

Many pupils make the most of the leadership roles that they can apply for. For example, pupils were keen to tell inspectors about how they contribute to the school community through being members of the 'power for good' or 'diversity' groups. Pupils celebrate the diversity within the school.

They are ready to make a positive contribution to their wider community when they are older.

Pupils typically ...behave well. They are respectful.

Pupils, including children in the early years, respond well to each other and to staff. Those pupils who find it more difficult to manage their emotions benefit from well-thought-out support.

The school has high expectations for the achievement of all pupils.

However, these aspirations are often not realised, especially for some pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils' achievement is beginning to improve, particularly in reading. Nonetheless, pupils are not as well prepared as they should be for the next stages of their education.

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

The school has experienced some turbulence in staffing since the time of the previous inspection. The school now benefits from a more settled staff.

Published data for this school in 2023 showed that the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics was low in both key stages 1 and 2.

The school has taken appropriate action to improve the achievement of all pupils, including those who are disadvantaged. Pupils are beginning to benefit from these improvements. Despite this, some pupils still have considerable gaps in their knowledge that the school is not identifying or addressing quickly enough.

The school has improved the design and delivery of the curriculum from the early years to Year 6. The new curriculum aims to fully prepare pupils for the demands of key stage 3. The revised curriculum is organised well.

This is increasingly supporting pupils to build up their knowledge steadily over time. It also helps to make staff workload more manageable.

In recent years, the school has focused on embedding a new reading curriculum.

An effective phonics programme is improving the accuracy and fluency of pupils' reading. This begins in the early years. Children in the two- and three-year-old provision begin to develop their expertise in recognising different sounds through learning a range of well-loved stories, songs and rhymes.

Children in the Reception classes build on this firm foundation. They begin to learn how to use phonics to read words accurately. In the Reception Year, most children, including those with SEND, make rapid gains in their reading knowledge.

They are well prepared for their learning in key stage 1.

Despite improvements to the reading curriculum, many older pupils struggle to read fluently and accurately. Teachers and other staff are addressing gaps in these pupils' reading knowledge quickly.

As a result, pupils in key stage 2 are building up their reading knowledge slowly, but steadily.

It is too early to see the impact of the school's new curriculum in subjects other than reading, including in the early years. Furthermore, in these other subjects, some staff do not check that pupils' knowledge is secure before introducing new learning.

This hinders some pupils from learning all that they should.

The school identifies pupils with SEND accurately. However, the additional support that the school provides for these pupils is not as effective as it could be.

This is because staff have varying degrees of understanding about how best to support pupils with SEND. As a result, some pupils with SEND do not achieve as well as they could.

The school's renewed strategies to manage pupils' behaviour are having a positive impact.

For instance, rates of suspensions have reduced. Pupils develop resilience and self-confidence. They told inspectors that they enjoy breaktimes and opportunities to work together on projects.

Pupils' increasingly positive attitudes to learning mean that lessons typically proceed without disruption.

Staff support pupils to attend school regularly so that they can benefit from all that the school has to offer. The school closely monitors pupils whose attendance is a concern.

The school places a high focus on pupils' wider development. Pupils learn how to make healthy and safe choices when selecting recreational activities at school and at home. They also benefit from the support that they receive to develop a greater understanding of different types of families and communities that may vary from their own.

The school makes sure that staff are not overwhelmed by the many changes that have been, and still are being, implemented. The trust provides effective additional support to enhance the school's work to improve the quality of education that pupils receive.

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 make sure that pupils secure important knowledge before moving onto new learning. This hinders how well pupils learn in many subjects. The school should ensure that, in these subjects, gaps in pupils' knowledge are identified and addressed in a timely manner so that they are well prepared for their next stages of learning.

• The school does not ensure that pupils with SEND consistently receive the most effective support to help them to learn well. Some pupils with SEND do not build up their knowledge as well as they could as a result. The school should ensure that staff are fully equipped to help pupils with SEND to achieve as well as they can.