Oasis Academy Parkwood

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Oasis Academy Parkwood continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Oasis Academy Parkwood is a school where pupils receive a good quality of education. Teachers want the best for the pupils in their care.

The ambitious curriculum is underpinned by the school's '9 habits': compassionate, considerate, forgiving, honest, hopeful, humble, joyful, patient and self-controlled. These habits make the school an inclusive and respectful place to be part of.

Teachers prepare interesting and fun lessons.

A range of trips and visits gives pupils rich experiences. As a result, pupils and children achieve well.

Pupils behave very well.

...>They are respectful to each other and to adults. Pupils say they feel safe in school. Bullying is not tolerated.

Bullying incidents are rare but when they happen, teachers deal with them quickly. Parents are happy with the school and the way it is led. Pupils told us that they enjoy coming to school because they learn a lot and make friends.

Pupils enjoy taking part in a wide variety of clubs and extra-curricular activities. Pupils talked with excitement about representing the school in various sports teams and visiting the school's own farm.

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

The school continues to offer pupils a good quality of education.

Trust and school leaders, including governors, know the school's strengths and weaknesses very well. They are ambitious about the school and want the best for the pupils. Leaders know exactly how to improve the school further.

Leaders have designed the curriculum plans sensibly for each subject, from early years through to Year 6. Teachers think carefully about what they want pupils to learn and when. They choose exciting topics and themes, linked to the local area, that interest and motivate pupils.

Pupils remember key facts because they revisit previous learning regularly. As a result, pupils achieve well over time.

Reading has a high priority within the school, from the early years through to Year 6.

The school's programme for teaching phonics is well planned and gets pupils off to a good start in reading. Children start to learn phonics as soon as they join the Nursery or Reception class. Teachers and teaching assistants are skilful in teaching phonics.

Lessons follow a clear sequence and routine. Pupils quickly learn how to use their knowledge of letters and sounds to help them to read and write. Pupils develop a love for reading which continues as they move through the school.

Overall, books that pupils read in school are matched to the sounds they have been learning. However, this is not the case for the weaker readers. Their individual reading books do not accurately match the sounds they know.

Leaders continuously review the early years curriculum. The Nursery and Reception classrooms are vibrant, safe and exciting places to learn. Children settle in quickly.

Adults are caring and welcoming. The curriculum allows children to thrive. There is a strong focus on speech and language development.

Adults use the outside space very creatively and children have fun while learning. Parents appreciate opportunities to be involved in their children's learning. As a result, children achieve well.

Leaders have put in place a coherent curriculum for pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Pupils learn about different faiths and cultures. However, pupils' knowledge about different religions is not deep enough.

As a result, some pupils do not have a thorough understanding of different faiths.

Staff work very hard to maintain high levels of attendance by working closely with families. As a result, pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, attend school regularly.

Pupils behave very well in and out of the classroom. They hold doors open for visitors. The relationships between teachers and pupils are very positive.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported well. The curriculum is adapted to meet each pupil's needs. Leaders ensure that pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils are included in every aspect of school life.

Pupils talk about the different clubs they take part in, for example, football, dancing, cross country, dodgeball and athletics. Trips and visits are linked to the various topics in the curriculum. For example, pupils talked to me with excitement about their visits to the school's own farm and the youth parliament.

Pupils have many leadership opportunities, including being house captains, play leaders, sports ambassadors and members of the school council.

Staff, including those new to the school, feel very well supported by leaders and are proud to work at this school. Leaders and the trust consider the well-being of everyone working in the school.

In discussion with the headteacher, we agreed that reading and pupils' cultural development may usefully serve as a focus for the next inspection.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

The principal, who is also the designated safeguarding leader, and her team work hard to ensure that there is a culture of safeguarding in the school.

Teachers and pupils know what to do if they have any concerns. Staff receive regular training in safeguarding and know the potential risks in the area. Pupils know what to do to stay safe, including online.

Leaders ensure that safeguarding records are accurate. Recruitment checks are thorough and ensure that staff are safe to work with pupils.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

The books that pupils who do not achieve the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics screening check use to practise reading do not match the sounds they already know.

As a result, these pupils do not develop the fluency and confidence they need to reach the expected standard in reading. Leaders have identified this and have ordered new sets of books. They must now embed the use of these new books in their systematic approach to the teaching of phonics.

. The curriculum for pupils' cultural development reflects the national curriculum. Pupils learn about different faiths and cultures.

However, some pupils do not have a deep enough knowledge of different religions. Leaders must ensure that the curriculum for pupils' cultural development is strengthened further so that pupils' understanding of different faiths improves.Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good.

This is called a section 8 inspection of a good or non-exempt outstanding school. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find some evidence that the school could now be better than good or standards may be declining, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will convert the section 8 inspection to a section 5 inspection immediately.

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good on 29–30 June 2016.