Setting

Miss George Franks Principal Oasis Academy New Oak Walsh Avenue Hengrove Bristol BS14 9SN

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Oak

Following my visit to your academy on 7 June 2013, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to report the findings of my visit. Thank you for the help you gave me and for the time you made available to discuss the actions you are taking to improve the academy since the most recent section 5 inspection.

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Oak

The visit was the first monitoring inspection since the academy was judged to require improvement following the section 5 inspection in March 2013. It was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.

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Evidence

During the visit, I met with you and other senior leaders, with two members of the Academy Council (governors) and with the Regional Area Director for the academy sponsor, Oasis Community Learning, to discuss the actions taken since the last inspection. The academy action and raising attainment (milestone) plans and the analysis of pupils’ progress and attainment were evaluated. We also visited lessons, looking at pupils’ work and talking with them about it.

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Main findings

Improvements in teaching since the inspection have resulted in pupils making faster progress than previously towards their challenging targets. Pupils’ progress is carefully monitored. A new system for providing pupils with feedback means that Tribal 1-4 Portland Square Bristol BS2 8RR T 0300 123 1231 Text Phone: 0161 6188524 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk www.ofsted.gov.uk Direct T 0117 311 5359 Direct F 0117 315 0430 Email : christina.bannerman@tribalgroup.com they are clear about their current levels and how to improve their work resulting in this more rapid progress. Pupils with particular barriers to their learning and those not making the progress expected receive high-quality focused support, which has a significant impact on improving their achievement.

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Main findings

The professional development meetings (PDM) cycle, introduced since the inspection, has led to marked improvements in teaching. As a result of weekly whole-staff professional development, good use of peer-to-peer coaching and targeted support for those teachers that need it most, more teaching is now consistently good. Learning has more pace and work is matched more closely to pupils’ prior achievement and targets.

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Main findings

While improvements in mathematics lag a little behind those in reading and writing, good plans are in place to improve the quality of teaching and extend pupils’ opportunities to apply and develop further their understanding of mathematics. Several PDM sessions, planned for later this term, will focus on improving teaching and learning in mathematics in specific areas identified through senior leaders’ careful monitoring.

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Main findings

Individual pupil’s progress and that of classes are monitored constantly by senior leaders to evaluate and check the quality of teaching. Swift action is taken where improvement is needed. Overall formal reviews of the progress of the school happen three times per year. The pace of improvement at the school is rapid; the current reviews are not frequent enough to match this pace of change.

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Main findings

The academy receives high-quality external support. The combination of the statutory functions of governance undertaken by the Oasis Community Learning Board, local governance provided through the Academy Council and the regular support from the Oasis Regional Area Director ensures a highly effective balance of support and challenge for the academy’s principal and senior leaders. Good links with other schools ensure that lessons are learned from best practice elsewhere and applied well in the school.

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Main findings

The Academy Council is absolutely clear about what the academy needs to do to improve. The arrangements for governance enable them to focus relentlessly on improvements in teaching and the impact of this on raising attainment. They hold the Principal to account well, helping to secure the rapid pace of improvement.

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Main findings

Overall, senior leaders, the Academy Council and Oasis Community Learning are taking effective action to tackle the areas requiring improvement identified at the recent section 5 inspection. The academy should take further action to:

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Main findings

 include clear pupil progress indictors in the milestone plan, in addition to the challenging attainment targets already included  increase the frequency of formal reviews of progress  gather pupils’ views about their learning and progress more formally.

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Main findings

The Principal confirmed that she and other representatives of the academy will attend an Ofsted ‘Getting to good seminar’ in July.

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Main findings

Ofsted will continue to monitor the academy until its next section 5 inspection.

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Main findings

I am copying this letter to Oasis Community Learning, the Chair of the Academy Council and the local authority for the City of Bristol.

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