Oasis Academy Limeside

Oasis Academy Limeside Third Avenue, Oldham, Greater Manchester, OL8 3SB

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Not previously inspected This inspection: Outstanding 1 Achievement of pupils Outstanding 1 Quality of teaching Outstanding 1 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Outstanding 1

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is an outstanding school.  The proportion of pupils attaining the expected level of attainment by the end of Year 6 in reading, writing and mathematics is above average. This represents outstanding achievement from their skill level on entry to academy, which is well below that expected for their age.  Pupils make rapid and sustained progress in all year groups.  Attainment in mathematics lags slightly behind that in reading and writing. Pupils are not always able to choose from a wide range of relevant equipment when investigating practical number problems.  Much of the teaching is outstanding and never less than consistently good. Teachers deliver lessons that help pupils to learn exceptionally well.  Teaching assistants provide high-quality support for pupils.  Staff show high levels of respect and courtesy for pupils and others.  Pupils’ behaviour and their attitudes to learning are exemplary. They say they feel

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

very safe in academy at all times.  Pupils are very proud of their academy saying, ‘It’s like belonging to one big family’.  The curriculum promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development in an exceptional way. It provides highly positive experiences and rich opportunities for high- quality learning.  The exceptional leadership of the principal ensures the pursuit of excellence in all of the academy’s activities.  Senior leaders and academy council members focus relentlessly on improving teaching and learning and raising pupils’ achievement.  The procedures for checking how well the academy is doing and for identifying areas for development are outstanding. Action taken to bring about improvement is rigorously assessed to see if it is proving successful.  The care of pupils whose circumstances might put them at risk is exceptional.  Governance is extremely influential in driving the academy forward.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Parents are very supportive of the academy and very appreciative of the care taken of their children.  The academy’s ability to carry on making improvements is excellent.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed 14 lessons or parts of lessons taught by eight teachers. Two of these were joint observations with the principal.  Discussions were held with the Chair of the Academy Council, other academy council members, parents, staff, pupils and a regional director of the sponsoring trust.  The inspectors observed the academy's work, and looked at academy documentation, including that relating to safeguarding, records of meetings of the academy council, assessment information and curriculum planning. Work in pupils’ books and displays around the academy were examined. The inspectors listened to groups of pupils read.  Account was taken of the 20 responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View) in carrying out the inspection. Account was also taken of the responses to a recent academy questionnaire sent to parents to gain their views about its performance.

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Inspection team

Melvyn Hemmings, Lead inspector Additional Inspector David Thompson Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Oasis Academy Limeside converted to become an academy on September 1st 2011. When its predecessor school, Limeside Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted it was judged to be outstanding.  It is an average-sized primary academy.  There is a well-above average proportion of pupils known to be supported by the pupil premium. The pupil premium is additional funding for those pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals, children from service families and those children who are looked after.  The proportion of pupils supported through school action is broadly average.  The proportion of pupils supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is below average.  Most pupils are of White British heritage.  The academy meets the government’s current floor standards, which set minimum expectations for attainment and progress.  Oasis Academy Limeside is a National Support School and National Teaching School that deploys

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Information about this school

staff to support schools in challenging circumstances.  The Principal is a National Leader of Education.  The academy has gained a number of national awards, including the Activemark, and holds Healthy School status.

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What does the school need to do to improve further

 Further raise achievement in mathematics by ensuring that pupils are able to choose from a wide range of relevant mathematical equipment in order to solve practical number problems effectively.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Pupils’ achievement from their skill level on starting at the academy, which is well below that expected for their age, is outstanding. They make rapid progress throughout the academy and the numbers attaining the expected level in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6 is above average.  Attainment in reading is broadly average at the end of Key Stage 1 and above average by the time they leave the academy. This stems from the excellent development of their ability to use their knowledge of letters and the sounds they make to read unfamiliar words. Pupils enjoy reading and are keen to talk about their favourite books and authors.  In the Early Years Foundation Stage, children work and play happily together and show a great deal of enjoyment in all they do. They confidently make choices for themselves and collaborate well, taking turns and sharing fairly. This was particularly evident in the well-resourced outdoor

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

area.  Pupils in Years 1 to 6 are eager to learn and concentrate for lengthy periods. They are attentive and appreciative of the views and efforts of others.  Pupils write imaginatively in different subjects. This is evident in the work of pupils in Year 6 after researching the great explorers in history. They take pride in how they present their work and use punctuation, grammar and spelling accurately.  In mathematics, pupils have well-developed calculation skills, including quick mental recall of number facts. Their ability to solve number problems is sometimes hindered by not having the opportunity to choose from a wide range of relevant mathematical equipment.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make the same outstanding progress as that of other pupils. Their specific needs are identified early and very effective extra support is provided to meet them.  The funding for pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium has been used extremely well

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

to raise their attainment. It has enabled the academy to provide highly effective individual and small-group teaching to raise levels of literacy and numeracy. The gap between the attainment of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and other pupils in English and mathematics has been successfully narrowed. Consequently, there is no significant difference by the end of Year 6. This demonstrates the academy’s highly successful commitment to equality of opportunity.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 The proportion of outstanding teaching is high and is characterised by pupils being provided with highly motivating activities that are personalised very effectively to meet their individual needs. One of many examples was in a literacy lesson for pupils in Year 6 in which they made excellent progress in using descriptive and powerful language to make the reader feel sympathy.  In the Early Years Foundation Stage, adults work very well together to provide practical and highly stimulating activities that meet children’s individual needs. They ensure an effective balance between adult-led activities and those chosen by children. Adults use the outdoor area extremely well to build upon learning that has taken place indoors, particularly in promoting children’s language development.  In Years 1 to 6, teachers make clear to pupils what they are to learn. They use information about how well pupils have learned very effectively to help them plan future lessons. Excellent

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

relationships and the way teachers organise their classrooms help pupils to learn exceptionally well.  Teachers are skilful at adapting activities or intervening, as necessary, during lessons to improve learning. They provide pupils with tasks that have more than one possible solution and encourage them to work things out for themselves. This was evident in a mathematics lesson for pupils in Year 3 in which they were learning how to find fractions of numbers.  Teaching assistants are deployed very well to support all pupils’ learning. They are particularly effective in supporting disabled pupils, those who have special educational needs and those known to be eligible for the pupil premium.  Teachers have excellent subject knowledge that enables them to explain new ideas clearly and confidently. They ask pupils very searching questions to find out how much they know and to extend their understanding. Teachers use marking and discussion very effectively to guide pupils

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

to their precise next steps in learning.  Teachers promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development in an outstanding manner. They encourage pupils to think about the wonder of the world around them and have high expectations of their behaviour. Pupils are provided with many opportunities to work together in pairs and small groups and to learn about cultures different from their own.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Parents, staff and pupils are unreservedly positive about both behaviour and safety. Pupils have an excellent understanding of the different kinds of bullying, such as Internet and physical bullying. They say bullying does not happen because, ‘We all belong to one big family’, but are very confident that staff would deal with it if it did.  Pupils’ behaviour in and around the academy is exemplary. They are highly considerate and very supportive of each other in lessons and there is a very welcoming and friendly atmosphere throughout the academy. Pupils’ behaviour plays an important role in their successful learning, ensuring that lessons run smoothly without disruption.  The curriculum very effectively promotes pupils’ safety awareness, including what to do if approached by a stranger. As a result, they have a thorough understanding of how to keep themselves and others safe. They know about the potential dangers associated with roads,

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

railways, water and the use of the Internet.  Pupils say they feel very safe in the academy at all times. Their enjoyment of the academy is shown in their above-average attendance. They arrive on time, so there is no time lost in starting activities.  There are many opportunities for pupils to add to the life of the academy by taking on a variety of responsibilities. They particularly look forward to the chance to be a play leader, planning and overseeing lunchtime activities for other pupils.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The principal has high ambitions for staff and pupils and provides excellent educational direction. All leaders and academy council members show great determination in driving forward improvements.  Leaders check very carefully how well the academy is doing and take robust action to improve any aspect that requires further development. This action is reviewed rigorously to evaluate if it is proving successful. Leaders have shown they are very capable of continuing to make improvements.  The way that staff performance is managed, including the training of teachers and other adults, meets the needs of the academy and individual staff very effectively. The link between the performance of teachers and their salary progression is very strong.  There are excellent and highly rigorous procedures for checking the quality of teaching to make sure that teachers and other adults sustain the highest standards in lessons.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The support that the principal and staff have provided for schools in challenging circumstances has been very successful in helping them to improve.  The academy’s promotion of equality of opportunity and tackling of discrimination is outstanding. Leaders very carefully check the progress of different groups to see if any extra support is required. They take prompt action if such support is necessary.  The care and welfare of pupils is at the heart of the academy’s work. Leaders work very successfully with a variety of agencies to provide exceptional support for those pupils whose circumstances might put them at risk.  Links with parents and the local community are very strong and ensure that parents are involved in promoting their children’s learning.  The sponsoring trust provides strong support for the academy and is influential in helping it to develop.  The curriculum provides rich experiences and contributes extremely well to pupils’ academic

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The leadership and management are outstanding

achievement and their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. It is enhanced by educational visits, including an activity centre in which they take part in a variety of outdoor pursuits.  The governance of the school:  Governance is outstanding. Academy council members rigorously hold leaders to account for the academy’s performance, including the way the funding for pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium is used to raise their achievement. They have an extremely clear and accurate view of the quality of teaching and how the management of performance is used to improve staff expertise, reward good teaching and tackle any underperformance. Academy council members take part in regular training and ensure that safeguarding requirements are met. They understand the data relating to the academy’s performance, including the progress pupils make, and are very strongly involved in driving improvement.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding An outstanding school is highly effective in delivering outcomes that provide exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. This ensures that pupils are very well equipped for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 2 Good A good school is effective in delivering outcomes that provide well for all its pupils’ needs. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 3 Requires improvement A school that requires improvement is not yet a good school, but it is not inadequate. This school will receive a full inspection within 24 months from the date of this inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate A school that has serious weaknesses is inadequate overall and requires significant improvement but leadership and management are judged to be Grade 3 or better. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors. A school that requires special measures is one where the school is

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Grade Judgement Description

failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the school’s leaders, managers or governors have not demonstrated that they have the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors.

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School details

Unique reference number 137479 Local authority Not applicable Inspection number 412258

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School details

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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School details

Type of school Academy convertor School category Non–maintained Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 236 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Steven Barrow Principal Helen Arya Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Telephone number 0161 688 7535 Fax number 0161 683 4807 Email address info@oasislimeside.org guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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School details

You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when and as part of the inspection.

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School details

You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk, or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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School details

achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work- based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please

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School details

telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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School details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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