Oasis Academy Hobmoor

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T 0300 123 4234 www.gov.uk/ofsted

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Mr Darren King Principal Oasis Academy Hobmoor Wash Lane Yardley Birmingham West Midlands B25 8FD

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Short inspection of Oasis Academy Hobmoor

Following my visit to the school on 16 January 2019, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to report the inspection findings. The visit was the first short inspection carried out since the school was judged to be good in March 2015.

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Short inspection of Oasis Academy Hobmoor

The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection. Based on the evidence gathered during this short inspection, I am of the opinion that the school has demonstrated strong practice and marked improvement in specific areas. This may indicate that the school has improved significantly overall. Therefore, I am recommending that the school’s next inspection be a section 5 inspection.

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Short inspection of Oasis Academy Hobmoor

School leaders have continued to build on firm foundations to create a thriving learning community. The quality of teaching has continued to improve and, as a result, academic standards have risen. The leadership of the school is inspirational. The senior leadership team is committed to the community it serves, and it is dedicated to ensuring that pupils receive the highest-quality education.

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Short inspection of Oasis Academy Hobmoor

All leaders, including those from the multi-academy trust, share a moral purpose to lead and shape the transformation of a community through the nine Oasis habits. These habits are central to the school’s ethos and are evident through the teaching and learning, leadership and wider governance structures. Staff, parents and pupils are very positive about the school. One parent told me that leaders ‘couldn’t do more’ to support her and her young family. Parents also express thanks for the support that they receive from the school, for example with the job club and English classes. The school works in collaboration with the Oasis Community Hub to ensure that all families receive the support that they need and to offer them access to a wide range of extra-curricular opportunities. The school’s curriculum provides pupils with learning experiences which enrich and enhance their understanding of the world around them. For example, the arts

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Short inspection of Oasis Academy Hobmoor

project is fully embedded within the curriculum and pupils benefit from creative opportunities such as ceramics, dance and animation. They are learning through this creative curriculum to express themselves and explore who they are and what they feel. Pupils are developing their vocabulary through the curriculum but they are not yet exposed to high-level vocabulary in all areas of the curriculum. Pupils are inquisitive, articulate and confident. They appreciate the education they receive and are proud to attend Oasis Academy Hobmoor.

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Short inspection of Oasis Academy Hobmoor

At the last inspection, you were asked to improve teaching in writing and mathematics so that more pupils make rapid progress. You have successfully addressed these areas by a rigorous cycle of weekly monitoring by leaders. As a result of this, you have made significant improvements to the teaching and learning across the school. Following weekly focused observations, leaders give specific supportive and detailed feedback. As a result, progress in writing and mathematics at the end of Year 6 is above or well above the national averages for all children.

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Short inspection of Oasis Academy Hobmoor

The school’s systems and procedures for keeping pupils safe are effective. The safeguarding team fulfils its responsibilities diligently and the multi-academy trust carries out regular checks to ensure that all procedures are fit for purpose. Record- keeping is thorough and systematic. Safeguarding documentation is well organised and is now stored electronically to ensure that information can be accessed or shared efficiently.

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Short inspection of Oasis Academy Hobmoor

The team works in partnership with the local policing team who alert the school to local risks, for example knife crime. The school then takes swift action to incorporate assemblies on these issues. As a result, pupils feel safe in school and know about the risks that they may face. Leaders have ensured that all staff are trained in the ‘Prevent’ duty, and they ensure that pupils understand the threats that all kinds of extremism pose to society.

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Short inspection of Oasis Academy Hobmoor

There are strong partnerships with external agencies, and especially with the Oasis Community Hub, that supports families where there is a need. This relationship is particularly effective and parents commented positively on the support they have received from this collaborative effort. Some pupils have experienced or have knowledge of the violence in the community, but they are very well supported by the school to cope with their feelings.

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Inspection findings

 In 2018, by the end of Year 6, reading outcomes were well above the national average and pupils made strong progress. However, the most able pupils made less progress than others and, overall, pupils made less progress in reading than they did in writing and mathematics. Progress made in writing and mathematics was exceptionally strong. Through detailed analysis of the assessment information, leaders identified strategies and interventions to enhance the reading curriculum further. As a result, current Year 6 pupils are well placed to make equally strong progress in reading.  ‘Read to Succeed’ is one intervention that has been established to encourage families to get involved in their child’s reading from a young age. Parents and carers in the Reception class are invited to join their children in daily reading activities. Children enjoy having their families in the school for a short time every day to hear them read, and to share in the learning and in the enjoyment that

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Inspection findings

reading can bring. Parents and carers also value the opportunity to spend time with their young children within the classroom. In the outdoor learning environment, reading opportunities are also apparent with plentiful word cards and signs being used to encourage children to recognise and read words.  Outcomes in the Year 1 phonics screening check are above the national average and the teaching of phonics is strong. Small group teaching ensures that pupils receive the support they need. Pupils demonstrate a good knowledge of phonics and how this can be used to spell words. Many pupils speak English as an additional language, and they make good progress through clear modelling of the sounds.  As a result of leaders’ continued focus on reading, the classrooms have become language-rich environments. This benefits all pupils, but especially those who speak English as an additional language. All classrooms have vocabulary and

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Inspection findings

examples of high-quality writing on display. Much of this work relates to the English curriculum. However, fewer reading and vocabulary opportunities are available in other areas of the curriculum.  Boys have made good progress with reading as a result of targeted, innovative interventions. The school has used the ‘Roots to Fruit’ project successfully in order to engage pupils, especially boys, in using reading in a creative way. During the inspection, I observed a group of pupils who were busily engaged in cultivating wheat from seeds. Eventually, this will be used to create dough for the pizzas, which they will then bake in the outdoor pizza oven. During this time, pupils were also learning about the water cycle and reading instructions presented to them.  During the inspection, I heard some pupils in key stage 2 read. They showed that they were very fluent, expressive and demonstrated the ability to tackle unknown

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Inspection findings

words by using both phonics and contextual skills. The pupils talked positively about reading and, particularly, that they were given time every day to have some quiet time to read on their own. They had chosen their own books and were enjoying them. However, they recognised that they could have challenged themselves a little more by choosing more difficult texts.  Leaders work effectively alongside the regional director, and all have a detailed understanding of individual pupil’s outcomes and progress. It is evident that the individual pupil counts and there is an understanding of what every pupil needs in order to tailor the support to help them make accelerated progress.  Leaders have created a curriculum which is vibrant and engaging. It has enabled disadvantaged pupils to perform better than the national average at the expected standard in all subjects. Last year, by the end of Year 6, there was evidence that

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Inspection findings

there were still slightly too few disadvantaged pupils who achieved at the higher standard. In response, leaders have adapted the curriculum and the approaches used. Resources available to stimulate thinking, writing and mathematics are of the highest quality and provide a good level of challenge for all groups of pupils. As a result, data shows that most-able disadvantaged pupils in the current year 6 are well placed to close this gap even further.  All pupils are highly motivated by the rich curriculum. Projects such as the Aspire weeks, the arts project and gardening projects raise the aspirations of all pupils so that pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, plan great things for their lives. As a result, current attainment and progress data shows that the school is well placed to achieve equally well in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of the year.  Books and lessons show that there is a consistent approach to supporting pupils

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Inspection findings

to refine and further improve their work. Pupils are encouraged to reflect on their learning and all teachers follow a whole-school approach to providing additional challenge to learners. As a result, books of current pupils show very strong progress. Pupils talk positively about the challenge that they receive from their teachers.

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Next steps for the school

Leaders and those responsible for governance should ensure that:

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Next steps for the school

 they further enhance the reading curriculum so that even more pupils achieve at the higher standard by exposing pupils to higher-level vocabulary at every opportunity in all curriculum subjects.

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Next steps for the school

I am copying this letter to the chair of the board of trustees and the chief executive officer, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Birmingham. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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Information about the inspection

During the inspection, I met with you and your senior leadership team. I visited classes across the school, including early years. I observed teaching and learning, spoke to pupils and looked at work in books. I observed lessons jointly with you or the deputy principal.

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Information about the inspection

I talked to parents informally at the start of the day and spoke to a group of pupils from key stage 2. I listened to some pupils read. I scrutinised key written information, including documents relating to safeguarding, self-evaluation and the school improvement plan.

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Information about the inspection

I met with representatives of the multi-academy trust and the Hub Council, including the regional director. I took account of 12 responses to Parent View, including six free-text comments, and 30 responses to Ofsted’s staff survey. There were no responses by pupils to Ofsted’s pupils’ questionnaire.

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