Oakwood Primary Academy

Inspection of Oakwood Primary Academy Magnolia Drive, Eastbourne, East Sussex BN22 0SS

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate

The quality of education Inadequate Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Requires improvement Leadership and management Inadequate Early years provision Requires improvement Previous inspection grade Good

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are not learning to read, write and use mathematics well enough. Some pupils have difficulty understanding texts in other subjects, because they cannot read adequately. Too often pupils lose interest in lessons, because the work is too easy or too hard. At these times, their learning is hampered.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most pupils say that they enjoy coming to school. They talk happily with friends while eating their lunch. At breaktimes, pupils enjoy playing games, such as basketball, although they sometimes squabble over playground equipment.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils do not always behave as well as they could, especially when they are out of the classroom. Some pupils are rude to adults, and some are rough in the playground. Pupils become fidgety in lessons when they get bored with their work or do not understand what they have to do.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff care for pupils. They understand the challenges many face and do what they can to nurture them. Leaders take bullying seriously and manage to sort out most problems. Pupils generally say that they feel safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders organise a range of activities. Pupils enjoy the after-school ‘roots and shoots’ club led by a local church. 3–4 March 2020

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better?

Leaders, governors and trustees want pupils to do well. Leaders have plans to improve the school, but these are not being reviewed carefully to ensure that they are making a difference. The standards pupils reach are too low.

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better?

Pupils enjoy books. Reception children like listening to stories, such as ‘The Elves and the Shoemaker’, read aloud. They are taught phonics systematically, beginning as soon as they start school. Leaders have bought new books so pupils can practise the sounds they have learned when reading. The majority of pupils develop the early reading skills they need as they move from Reception into key stage 1. However, from Year 2 onwards, pupils who have difficulty learning their sounds are not helped to catch up successfully. At key stage 2, leaders have put a new comprehension scheme in place, but not all staff have the skills to use this effectively. As a result, standards in reading are too low.

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better?

Leaders have adopted an ambitious curriculum, buying in programmes of skills and knowledge to be taught in most subjects. Staff are being trained to use the new curriculum plans but, as yet, they are not using them well enough. They do not take enough account of what pupils already know and understand, and plan work that is too easy or too hard for many pupils. Some pupils do not see their work as relevant and they lose interest. Pupils’ low levels of literacy and numeracy mean that they have difficulty learning these subjects. For example, pupils struggle with new vocabulary and when writing notes. Consequently, standards across the wider curriculum are low.

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better?

A team of staff oversees the learning of disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). However, the provision to help these pupils catch up is still being developed. As a result, many of these pupils have difficulty taking part in lessons alongside their classmates and are not learning well.

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better?

Pupils generally behave well in lessons. However, not all staff share high expectations of pupils’ conduct. When some pupils lose focus on their learning, they simply ‘shut off’ and do not listen. Others play around or swing on chairs. Some call out or talk over the teacher. Where staff do not deal with these incidents well, other pupils are distracted from settling down and getting on with their learning. Some pupils do not attend school regularly enough, which hinders their learning.

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better?

Leaders aim for pupils to ‘develop a global awareness’. S taff provide opportunities outside the classroom with this in mind. Pupils learn to care for others when raising money for charities. They develop social skills, for example, through winning and losing during sporting activities. Pupils are taught to respect the individual characteristics that make people unique. However, effective opportunities to learn about British values and different faiths and cultures are limited.

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better?

In early years, staff nurture children well. They recognise that children have a range of language, social and emotional needs. Staff support children to learn to share and 3–4 March 2020

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take turns. They praise and encourage children to build their confidence. Staff frequently ask children questions during activities. However, staff do not rigorously promote the children’s clear speech and vocabulary development. Leaders recognise that there is more to do to improve children’s learning in early years.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Pupils mostly feel safe. They are happy to talk to staff if they are upset. Staff take part in regular training and know what to do if they have concerns about a pupil’s welfare.

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Safeguarding

Pupils learn about e-safety and know not to share personal information online. They also get opportunities to discuss peer pressure and understand what to do about concerns. Leaders make sure that staff are aware of local dangers pupils may face.

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Safeguarding

Leaders try to ensure that pupils have a safe place to learn. A couple of relatively minor safety issues identified during the inspection were quickly dealt with by staff.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Pupils are not taught literacy and numeracy skills effectively. Outcomes at the end of early years, key stage 1 and key stage 2 are low. Leaders need to ensure that reading, writing and mathematics are taught consistently well so that pupils are prepared for the next stage of their education and can access the wider curriculum.  Leaders have introduced detailed plans for other subjects, but these are not being fully implemented, and teachers are not using assessment well enough to plan learning. Pupils are not building their learning across the wider curriculum over time. Leaders need to ensure that the planned programmes are implemented and that all staff have the expertise to deliver them effectively.  Provision for disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND is not meeting their needs. These pupils are not achieving as well as they could be. Leaders need to ensure that all staff have the expertise to support vulnerable pupils’ learning

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

effectively, both in the classroom and during intervention activities.  Levels of pupils’ absence are too high, and there are too many pupils that are persistently absent. This has a negative impact on learning. Leaders need to continue developing their strategies to work closely with parents and carers to promote good attendance.  Leaders are not being held accountable for the improvements that are needed. As a result, pupils’ outcomes are not improving. Those responsible for governance 3–4 March 2020

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need to ensure that they have the information they require to accurately evaluate the impact of leaders’ actions and bring about rapid improvement.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use Ofsted Parent View information when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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How can I feed back my views?

If you are the school and you are not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted .

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. 3–4 March 2020

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School details

Inspection number 10133193 Type of school Primary with a Nursery

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School details

Website http://www.oakwoodprimaryacademy.org

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School details

Date of previous inspection 12–13 July 2016, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of Aurora Academies Trust.  The Nursery admits pupils from two years of age.  The school runs a breakfast club and after-school club

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Information about this inspection

We carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

In accordance with section 44(1) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires special measures because it is failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the persons responsible for leading, managing or governing the school are not demonstrating the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school.

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Information about this inspection

 We met with the chief executive officer and director of education of the trust, the headteacher and the deputy headteacher. 3–4 March 2020

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 We met with the special educational needs coordinator (SENCo), the early years coordinator and the subject leaders for reading, writing, mathematics, phonics, music, history and personal, social, citizenship and health education (PSCHE).  We spoke on the telephone with two trustees and met with the chair and vice- chair of the local governing board.  We scrutinised the single central record and other documents related to safeguarding. We talked to parents, staff and pupils. The responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaires were also considered.  We visited almost all classrooms, including those in the Nursery and Reception. We observed pupils learning in class, in extra-curricular activities, in the playground and dining room and while moving around the school.  A wide range of documentation was scrutinised including the school’s own evaluation and improvement plan, minutes of meetings and external reports.

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 We did deep dives in these subjects: reading, writing, mathematics. history, music and PSCHE. This involved talking to subject leaders, visiting lessons, looking at pupils’ work, hearing pupils read, and talking to pupils and teachers.

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Inspection team

Rosemary Addison, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Liz McIntosh Ofsted Inspector 3–4 March 2020

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regulates and inspects to 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 and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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