Setting

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T 0300 123 1231 www.gov.uk/ofsted

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Jodie Chapman-Kemp Oyster Park Primary Academy Watling Road Ferry Fryston Castleford West Yorkshire WF10 3SN

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Academy

Following my visit to your school on 21 May 2021, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to confirm the monitoring inspection findings. Thank you for the help you gave during the inspection and for the time you made available to discuss the actions that have been taken to improve the school since the most recent section 5 inspection.

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Academy

The monitoring inspection was carried out under section 8(2) of the Education Act 2005 and has taken place because the school has received two successive judgements of requires improvement at its previous section 5 inspections.

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Academy

This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic began. I discussed the impact of the pandemic with you and have taken that into account in my evaluation.

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Academy

Having considered the evidence, I am of the opinion that at this time:

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Academy

Leaders and those responsible for governance are taking effective action in order for the school to become a good school.

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Academy

The school should take further action to:

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Academy

 ensure that phonics is taught to all key stage 2 pupils who are in the early stages of learning to read  ensure that the extra help provided for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is matched closely to gaps in their learning and that this is monitored rigorously.

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Context

At the time of this inspection, there was an acting headteacher and acting deputy headteacher in place due to the temporary absence of the headteacher.

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Main findings

Leaders have concentrated their efforts on the areas that were identified for improvement at the last inspection. School improvement plans target the necessary actions to bring about change. As a result, the school is making progress towards becoming a good school.

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Main findings

Leaders have made the teaching of early reading and phonics a priority for pupils in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2. Teachers check pupils’ phonics knowledge regularly. They use this information to teach pupils the sounds that they do not yet know. Teachers and teaching assistants have the skills required to support pupils with their reading. Leaders have plans in place to refresh phonics training soon. The books pupils read are matched to the sounds they have learned and so they read their books with accuracy and enthusiasm. Teachers ensure that pupils have plenty of opportunities to read their books. This is helping pupils to read fluently.

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Main findings

The actions leaders have taken mean that phonics outcomes for pupils in key stage 1 have improved. However, the number of pupils in key stage 2 who are in the early stages of learning to read remains too high. Leaders do not yet ensure that older pupils receive the same rigorous approach to the teaching of phonics as their key stage 1 counterparts.

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Main findings

Leaders have reviewed their arrangements for supporting pupils with SEND. ‘Pupil profiles’ for each pupil with SEND now contain clear targets and the next steps that pupils need to take. External agency partners, such as educational psychologists, have worked with leaders and teachers to write the very precise targets on the profiles. However, these are not yet embedded within teachers’ classroom practice. On too many occasions, pupils are completing tasks that are incorrectly matched to the targets they have been set. Leaders and teachers do not provide sufficient opportunities for pupils to demonstrate their progress. Despite improvements, the monitoring that leaders do is not sharp enough.

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Main findings

Leaders have created a culture where staff are valued and listened to. All staff are overwhelmingly positive about the support that leaders give them. Pupils enjoy their learning. They say that their teachers make them work hard. One pupil said that because of their teachers, they ‘wanted to be the best they could be’. This is an accurate reflection of the view of many pupils. Leaders coach and mentor subject leaders to support them in their roles. Leaders have invested in training for subject leaders so that they are equipped with the skills that they need to monitor the curriculum and its impact. Leaders are working with other schools within the trust to share and learn from the practice of others. Since the last inspection, leaders have improved curriculum plans for many areas of the curriculum. In subjects such as history and geography, the impact of this work is now clear. Pupils in Year 6 can talk about their understanding of the Mayan civilization and

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Main findings

geographical features such as biomes, environments and climate. They have a strong command of subject-specific vocabulary. They are learning and remembering more of the curriculum.

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Main findings

In other subjects, such as design technology, curriculum improvement work has been hindered by COVID-19. However, new leadership in this subject is now bringing fresh eyes to the curriculum. The design technology leader has used the information from recent monitoring to make significant changes to the curriculum in a short space of time. As a result, a new curriculum is being implemented for design technology, with greater consideration given to progression and sequencing. In music, the subject leader is implementing new ways to capture pupils’ knowledge both digitally and in progression books. Leaders’ actions in these areas are still very new and so the impact is not yet clear.

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Main findings

The trust is working closely with the school to provide support to leaders at all levels. A recently appointed executive headteacher for the primary phase visits the school regularly to offer support, advice and guidance to senior leaders. Trustees make regular visits to the school to monitor the impact of leaders’ actions. This gives them a comprehensive picture of school performance. Trustees know that COVID-19 has hindered the pace of school improvement, as leaders have had to focus on the operational tasks associated with managing the school through the pandemic.

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Main findings

Governors that form the academy council share a collective ambition for the school to improve. Governors liaise closely with leaders to undertake monitoring activities that equip them with the knowledge to challenge the actions the leaders are taking.

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Additional support

Leaders are working with other schools across the trust to refine further their assessment in subjects other than English and mathematics. These partnerships have contributed to the development of the wider curriculum.

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Evidence

During the inspection, I met with the headteacher, acting headteacher and acting deputy headteacher. I had conversations with subject leaders in reading, design technology and music. I checked the single central register and spoke with the school business manager to discuss the checks that are made to keep children safe. I visited three lessons with the special educational needs coordinator to see how pupils with SEND were being supported.

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Evidence

I met with two governors from the academy council, the chief executive officer of the trust and the primary executive headteacher. I also spoke with six pupils from Year 4 and Year 6. I also looked at some of their work in science, history and geography.

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Evidence

I reviewed 46 responses to Ofsted’s staff questionnaire and 16 responses to Ofsted’s Parent View questionnaire, including two free-text responses.

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Evidence

I am copying this letter to the chair of the academy council, chair of the board of trustees, and the chief executive officer of Northern Ambition Academies Trust, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Wakefield. This letter will be published on the Ofsted reports website.

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