Oasis Academy Skinner Street

Inspection of Oasis Academy Skinner Street Skinner Street, Gillingham, Kent ME7 1LG

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Inspection dates: 21 and 22 September 2021

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 21 and 22 September 2021

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils really enjoy coming to this warm and inclusive school. They are confident that staff care about them and will keep them safe. Pupils value every member of their school community, telling inspectors that, ‘We treat each other equally, we are all people.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils understand the high expectations that staff now have of their behaviour. Pupils are quiet and focused on their lessons and move around the school calmly and safely. One pupil told inspectors that at lunchtime, ‘You use a knife and fork and be polite and do it properly, like in a restaurant.’ Pupils appreciate the polite and respectful way that staff speak with them and say this makes them want to be polite too. Pupils told inspectors that bullying very rarely happens at their school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils get involved with their learning and enjoy their lessons. They are rightly proud of the work that they produce. Pupils spoke with enthusiasm about the clubs and school trips that were on offer prior to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic and are looking forward to these restarting this academic year.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents, including those whose children had joined the school recently, told inspectors that they felt very welcomed within the school community.

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better?

Since her appointment in September 2019, the headteacher, with support from the multi-academy trust, has set about transforming the school. She is determined to create a learning environment in which all pupils can thrive and succeed.

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better?

A new curriculum for each subject has recently been implemented, alongside a new curriculum for early years. The curriculum has been planned and sequenced very carefully. As a result, pupils, particularly those who are disadvantaged and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, are acquiring the knowledge and skills that they need to succeed in later life. Although pupils had only recently started on the new curriculum, they were able to explain to inspectors what they had learned since the start of this academic year.

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better?

Children in Reception thoroughly engage in the stories, rhymes and poems that adults share with them. Staff support children to manage their emotions and to develop a positive sense of self, right from the start. In all year groups, staff are carefully assessing pupils’ learning, particularly in phonics and mathematics, to ensure the precise next steps in learning are planned for.

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better?

The teaching of reading is well prioritised within the school. Leaders have implemented a rigorous and systematic phonics programme. Staff are well trained and have the expertise that they need to teach all pupils to read. Staff read high- quality texts to pupils on a daily basis to help them develop their love of reading. 21 and 22 September 2021

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In the past, reading has not been as well prioritised. Too many older pupils have not learned to read at an age-appropriate level. This means that some pupils do not benefit from the exciting curriculum in all subjects. It also means that these pupils have not experienced a sufficient range of reading to develop their own reading preferences and to become lifelong readers. Staff are working to address this, using a range of well-considered strategies. Catch-up plans have been slowed by the pandemic, which continues to have an impact on staffing levels within the school.

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Pupils’ behaviour has improved dramatically, with clear and firm expectations for how pupils will behave at school. Staff have the training needed to support pupils who have experienced difficulties early in their lives. Consequently, all pupils are now able to learn in a calm, safe and happy environment. Leaders have continued to take appropriate and effective action, in the context of the pandemic, when they have concerns about the attendance of any pupil.

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To support their personal development and prepare them for life in modern Britain, pupils are taught nine key habits. Pupils, including pupils who are new to the school, understand these well. One pupil told inspectors, ‘The nine habits are a role model to us, not for just in school, but for being an adult.’

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The multi-academy trust leaders are resolute in their vision for this school as a beacon of hope within the local community. Their aim is for pupils attending Oasis Academy Skinner Street to receive an exceptional education that addresses social disadvantage. Trust and school leaders have designed and implemented a learning programme for pupils that is both academically rigorous and supportive of pupils’ wider personal development. The trust has also worked successfully to support school leaders to address behaviour and attendance within the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have ensured that all staff are trained to identify pupils in need of early help and who are at risk of harm or being harmed. In addition, staff are trained well to support pupils who have experienced trauma. Staff understand how pupils’ experiences affect their emotions and behaviour.

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Safeguarding

Leaders are meticulous in recording and tracking any concerns about a pupil. This means that they build up a clear and detailed picture for every pupil they are worried about. 21 and 22 September 2021

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Historic weaknesses in the early reading programme have been compounded by the pandemic. This means that too many older pupils are not yet able to read at an age-appropriate standard. There is a catch-up programme in place for these pupils. However, leaders must ensure that the programme is implemented rigorously and consistently over time so that these pupils make sufficient progress to meet or exceed age-related expectations.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View 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. 21 and 22 September 2021

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School details

Website www.oasisacademyskinnerstreet.org/

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 22 and 23 June 2016, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The current headteacher was appointed in September 2019. A number of leaders within the school are new to post. Some are new to the school.  The school does not currently use any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

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

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with school leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation.  Inspectors met with the headteacher and the deputy headteacher. Inspectors spoke with executive leaders from the multi-academy trust, including the regional director of education, the national director of education and the chief executive officer.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, computing and science. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, 21 and 22 September 2021

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looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors listened to pupils of all ages reading.  Inspectors also looked at curriculum plans and spoke to leaders about the curriculum in early years. They visited the Reception area to understand how curriculum plans were being implemented and to talk to children.  To inspect safeguarding, inspectors checked the single central record and spoke to leaders, staff and pupils. Throughout the inspection, inspectors considered and continued to check the culture of safeguarding within the school.  Inspectors reviewed a range of documentation, including school improvement plans and an external review of attendance.  Inspectors talked to pupils formally and informally about their learning, what behaviour is like at school and whether they felt safe at school.

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 Inspectors reviewed pupil, staff and parent surveys and also spoke to parents and carers at the start of the first day of the inspection.

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Inspection team

Alice Roberts, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Lizzie Jeanes Ofsted Inspector 21 and 22 September 2021

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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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