Oakhurst Community First School

Inspection of Oakhurst Community First School Shaftesbury Road, West Moors, Ferndown, Dorset BH22 0DY

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Inspection dates: 23 and 24 November 2021

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 23 to 24 November 2021

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are respectful and courteous to adults and their peers. One pupil, whose opinion reflects the views of many, said, ‘School is a family, and we are all united.’ Pupils say they feel safe and valued by adults. They are proud to attend Oakhurst Community First School.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and teachers have high expectations for pupils in the school, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Children in the early years get off to a strong start.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are calm and attentive in most lessons. They are keen to learn. Pupils say that bullying is rare. They are confident that if it did happen, leaders would deal with it. Pupils know that respect and kindness are important. They have a good understanding of the school values.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils value the wider opportunities the school offers, especially the forest school. They talk enthusiastically about how they explore the environment.

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better?

Leaders have ensured that there is an effective curriculum in place for most subjects, which starts in the early years. The curriculum is clearly sequenced and identifies key knowledge that pupils need to know. The curriculum plans are ambitious for all pupils, including those pupils with SEND. Teaching builds effectively on what pupils already know. For example, in geography, pupils use their knowledge of continents when locating mountain ranges around the world. However, leaders recognise that the teaching of the school curriculum in some subjects needs to be further refined.

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better?

Teachers use assessment effectively in order to check that pupils remember knowledge in the longer term. Pupils use ‘learning slips’ well to help them learn key subject vocabulary.

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better?

Reading is the ‘highest’ priority in the school. Teachers and pupils love to read. Teachers read to pupils routinely. Staff in the early years ensure that books are a key part of the curriculum. Pupils learn to read as soon as they start school. Well- trained staff help pupils to grasp the knowledge needed quickly. They provide effective support for pupils who need to catch up. The books pupils read are matched well to the phonics sounds they know. Teachers use class and library books to develop pupils’ vocabulary. As a result, pupils show confidence when reading.

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better?

Leaders ensure that there are high expectations for behaviour. Most pupils behave well. Pupils play and talk well with each other at breaktimes and lunchtimes, including children in the early years. They cooperate and enjoy spending time with their friends. When behaviour falls below what leaders expect, staff respond to this 23 to 24 November 2021

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quickly. Leaders use support from external agencies effectively for pupils with specific needs. Leaders and teachers also work successfully to ensure that pupils attend school regularly.

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Pupils talk about how personal social and health education has helped them to understand differences in people. Pupils know about different religions, but their knowledge of different cultures is not as strong as it could be. Staff provide a wide range of opportunities to pupils. They have the chance to be school councillors or e- safety champions and feel their voices are heard. Pupils participate in a range of experiences, such as sports, music and residential visits. Pupils understand healthy lifestyles. They learn about keeping safe, including when online.

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Trust and school leaders know the school well. They have an accurate knowledge of where the school needs to improve further. Governors visit the school regularly but do not know enough about the school’s curriculum beyond English and mathematics. This means that they are not able to challenge leaders with rigour.

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Leaders provide relevant staff training. As a result, staff feel well led and supported. Staff say that leaders consider their workload and well-being. Most parents are positive about the school and leaders take opportunities to consult with them.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders and staff know safeguarding is a high priority. They report concerns using the school’s system. They have developed a culture where ‘it could happen here’. Therefore, staff are vigilant, and pupils feel safe. All staff receive appropriate training, including in regular staff meetings.

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Safeguarding

Leaders, including governors, fulfil their statutory responsibilities well. Leaders ensure that new staff appointments have the required checks before starting the school.

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Safeguarding

Pupils visit places within the local community to learn about basic safety skills, for example road safety. They also learn about how to stay safe as part of the school curriculum.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The implementation of the curriculum for some subjects is not as consistent as it could be. Therefore, the curriculum is not always having the intended impact. Leaders need to put in place appropriate checks to ensure that the curriculum supports pupils to know more and remember more in all subjects. 23 to 24 November 2021

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 Governors do not have sufficient understanding of the wider curriculum. As a result, governors are not fully aware of the effectiveness of the curriculum. Leaders need to ensure that governors have suitable information so that they can offer appropriate challenge to the school.

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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. 23 to 24 November 2021

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School details

Inspection number 10200999 Type of school Nursery and first school

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School details

Date of previous inspection 20 November 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school has provision for two-year-olds.  The school does not use any alternative providers.  The school has breakfast club and after-school club 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 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with school leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, geography and computing. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of 23 to 24 November 2021

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pupils’ work. The team inspector also looked at examples of curriculum plans from other foundation subjects. She spoke to pupils about their learning.  The lead inspector met with designated safeguarding leaders to discuss how they keep pupils safe in school. She considered the school’s recruitment procedures, staff induction and training, records of concerns and their engagement with external agencies. Inspectors also spoke with staff and pupils throughout the inspection.  The lead inspector considered responses to the online questionnaire, Ofsted Parent View, including free-text responses.

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Inspection team

Donna Briggs, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Heather Barraclough Her Majesty’s Inspector 23 to 24 November 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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