Oldmixon Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Oldmixon Primary School Monkton Avenue, Weston-Super-Mare, Somerset BS24 9DA

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Inspection dates: 11 and 12 January 2022

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Outcome

Oldmixon Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to be part of the Oldmixon ‘family’. Staff know pupils well, and this helps them to feel safe. Pupils enjoy coming to school. They talk positively about the wide range of opportunities provided. Pupils take on roles such as mini police and play leaders. They hold these responsibilities in high esteem. Staff work together to provide opportunities to develop pupils’ independence and resilience.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders are ambitious in their expectations of what pupils can achieve. Pupils respond well to this and are keen to share what they have learned. For example, they explain in great detail how they learn to develop their reading skills.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils understand the high expectations leaders have for their behaviour. They talk with joy about gaining a place at the Friday banquet or receiving a book award. However, they do not underestimate the hard work that goes into these achievements. Consequently, pupils’ conduct, both in lessons and around the school, is strong. Pupils show respect and kindness to all around them. They encourage and support each other in their learning. Pupils say that bullying does not happen. They are confident that staff would sort out any problems quickly should they occur.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders ensure that all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), study a rich and balanced curriculum. In the early years classes, adults create environments that promote high-quality learning. The curriculum is carefully planned. It prepares children well for learning in Year 1. Pupils in key stages 1 and 2 talk confidently and enthusiastically about their learning. Leaders have made sure that the curriculum in most subjects details the important knowledge that pupils need to learn. This ensures that pupils build on what they already know and helps them to remember important knowledge. Leaders know that there is still some work to do in a few curriculum areas, such as geography, to ensure that the precise knowledge they want pupils to learn is clearly identified. Teachers check pupils’ learning to inform their teaching 11 and 12 January 2022

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and to identify misconceptions. This is more effective in some subjects, such as early reading, than in others, such as physical education (PE).

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There is a whole-school culture of prioritising reading. The teaching of early reading is well organised. Staff are trained well so that they know how to teach phonics effectively. Children learn phonics right from the start of their time in school. There is a clear and consistent structure to the teaching of phonics. When pupils fall behind, staff identify what further input is needed and provide support to enable pupils to keep up. Leaders make sure that the resources they use enhance the teaching of phonics. They continue to improve the matching of reading books to the phonics scheme. Older pupils enjoy reading and confidently talk about authors and genres they like to read. They know why it is important to be able to read fluently and also develop stamina in reading. Staff read to pupils regularly and pupils talk about this enthusiastically. Pupils have access to a wide variety of texts. This includes more diverse texts and texts that support the wider

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curriculum. Teachers celebrate reading and are keen to promote it.

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Staff promote pupils’ personal development effectively. They are deeply committed to ensuring that pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, develop their independence and resilience. Examples include Reception children working together to create a house for a penguin and Year 6 pupils supporting each other during PE lessons to improve their balance. A wide range of extra-curricular opportunities are offered to meet the different interests of pupils. These are attended well, including by disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND.

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Leaders work well with staff to identify the pupils who need extra help. Those responsible for pupils with SEND produce well-considered plans. These plans include the views of pupils and parents. Plans identify the precise next steps that pupils need to be able to do to access the full curriculum successfully. This supports staff to know how to adapt learning to meet pupils’ needs.

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Staff appreciate the actions that leaders take in relation to their workload. One member of staff commented, ‘We are fully supported. More supported now than we ever have been.’ This comment was reflective of many. Governors challenge leaders in areas such as safeguarding and staff’s well-being. The multi-academy trust leaders have an accurate understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. The school works well with the trust to support its ongoing improvements, without losing sight of its own identity and uniqueness.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

There is a rigorous culture of safeguarding at the school. The designated safeguarding leads work effectively as a team to support families skilfully and proactively. Good use is made of external support when appropriate. All staff are well trained and receive regular and up-to-date information. They are vigilant and know how to report a concern. 11 and 12 January 2022

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The curriculum provides opportunities for pupils to gain the knowledge they need to keep themselves safe, for example in their relationships and when online.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some foundation subjects, such as geography, leaders have not clearly identified the important knowledge they want pupils to learn. This means that, at times, the implementation of the intended curriculum is not effective. Leaders need to make sure that the core knowledge is identified so that teachers can implement, and then assess, the ambitious outcomes they are aiming for.  In some foundation subjects, assessments do not check the exact and essential knowledge that pupils need to learn and remember. This means that precise information about gaps in pupils’ learning is not identified. Leaders must ensure that assessment information is used well so that subject leaders and teachers can adapt teaching to close any gaps in pupils’ learning.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called a section 8 inspection of a good or outstanding school, because it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the section 8 inspection as a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the predecessor school, Oldmixon Primary School, to be good in October 2013.

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How can I feed back my views?

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 . 11 and 12 January 2022

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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. 11 and 12 January 2022

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School details

Website www.oldmixonprimary.co.uk Date of previous inspection 5 November 2020, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Oldmixon Primary School became an academy in October 2017 and joined a multi- academy trust, the Extended Learning Academies Network.  The school has a much higher than average number of pupils eligible for free school meals.  The school includes provision for two- and three-year-old children.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with school leaders and has taken that into account in their evaluation.  The inspector also met with leaders, staff and pupils to help evaluate SEND provision and practice in the school. The inspector reviewed individual plans for pupils with SEND, to evaluate how well these are implemented.  The inspector spoke with a range of staff and pupils to find out what it is like to be a pupil, or to work, in this school. 11 and 12 January 2022

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 The inspector met with the chair of the local governing body and trustees, as well as the trust’s executive officer.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, geography and PE. For each deep dive, the inspector met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers and pupils and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector listened to pupils in Years 1, 2 and 3 read to an adult.  The inspector considered how well the school protects pupils and keeps them safe.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site.  The inspector listened to the views of parents at the start of day two. The three responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including one free-text response, were also considered, along with the 93 responses to the pupil online survey and 18 responses to the staff survey.

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Inspection team

Leanne Thirlby, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector 11 and 12 January 2022

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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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