Oxclose Primary Academy

Inspection of Oxclose Primary Academy Brancepeth Road, Oxclose, Washington, Tyne and Wear NE38 0LA

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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 5 and 6 April 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and safe at Oxclose Primary Academy. Leaders are at the school gate every morning to greet pupils and parents with a smile. There is a strong sense of community evident. At playtime, older pupils act as play buddies. They are responsible for getting out play equipment and helping younger pupils play together. All pupils, including pupils with significant physical needs, play together happily. They are kind to each other. Pupils cooperate and share equipment fairly. There are well-established routines to make sure everyone can be involved in activities to suit them. Pupils enjoy interacting with staff at social times.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has an specially resourced provision for pupils with physical and/or medical needs (specially resourced provision). These pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are a valued and well integrated part of the school community. Leaders have high aspirations for all pupils. Staff ensure that all pupils are supported effectively to meet these expectations. Each pupil is treated as an individual, and successes are celebrated.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils and parents believe that bullying is not an issue at this school. Bullying logs kept by the school supports this. Pupils throughout the school are very clear about what bullying is and ways to report it. Pupils are taught about respect and equality. The school motto ‘Forward together: together we succeed’ is evident in the positive relationships around school. Pupils behave well in lessons and are keen to learn.

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better?

Leaders have made decisions about their priorities in the development of the curriculum. Leaders have ensured that early reading is taught effectively. Staff are well trained to deliver the phonics programme consistently. All pupils, including pupils with significant additional needs, are taught phonics to give them the best start for life. They monitor pupils’ progress in developing as readers carefully. Pupils who struggle are supported quickly so that they keep up with their peers. All pupils start every day with a ‘share a story’ session, where they are engaged by lively stories read by their teachers.

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better?

Leaders have organised their curriculum so that pupils can build knowledge over time. In some subjects, leaders have clearly identified exactly what they want pupils to know. This is particularly the case in mathematics, science and geography. In other wider curriculum subjects, this process has been delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The important knowledge pupils will learn has not been as clearly identified. Leaders already have plans in place to address this.

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better?

Teachers use questioning effectively in lessons to pick up gaps in pupils’ knowledge. Pupils use ‘sticky knowledge mats’ and ‘vocabulary grids’ to help them to remember the most important things they have learned. These are in place for some subjects but not across all the foundation subjects. In some subjects, teachers are checking 5 and 6 April 2022

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how much pupils have remembered over time effectively. In other subjects, assessment over time does not closely match the new curriculum.

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Leaders use the personal, social and health education (PSHE) curriculum to provide pupils with a ‘toolkit’ that will prepare them for life. Pupils learn about a wide range of topics, including healthy relationships and online safety in a carefully planned manner. Staff make sure that pupils with SEND understand these important messages. Leaders broaden pupils’ understanding of the world through the stories they choose to share with pupils. They learn about diversity and resilience from stories about inspirational historical figures. Pupils show respect for cultural difference and understand their place in the world. They explain the importance of rules. Pupils undertake a range of roles to teach them responsibility.

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Leaders at all levels are driven by the importance of serving the local community and providing children with the best start in life. A parent described the school as ‘a credit to the community’. This typifies the views of many. Parents describe staff as knowing pupils well and praise the communication between school and families. Staff feel very supported by senior leaders and are proud to work at this school. Leaders use a range of external support to aid staff’s professional development. Staff at all levels are developing their leadership capacity. Governors are well informed about the school’s priorities. They provide robust challenge to school leaders to help drive improvement forwards.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that all pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe. This begins with the PSHE curriculum where pupils learn important messages around online safety, bullying and healthy relationships. Leaders ensure these messages are delivered appropriately for pupils with SEND or additional vulnerabilities.

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Safeguarding

Leaders work closely with external agencies to provide support for vulnerable pupils and their families. Leaders take decisive and swift action to keep pupils safe. They keep meticulous logs to ensure they have clear oversight of pupils’ well-being. Staff are trained regularly so that they know exactly what warning signs to be aware of. Leaders have fostered a culture of vigilance where staff are encouraged to report all concerns.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school’s curriculum is not yet sufficiently well planned and sequenced in some subjects. However, it is clear that leaders have already taken action to plan next year’s curriculum and to train staff in how to deliver it. For this reason, the transitional arrangements have been applied. 5 and 6 April 2022

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 Assessment in foundation subjects is not closely aligned to the ambitious curriculum leaders have created. This means teachers are not always able to accurately check what pupils remember over time. Leaders should ensure the strength of assessment in core subjects is replicated in foundation subjects.

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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. 5 and 6 April 2022

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School details

Website www.oxcloseprimary.net Date of previous inspection 1 and 2 November 2016, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school has an specially resourced provision for pupils with additional physical or medical needs.  The school does not 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 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, science and religious education. 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 pupils’ work. An inspector listened to pupils reading.  Inspectors also considered wider curriculum plans. 5 and 6 April 2022

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 Inspectors spoke with leaders responsible for safeguarding. They scrutinised logs of actions leaders have taken to keep pupils safe. An inspector also checked the single central record and checked documentation around safer recruitment practices.  Inspectors spoke with the special educational needs and disabilities coordinator. They looked at samples of education, health and care plans and visited pupils with SEND in lessons.  Inspectors spoke with pupils formally and informally throughout the inspection.  Inspectors scrutinised a range of documentation, including the school’s self- evaluation, the school’s development plan and minutes of governors’ meetings.  Inspectors considered the 24 free text responses to Ofsted Parent View. Inspectors also considered responses to the pupil survey and the 29 responses to the staff survey.

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Inspection team

Katherine Spurr, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

David Hodgkiss Ofsted Inspector 5 and 6 April 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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