Oak Academy

Inspection of Oak Academy Duck Lane, Bournemouth, Dorset BH11 9JJ

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 17 and 18 May 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and staff know pupils well. They want pupils to do well and promote positive values through and beyond the curriculum, for example the school’s kindness campaign. Many pupils support this, but some say that derogatory language between peers is still a concern for them.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most pupils say that they feel safe at school and have a trusted adult they can talk to. Behaviour around the school site is generally calm. Nonetheless, too many pupils disrupt the learning of other pupils. Furthermore, some pupils report that bullying happens and leaders do not always resolve this quickly or effectively. Some pupils express that they are hesitant about reporting these incidents to staff.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils get involved with school life. Many attend focus groups, are on the student council or sign up to be curriculum student leaders. Pupils enjoy a growing number of extra-curricular activities. For example, many take up the opportunity to participate in Ten Tors or the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. Clubs take place before, during and after school, which ensures that there are lots of opportunities for pupils to participate.

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better?

Leaders share strong values. They have a clear vision about how to provide high- quality education for all pupils. However, this is not yet fully realised, as there remain inconsistencies in the quality of education pupils receive. This is because curriculum development in some areas is still at the early stages. Where leaders have planned and sequenced the knowledge that pupils will learn carefully, younger pupils can successfully demonstrate what they remember. Older pupils find it more difficult to make links with what they have learned previously.

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better?

Leaders’ ambition for the curriculum is that it gives all pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, the knowledge and cultural capital they need to succeed in life. For example, all pupils read a range of literary heritage texts in English. Leaders promote the importance of pupils making choices at GCSE that retain their breadth of experience. For example, they are encouraging more pupils to take modern foreign languages. As a result, the number of pupils choosing to study a modern foreign language is increasing for next academic year.

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better?

Leaders have a clear focus on ensuring that those at the early stages of reading gain the phonics knowledge they need to allow them to access the full curriculum. Pupils also have opportunities for reading beyond the curriculum. Where this is done well, it successfully develops pupils’ reading fluency and independence. However, pupils receive a varied experience, which means that some are not developing confidence and enjoyment in reading as well as they could.

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better?

Too many pupils display poor attitudes to learning or disrupt the learning of others. Leaders do not explore patterns and trends around this conduct in enough detail so 17 and 18 May 2022

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that they can respond accordingly. The attendance of pupils is showing improvement and the number of fixed-term suspensions has reduced. However, several pupils repeat the same behaviours, resulting in numerous suspensions.

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The wide range of opportunities for the positive personal development of pupils is a strength of the school. Leaders have prioritised the improvement of facilities in areas such as performing arts and sport. This had led to a greater range of extra-curricular opportunities for pupils. There are a growing number of pupils that participate regularly and leaders track this carefully.

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There is an effective personal, social, health and economic curriculum. Pupils have regular ‘Learning for Life’ lessons, where they learn about how to keep themselves safe. The material is age-appropriate and includes how to form healthy relationships, online safety and British values.

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Pupils benefit from a wide range of information and useful experiences as part of a well designed careers programme. The school meets the requirements of the Baker Clause, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 13 with information about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.

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Staff, including those new to the school and profession, feel well supported with their workload. The trust provides training for curriculum leaders through the subject networks that are developing across a number of schools. This supports the professional development of staff effectively.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

As part of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, leaders have strengthened the pastoral support available for pupils. Staff act quickly to help pupils who are vulnerable. The school has formed strong links with a range of service providers that work with families.

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Safeguarding

Leaders raise the awareness of safeguarding risks among pupils. The Learning for Life programme and regular assemblies ensure that pupils know where to get help if they need it.

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Safeguarding

There is an appropriate curriculum and school-wide policies and practice in place to educate pupils about sexual harassment, online sexual abuse and sexual violence.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The expectations for pupils’ conduct and attitude to learning are not always clear. As a result, some pupils choose not to participate in lessons or to disrupt the 17 and 18 May 2022

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learning of others. Leaders should ensure that all staff apply the school’s behaviour policy consistently and fairly.  Older pupils are not able to explain what they know and remember as well as pupils in the younger years. They have gaps in their knowledge and some then find it difficult to apply what they know. Teachers should ensure that they regularly check what pupils have learned and make adaptations to the curriculum where necessary.  Leaders do not evaluate the impact of their actions to improve pupils’ behaviour and attendance carefully enough. Therefore, leaders are not clear about what is working well and what is not. Leaders should evaluate the effectiveness of their strategies in a timely manner to help inform future decisions.

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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. 17 and 18 May 2022

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School details

Local authority Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole

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School details

Inspection number 10227506 Type of school Secondary Comprehensive School category Academy converter

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School details

Date of previous inspection 29 June 2021, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school currently has an interim principal.  The school uses two registered alternative providers.

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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 held discussions with the interim principal, members of the senior leadership team, the special educational needs coordinator, curriculum leaders, the director of secondary education for the trust, the chair of the trust and the chief executive officer of the trust.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, mathematics, science and modern foreign languages. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the 17 and 18 May 2022

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curriculum with subject leaders, looked at curriculum planning, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors also spoke with leaders about the curriculum in other subjects.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors scrutinised the single central record of adults working in the school. The lead inspector met with the designated safeguarding lead to consider how well the school identifies pupils who are at risk and engages with external services. Inspectors also spoke with a range of pupils and staff about safeguarding.  Inspectors considered 14 responses to Ofsted’s online survey for parents and carers, Parent View, including 9 free-text comments. Inspectors also considered 36 responses to the staff survey and 48 responses to the survey for pupils.

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Inspection team

Kelly Olive, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Matthew Collins Ofsted Inspector 17 and 18 May 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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