Oxhey First School

Inspection of Oxhey First School Pennine Way, Biddulph, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire ST8 7EB

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Inspection dates: 26 and 27 September 2023

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

The quality of education Outstanding Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding Early years provision Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

The headteacher of this school is Mrs Lorraine Jukes. This school is part of The Children First Learning Partnership, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Abigail Rourke, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Nicola Chell. 26 and 27 September 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils thrive at Oxhey First School. Staff are highly ambitious for all pupils. They want every pupil to achieve their full potential. One pupil told inspectors that Oxhey First School ‘is a great place to learn and grow up’ – inspectors agree.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations of everyone. Staff expect pupils to try hard and achieve well. All pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), live up to these expectations. Furthermore, the curriculum is well planned and is taught very well. All of this means pupils make excellent progress.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave exceptionally well during lessons and at playtimes. They listen with interest and support each other well in their learning. Pupils are eager to learn new things and talk with enthusiasm to visitors about their work.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils take part in a range of inclusive extra-curricular activities, including sewing, coding and gardening. Pupils are excited to take on jobs that require them to help others. They can be peer mediators, house captains and mini-medics. Pupils are rightly proud of their school and would recommend it to others. The vast majority of parents and carers share this view.

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better?

This school is highly aspirational for all pupils. Leaders show a determination to include every pupil and prepare them fully for their next stages of education and beyond. All decisions that leaders make are sharply focused on what is best for the pupils.

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better?

The school has designed an ambitious, exciting curriculum that is rich in opportunities. Leaders have carefully sequenced the knowledge and skills that pupils need to learn in each subject. Over time, teachers ensure that pupils revisit things they have learned previously. This is helping pupils to build a rich body of subject knowledge that they can use and apply in their learning. For example, in art, pupils in Year 2 talk confidently about different sketching techniques such as stippling, contour-hatching and cross-hatching. In geography, Year 4 pupils talk with maturity about renewable forms of energy and different types of biomes.

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better?

Teachers are knowledgeable and are well supported by subject leaders. Teachers are highly effective at managing the mixed-age classes. They know exactly what to teach and how to teach it. New ideas are explained clearly, with teachers checking pupils’ understanding and spotting misconceptions. When pupils struggle, teachers swiftly provide extra help.

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better?

Reading is a high priority. This begins as soon as children start in Nursery. Adults immerse children in stories and rhymes. These strong foundations prepare children well as they move into Reception and beyond. Staff are well trained to deliver the phonics programme. As a result, pupils quickly become fluent readers. If any pupils 26 and 27 September 2023

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need extra support, staff quickly put this in place to help them catch up. Most pupils read fluently by the end of key stage 1 and continue to read widely as they move up through the school.

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The early years curriculum gives children an excellent start in developing their knowledge that will help them in Year 1 and beyond. Indoor and outdoor areas are well organised with activities that help children to develop an enquiring mind and to practise their learning. Staff take the time to get to know each child well. They use this knowledge of each individual pupil effectively. They use it to tailor activities that maximise engagement and progress. As a result, children develop excellent learning behaviours with high levels of concentration and resilience. Children achieve very well in the early years.

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The school has high expectations for pupils with SEND. Pupils’ needs are quickly and accurately identified. Staff adapt learning and extra-curricular activities so that pupils with SEND can access them. These pupils make strong progress and participate fully in school life.

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Leaders have designed a programme for personal development that meets the needs of individual pupils. There are a wide range of extra-curricular activities, and the school ensures that all pupils can participate. The school nurtures and develops pupils who show particular talents, and opportunities in school have enabled pupils to take these further.

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Staff receive excellent opportunities for their professional development. Staff feel supported in their work and say that they want to do their best for pupils. Those responsible for governance are very well informed and committed to their roles. They provide highly effective challenge and support to leaders to help make the school the successful place it is.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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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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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school. 26 and 27 September 2023

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In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 26 and 27 September 2023

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School details

Date(s) of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Oxhey First School converted to become an academy in April 2019. When its predecessor school, Oxhey First School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be good overall.  The school is part of The Children First Learning Partnership, a multi-academy trust.  The school operates a before- and after-school club each day that is run by the school.  The school does not make use of any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

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

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision. 26 and 27 September 2023

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 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher and other leaders.  Inspectors spoke to the CEO of the trust, a trust director, the chair of governors, a representative from the local advisory board and the chair of trustees.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in reading, mathematics, art and design, and history. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  An inspector observed pupils reading to a familiar adult.  Inspectors scrutinised a wide range of documents, including those related to safeguarding arrangements, behaviour and attendance. Inspectors also reviewed

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the school’s evaluation of its own performance and the school’s development plans.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first. Inspectors held informal and formal discussions with pupils and observed lunchtime.  Inspectors reviewed responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including additional free-text comments. They also took account of responses to Ofsted’s online staff questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Emma Gater, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Susan Lowry Ofsted Inspector 26 and 27 September 2023

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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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