Setting

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T 0300 123 1231 www.gov.uk/ofsted

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Liz Hart Headteacher Beckfoot Oakbank Oakworth Road Keighley West Yorkshire BD22 7DU

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Serious weaknesses monitoring inspection of Beckfoot Oakbank

This letter sets out the findings from the monitoring inspection that took place on 15 November 2023 on behalf of His Majesty's Chief Inspector of Education, Children's Services and Skills. The monitoring inspection was carried out under section 8(2) of the Education Act 2005 and was the second monitoring inspection since the school was judged to have serious weaknesses following the graded (section 5) inspection that took place in November 2022.

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Serious weaknesses monitoring inspection of Beckfoot Oakbank

The purpose of a monitoring inspection is not to grade the school's overall effectiveness, but to identify and report on the school's progress. It is to highlight to the school and parents any improvements that school leaders have made since the school's previous graded inspection.

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Serious weaknesses monitoring inspection of Beckfoot Oakbank

During the inspection, I discussed with you and other senior leaders the actions that have been taken to improve the school since the most recent graded inspection. I reviewed your action plans, visited lessons, spoke to pupils, discussed progress with trustees and checked the single central record of staff recruitment checks. I have considered all this in coming to my judgement.

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Leaders have made progress to improve the school, but more work is

necessary for the school to be no longer judged as having serious weaknesses.

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designation

Several new staff, including new members of the leadership team, joined the school in September. The new leaders are providing highly effective support to improve the school, especially in core subjects. Your action planning remains rigorous and is closely checked to make sure improvements stay on track.

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You continue to provide staff with high-quality training and support, including around curriculum. This work has strengthened subject leadership considerably. The new curriculum offer is now in place. The proportion of pupils in Year 10 who are entered for the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) has increased dramatically relative to previous years. This will help more pupils to gain a broad range of subjects that should prepare them well for their next steps. It is too early to check the impact of the new curriculum at this stage.

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designation

You have developed a comprehensive reading strategy, including support for struggling readers. Pupils with the highest need already access effective interventions, such as the phonics programme. You check pupils’ progress through the reading interventions. Your analysis tells you they are highly effective. However, there is some work to do to make sure pupils who might benefit from support are accurately identified. You are already training more staff to provide reading interventions so that pupils get the right support. You have introduced other, whole-school, research-informed approaches to support all pupils to read well. The impact of this is that many pupils enjoy reading.

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You and your team have a very clear understanding of how to support pupils with a range of special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Your team provides staff with ongoing training in how to adapt the new curriculum to meet pupils’ needs. Pupils who need further support access a range of interventions. You work well with external agencies, such as child and mental health services (CAMHS), when required.

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designation

Pupils understand the behaviour system well. They value the rewards they receive. Most staff take every opportunity to reinforce good behaviour. There is still some inconsistency in how staff use the behaviour system, including rewards.

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Some pupils feel more positive about the school than they did at the previous visit. However, there is still work to do to make sure that a more positive culture grows and becomes sustainable. Suspensions remain stubbornly high and have recently increased. You had predicted this increase would happen due to the higher expectations staff have of behaviour and the more demanding curriculum now in place. You offer a range of support, including through external agencies, to help pupils learn better behaviour and gain confidence.

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When a pupil is removed from a lesson, they are taken to the internal inclusion unit. You have improved the use of this room. Pupils complete reflection tasks to help them make better choices about their behaviour. You make sure curriculum work is available for pupils. Some pupils struggle to stay focused on learning. However, the room is calm and well supervised. The Captain Thomas Moore building is used as an additional provision to support pupils. This building has a second inclusion room, which the school uses appropriately. You and your team make every effort to help pupils remain within the school community.

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You have robust systems in place to encourage pupils to come to school each day. Your team works closely with families to help pupils attend regularly. This is starting to have an impact. Pupils’ attendance is beginning to slowly improve.

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You and your team have ensured a range of effective approaches to quality assure all aspects of the school. You continue to work closely with the Interim Oversight Committee and with the trust. Your team also collaborates with other local partners. This wide range of external support provides you with helpful feedback. Trustees are well informed about the school and remain committed to improving it.

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I am copying this letter to the chair of the board of trustees and the CEO of Beckfoot Trust, the Department for Education's regional director and the director of children's services for Bradford local authority. This letter will be published on the Ofsted reports website.

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