Angel Oak Academy

Inspection of an outstanding school: Angel Oak Academy Burcher Gale Grove, Peckham, London SE15 6FL

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Outcome

Angel Oak Academy continues to be an outstanding school.

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Outcome

The headteacher of this school is Claire Mitchell. This school is part of STEP Academy Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Paul Glover, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Ross Gardner. There is also an executive headteacher, Tim Mills, who is responsible for this school and two others.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are looked after very well in this school. Staff at all levels make pupils feel cared for and valued. Pupils are encouraged and empowered to let staff know if they have any concerns or worries. They are confident that adults are there to help them, and to keep them safe. They enjoy coming to school every day and learning new things about the world that they live in.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has the highest expectations of its pupils to ‘work hard and be kind’. Pupils know this and respond with enthusiasm to what is expected of them, including in learning the ambitious curriculum. They give their best in lessons. As a result of the school’s work, pupils learn the curriculum extremely well. Their outcomes in national assessments are typically very strong.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school community, including parents and carers, speaks highly of pupils’ excellent manners. Pupils’ behaviour is exceptional. They are confident and articulate as they learn and play. Equally, being courteous and friendly are the norm here. Pupils attend school regularly. In the very few instances where pupils are at risk of not attending well, the school intervenes promptly and effectively.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are supportive of each other. They celebrate each other’s differences. Pupils appreciate the large playground and the variety of equipment available. They co-operate with and help each other. Pupils are trusted to assume positions of responsibility. They apply to become house captains and ‘head academicians’, performing tasks like leading assemblies. 8 and 9 February 2024

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

The school is relentless in its aim to deliver excellent education for its pupils. It has designed a curriculum with highly ambitious endpoints. The subject content taught is carefully ordered, with pupils consistently building well on what they already know and can do. In geography, for example, children in early years start by learning how to use and follow simple maps in contexts that are familiar to them, such as using a map of the school to go on a treasure hunt. This prepares them effectively for when they look at maps of the local area in Year 1. By the time pupils reach Year 6, they are competent at using and interpreting more complex geographical information, like ordinance survey and relief maps.

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

The curriculum is delivered expertly. The school places a high importance on pupils acquiring a deep knowledge of the subjects that they are studying. This aim is underpinned by absolute clarity on what significant knowledge pupils need to know and remember in the long term. This knowledge is delivered to a consistently high standard across subjects and across all year groups. Staff are skilled at making any required adaptations to enable pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) to learn the curriculum well. This is because these pupils’ needs are identified accurately and promptly.

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

Reading is a priority in this school. Staff have received high-quality training to deliver the phonics curriculum. Early reading is taught effectively. Children begin to learn phonics as soon as they start in Reception. Pupils get plenty of opportunities to practise and consolidate their phonics knowledge. Pupils’ reading fluency and accuracy is also well supported through reading books which contain the letter-sounds that they already know.

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

Assessment is used effectively to identify pupils who need extra help. In phonics, those who are falling behind the programme are identified at the earliest opportunity. They receive effective support and catch up quickly. Pupils love reading. They enjoy hearing adults read to them daily.

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

Pupils’ attitudes to learning are typically exceptional. They work hard in lessons. They follow adult instructions promptly and effectively. Their positive attitude contributes greatly to successful learning. Pupils collaborate well with one another.

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

The school provides many opportunities for pupils to develop beyond the formal curriculum. Pupils enjoy many educational visits, including to wildlife centres, museums, and galleries. They gain knowledge of the world around them, including the different beliefs and religions of others. Pupils visit places of worship at least once termly to enrich their understanding. Pupils also enjoy taking part in a variety of sports competitions with other schools within the trust.

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

Support and oversight from the trust have been instrumental in the school’s success. The academy committee perform their delegated responsibilities diligently. The school uses advice and purposeful challenge from trust experts, as well as collaboration with other academies to improve the school even further. This work is all firmly rooted in making a 8 and 9 February 2024

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positive difference to the pupils the school serves, regardless of their background or their starting points.

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Staff appreciate the support that they receive to ensure their workload remains manageable. The school is sensitive to staff’s well-being. New initiatives are assessed before they introduced to ensure that they are not burdensome.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Background

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

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Background

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be outstanding in October 2017.

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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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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

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). 8 and 9 February 2024

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School details

School category Academy special sponsor-led

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 11 and 12 October 2017, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not use any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector held discussions with the chief executive officer of the trust, the trust’s executive director of primary, the headteacher and other members of the senior leadership team.  The inspector also met with the trustees, including the chair, and the chair of the academy committee. 8 and 9 February 2024

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 The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, history and mathematics. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers and pupils, and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Other subjects were also considered as part of this inspection.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector: 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.  The inspector also considered the views of parents through their responses to Ofsted’s surveys.

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Inspection team

Edison David, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 8 and 9 February 2024

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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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