The Oak View Academy

Inspection of The Oak View Academy Whitby’s Lane, Winsford, Cheshire CW7 2LZ

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Inspection dates: 13 and 14 February 2024

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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

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Overall effectiveness Good

The headteacher of this school is Helen Bebbington. This school is part of North West Academies Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Stephen Docking OBE, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Nayland Southorn. 13 and 14 February 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Caring relationships form the foundation of this school. Staff are dedicated to helping pupils to develop a strong sense of community and belonging. Pupils are well supported emotionally and academically. They are celebrated as individuals. This helps pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), to feel happy.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for pupils’ achievement. Many pupils achieve these aspirations and achieve well. They enjoy learning. Pupils are attentive during lessons and they follow instructions carefully. Pupils are sensible and quiet as they move around the school, showing respect for others.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils across school learn about different types of emotions and how to manage their feelings effectively. Staff speak calmly and kindly to pupils. As a result, pupils feel assured that they can speak to trusted members of staff if they have any concerns.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school places a high priority on pupils’ learning beyond the academic curriculum. Older pupils take part in a residential trip and younger pupils visit the local nature park. Pupils enjoy friendly interactions across school. For example, in their role as play leaders, older pupils organise activities for younger pupils. Ambassadors celebrate other pupils’ personal and academic achievement through recognition awards.

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better?

The school has designed an aspirational curriculum from the Nursery Year to Year 6. This includes those children who access the two-year-old provision. In the main, subject-specific content is logically ordered to enable pupils, including those with SEND, to know and remember more over time.

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better?

Teachers deliver lessons following a consistent order. This order enables pupils to revisit prior learning before they are introduced to new information. Most pupils build subject knowledge securely. The school provides staff with a thorough programme of training to further their knowledge and expertise. However, in some subjects, staff have not received the subject-specific training that they need to help them teach some aspects of these curriculums. This makes it difficult for them to design learning that helps pupils to learn the full curriculum. It also means that a small number of pupils develop some misconceptions in their learning.

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better?

The school uses assessment information to understand how well pupils are learning the curriculum and to make any necessary adjustments to the subject content. Teachers carry out checks on pupils’ learning. In most instances, this enables them to quickly address any misconceptions in pupils’ understanding by making adaptations to their teaching. However, in a small number of subjects, pupils still carry some misunderstandings. 13 and 14 February 2024

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Reading is at the heart of the curriculum. The school ensures that pupils read a broad range of books during lessons and individual reading time. Reading ambassadors foster a love of reading by acting as positive role models. They provide book recommendations and give awards to other pupils who read frequently.

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Children in the Nursery Year, including those who are two years old, learn essential skills that prepare them well for learning to read. For example, they learn to hear sounds and practise rhyming patterns. Children start to learn the phonics curriculum from the beginning of the Reception Year. The phonics programme is delivered effectively by skilled staff. Pupils read from books that contain the sounds that they have already learned. The school provides additional practice for pupils who need it. As a result, most pupils develop into fluent, confident readers in readiness for key stage 2.

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The school quickly identifies the additional needs of pupils with SEND. Staff support these pupils effectively. For example, they use appropriate strategies provided by external professionals to enable pupils with SEND to access the full curriculum. Typically, pupils with SEND learn well.

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The school prioritises pupils’ levels of attendance. It works effectively with families to support them in improving pupils’ attendance. The school takes swift action if there are any concerns regarding pupils’ attendance.

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For the most part, pupils work well together throughout school. In the early years, clear routines help children to develop their independence skills. Pupils said that they enjoy positive recognition for following the school rules.

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The school provides pupils with a range of opportunities to hold responsibilities and contribute to the school community. For example, pupils act as safety officers and anti-bullying ambassadors. Pupils learn about a range of cultures and religions beyond their own experiences. The school invites people into school, such as authors, to share their experiences with pupils. Pupils take part in school clubs and many spoke excitedly about a regional music concert that they had recently performed at.

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The trust works closely with the local governing board to support and challenge the school effectively on the quality of education that it provides. Staff feel valued and they take pride in being part of the school community. They appreciate the time that they are given to work collaboratively in school and across the trust when any changes are introduced.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 13 and 14 February 2024

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a small number of subjects, the activities that teachers choose to deliver the curriculum do not help pupils learn the curriculum as well as they could. As a result, some pupils carry misconceptions in their knowledge. The school should ensure that it enables staff to gain the subject knowledge that they need to deliver all aspects of the curriculum.

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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.

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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). 13 and 14 February 2024

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School details

Local authority Cheshire West and Chester

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 4 and 5 October 2022, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The headteacher took up the role in January 2023.  The chair of governors and the chair of the trust have recently been appointed.  The school is part of North West Academies Trust.  The school provides early education for two-year-old children.  The school runs a breakfast and after-school club for pupils.  The school does not make use of any alternative providers.

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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. 13 and 14 February 2024

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 Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors held conversations with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher and the special educational needs coordinator, as well as other leaders in school.  The lead inspector spoke with the CEO, the chair of the trust, members of the local governing board and a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in the following subjects: early reading, mathematics and geography. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke with some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors also spoke with pupils about their learning in some other areas of the curriculum and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The lead inspector heard some pupils from Years 1 to 3 read to a familiar adult.

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 Inspectors talked with pupils in meetings and around the school throughout the school day.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free- text comments. Inspectors also spoke with some parents and carers during the inspection.  Inspectors held conversations with early career teachers and support staff.  Inspectors reviewed the responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for staff and for pupils.  Inspectors looked at documentation provided by the school, including minutes of governing body meetings, information about pupils leaving and starting at school and records relating to pupils’ attendance and behaviour.  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’ interest first.

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Inspection team

Sheena Clark, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Emily Morris Ofsted Inspector 13 and 14 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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