Oakwood Junior School

Inspection of Oakwood Junior School Holbrook Road, Alvaston, Derby, Derbyshire DE24 0DD

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Inspection dates: 27 and 28 February 2024

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

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

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Overall effectiveness Good

The headteacher of this school is CT Atwal. This school is part of the Odyssey Collaborative Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Ian Dewes, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Jane Green. 27 and 28 February 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Oakwood Junior School is a special place for pupils to learn and grow. Pupils and staff follow the core values of ‘positivity, resilience, kindness, aspiration and respect’. Pupils are happy and talk with enthusiasm about school life. They are ready to learn and enjoy their lessons. The school has high expectations for every pupil.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils value the rewards they earn for doing their best. Pupils make a positive contribution to the school. They develop their leadership skills as school councillors, reading ambassadors and anti-bullying ambassadors. Many pupils attend clubs in school and enjoy activities where they develop their interests. They talk positively about clubs for science, gymnastics, chess, crochet, dance, choir, netball, football, and the well-being wellies.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ behaviour is excellent in classrooms and at social times. They show respect for each other and for staff. Bullying is rare. If it does happen, it is not tolerated and is dealt with quickly. Pupils feel safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils say that they are proud to belong to Oakwood Junior School because it gives them ‘so many opportunities’. They use words to describe the school, such as ‘spectacular’, ‘remarkable’, ‘magical’, and ‘inspiring’, and they say it is ‘open to everyone’.

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better?

The curriculum has been carefully designed to be relevant to the pupils and community that the school serves. The curriculum is ambitious for all pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). It sets out the important knowledge that pupils need to learn and the order in which they need to learn it. Pupils revisit what they have learned through regular memory tasks. This helps pupils to know more and remember more. Teachers check to find out what pupils know.

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better?

Reading is a priority at this school. Books are central to everything the school does. Pupils read carefully chosen, engaging texts in their English lessons. Many initiatives ensure that pupils love reading and are highly motivated to do so. Staff are trained to teach the systematic phonics programme to those pupils at an early stage of reading. Daily phonics sessions are highly structured. Teachers read daily to pupils. Pupils practise their reading and become fluent. They say they enjoy reading.

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better?

The school’s vision, ‘Every Child is a Learner and Can Achieve’, is inclusive. This means pupils with SEND are provided for well. Staff quickly identify pupils with SEND. Plans to support their learning are clear and used well by teachers. Pupils with SEND access the full curriculum. Teachers adapt their teaching to meet the needs of pupils with SEND. Staff receive training to provide well-planned support in lessons. Pupils who struggle to manage their feelings and behaviour are given the help they need. 27 and 28 February 2024

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Staff know pupils and their families well. They work closely with families to promote attendance. However, some pupils are absent from school too often. The school has made changes to, and improved the systems for, managing attendance to make the expectations clear to all parents. This is beginning to have an impact.

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The curriculum that supports pupils’ personal development is exceptional. The school provides opportunities that widen pupils’ horizons and develop their character. Pupils have an excellent understanding of the fundamental British values. They develop a strong understanding of world religions. Pupils learn how to keep themselves healthy and safe. They learn about the importance of good mental health and how to recognise ‘anxiety on the outside’. Staff teach pupils about healthy relationships. Pupils fundraise and look after Ron, the school’s much-loved well-being dog. The school helps pupils to become responsible and thoughtful citizens . Staff complete training to ensure that they teach this curriculum effectively.

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The trust and the local governing board know the school well. They challenge the school effectively and strategically monitor the progress the school is making. Staff enjoy working at the school. A comment typical of many was, ‘The school is brilliant at making sure staff are looked after well.’

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Too many pupils do not attend school regularly enough. As a result, they do not benefit from the curriculum and wider experiences offered by the school. The school should ensure that those pupils who require it receive the necessary support to enable them to attend regularly.

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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. 27 and 28 February 2024

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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). 27 and 28 February 2024

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school joined the Odyssey Collaborative Trust in April 2021. The most recent inspection of the predecessor school, Oakwood Junior School, took place in January 2018, when the school was judged to be good.  The school does not use 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.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The lead inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and took that into account in their evaluation of the school. 27 and 28 February 2024

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 Inspectors held meetings with leaders, including the special educational needs and disabilities coordinator, and curriculum leaders.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in reading, mathematics, history, computing and physical education. 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.  The lead inspector listened to pupils reading to a familiar adult.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, 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 considered pupils’ behaviour at various times of day, including in lessons, around the school site and at lunchtime.

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 The lead inspector took account of the responses to the Ofsted online surveys for staff and parents. An inspector spoke to parents during the inspection.  The lead inspector met with the CEO of the multi-academy trust, representatives from the board of trustees, the chair of the local governing board and members of the local governing board.

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Inspection team

Stephen Long, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Sarah Sadler Ofsted Inspector 27 and 28 February 2024

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