Oasis Academy Limeside

Inspection of Oasis Academy Limeside Third Avenue, Limeside, Oldham, Greater Manchester OL8 3SB

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Early years provision Requires improvement Previous inspection grade Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The principal of this school is Lauren Norris. This school is part of Oasis Community Learning. This means that other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), John Barneby, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Caroline Taylor.

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

This school was last inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 nine years ago and judged ‘Outstanding’ under a previous inspection framework. This reflected the school’s overall effectiveness under the inspection framework in use at the time.

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

From then until November 2020, the school was exempted by law from routine inspection, so there has been a longer gap than usual between graded inspections under section 5 of the Act. Judgements in this report are based on the current inspection framework and also reflect changes that may have happened at any point since the last graded inspection. 12 and 13 March 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe and well cared for. They told inspectors how much they enjoy the many clubs, trips and activities that are on offer to them. Pupils explained that these opportunities broaden their horizons and encourage them to develop new talents and interests.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Many pupils make the most of the leadership roles that they can apply for. For example, pupils were keen to tell inspectors about how they contribute to the school community through being members of the ‘power for good’ or ‘diversity’ groups. Pupils celebrate the diversity within the school. They are ready to make a positive contribution to their wider community when they are older.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils typically behave well. They are respectful. Pupils, including children in the early years, respond well to each other and to staff. Those pupils who find it more difficult to manage their emotions benefit from well-thought-out support.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for the achievement of all pupils. However, these aspirations are often not realised, especially for some pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils’ achievement is beginning to improve, particularly in reading. Nonetheless, pupils are not as well prepared as they should be for the next stages of their education.

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better?

The school has experienced some turbulence in staffing since the time of the previous inspection. The school now benefits from a more settled staff.

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better?

Published data for this school in 2023 showed that the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics was low in both key stages 1 and 2. The school has taken appropriate action to improve the achievement of all pupils, including those who are disadvantaged. Pupils are beginning to benefit from these improvements. Despite this, some pupils still have considerable gaps in their knowledge that the school is not identifying or addressing quickly enough.

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better?

The school has improved the design and delivery of the curriculum from the early years to Year 6. The new curriculum aims to fully prepare pupils for the demands of key stage 3. The revised curriculum is organised well. This is increasingly supporting pupils to build up their knowledge steadily over time. It also helps to make staff workload more manageable.

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better?

In recent years, the school has focused on embedding a new reading curriculum. An effective phonics programme is improving the accuracy and fluency of pupils’ reading. This begins in the early years. Children in the two- and three-year-old provision begin to develop their expertise in recognising different sounds through learning a range of well-loved stories, songs and rhymes. Children in the Reception classes build on this firm foundation. They begin to learn how to use phonics to read 12 and 13 March 2024

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words accurately. In the Reception Year, most children, including those with SEND, make rapid gains in their reading knowledge. They are well prepared for their learning in key stage 1.

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Despite improvements to the reading curriculum, many older pupils struggle to read fluently and accurately. Teachers and other staff are addressing gaps in these pupils’ reading knowledge quickly. As a result, pupils in key stage 2 are building up their reading knowledge slowly, but steadily.

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It is too early to see the impact of the school’s new curriculum in subjects other than reading, including in the early years. Furthermore, in these other subjects, some staff do not check that pupils’ knowledge is secure before introducing new learning. This hinders some pupils from learning all that they should.

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The school identifies pupils with SEND accurately. However, the additional support that the school provides for these pupils is not as effective as it could be. This is because staff have varying degrees of understanding about how best to support pupils with SEND. As a result, some pupils with SEND do not achieve as well as they could.

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The school’s renewed strategies to manage pupils’ behaviour are having a positive impact. For instance, rates of suspensions have reduced. Pupils develop resilience and self-confidence. They told inspectors that they enjoy breaktimes and opportunities to work together on projects. Pupils’ increasingly positive attitudes to learning mean that lessons typically proceed without disruption.

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Staff support pupils to attend school regularly so that they can benefit from all that the school has to offer. The school closely monitors pupils whose attendance is a concern.

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The school places a high focus on pupils’ wider development. Pupils learn how to make healthy and safe choices when selecting recreational activities at school and at home. They also benefit from the support that they receive to develop a greater understanding of different types of families and communities that may vary from their own.

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The school makes sure that staff are not overwhelmed by the many changes that have been, and still are being, implemented. The trust provides effective additional support to enhance the school’s work to improve the quality of education that pupils receive.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 12 and 13 March 2024

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school does not make sure that pupils secure important knowledge before moving onto new learning. This hinders how well pupils learn in many subjects. The school should ensure that, in these subjects, gaps in pupils’ knowledge are identified and addressed in a timely manner so that they are well prepared for their next stages of learning.  The school does not ensure that pupils with SEND consistently receive the most effective support to help them to learn well. Some pupils with SEND do not build up their knowledge as well as they could as a result. The school should ensure that staff are fully equipped to help pupils with SEND to achieve as well as they can.

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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). 12 and 13 March 2024

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 20 and 21 June 2013 under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school has significantly increased the number of pupils on roll since the time of the previous inspection. It has also extended its age range and now takes two- year-old children.  A new principal has been appointed at the school since the time of the last inspection. This appointment followed a period of interim leadership.  A new chair of the board of trustees and CEO have also been appointed.  The school makes use of one registered alternative provider for pupils.

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Information about this inspection

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 educational provision. 12 and 13 March 2024

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 This was the first routine inspection that the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation.  Inspectors spoke with the principal and other leaders in the school. An inspector also spoke with members of the trust including the CEO, and the regional and national directors of education.  An inspector spoke with a representative of the local authority.  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.  An inspector observed pupils reading to a familiar adult.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics, geography,

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languages, and art and design. They spoke with the leaders of these areas of the curriculum. They also visited lessons, looked at examples of pupils’ work, held discussions with teachers and talked with pupils.  Inspectors also spoke with pupils about their learning in other subjects.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour at breaktimes and lunchtimes. They observed pupils’ behaviour as they moved around the school. An inspector also scrutinised leaders’ records of pupils’ behaviour.  An inspector visited the school’s breakfast club.  Inspectors spoke with groups of pupils about their experiences at school.  Inspectors spoke with parents and carers as they brought their children to school.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free- text responses. They also considered responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for staff. There were no responses to the online survey for pupils.

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Inspection team

Claire Cropper, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Amy Burkes Ofsted Inspector 12 and 13 March 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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