Oasis Academy Shirley Park

Inspection of Oasis Academy Shirley Park Shirley Road, Croydon, Surrey CR9 7AL

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Sixth-form provision Good Previous inspection grade Good

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The principals of this school are Saqib Chaudhri and Laura Evry. This school is part of Oasis Community Learning 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), John Barneby, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Caroline Taylor. There are also two regional directors, Anthony Williams (secondary) and Adam Browne (primary), who are responsible for this school and a number of other schools. 1 and 2 October 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

This school has high expectations for all its pupils. This starts in the early years, where children are well prepared for Year 1. It continues through to the sixth form, where students achieve highly and progress successfully to ambitious destinations.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The values of ‘love learning’, ‘care for community’ and ‘build bright futures’ are demonstrated regularly across all phases. The school acknowledges that many pupils and their families face wider challenges in everyday life. It creates a culture of aspiration and shared success. The school is committed to supporting its local community.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are safe and happy here. They appreciate the support that they receive from staff if they have a concern. Pupils work hard and behave well. Those pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported well by the school and treated with respect by their classmates.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Primary pupils can attend many clubs and take part in events such as ‘My Future Career’ day. In the secondary phase, pupils benefit from the ‘Life’ curriculum, where they learn about how to keep themselves safe and healthy. They also participate in projects such as the school’s community hub. In the sixth form, students benefit from academic trips, visits to universities, careers days and summer schools.

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

The school has thought carefully about what pupils of every age should learn, and the order in which they should learn it. In the early years, the school has created a structured curriculum that supports children’s learning and development. In the primary and secondary phases, pupils study a broad curriculum that matches and at times exceeds the ambition of the national curriculum. In the sixth form, the school ensures that students study for the qualifications that they need to support their future career aspirations.

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

The school prioritises reading. In Reception and Year 1, staff help pupils to learn phonics securely. The books that pupils read in class and take home match the sounds they are learning. Pupils who are not keeping up are identified quickly. They receive extra support so that that they too become confident readers.

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

In the secondary phase, the school provides targeted support to those pupils who struggle with reading. High-level vocabulary is taught explicitly to all pupils. For example, Year 8 pupils were able to discuss the use of ‘melodrama’ and ‘juxtaposition’ in ‘Romeo and Juliet’. The ‘tutor reads’ programme ensures that pupils read a wide range of diverse high-quality fiction. Students in the sixth form also have dedicated reading time. This helps them to deepen their understanding of the subjects they are studying.

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

Teachers have strong subject knowledge and explain ideas clearly. In most cases, teachers identify misconceptions swiftly and address these to ensure that pupils are building new knowledge on firm foundations. However, sometimes teachers do not check precisely enough what pupils have learned. This leads to gaps in some pupils’ learning. As 1 and 2 October 2024

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a result, misconceptions sometimes go unchecked and pupils struggle to embed new knowledge.

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The school ensures that the needs of pupils with SEND are identified and that these needs are met in classes across the school. Support for pupils with SEND is well planned. The school works effectively with external agencies to support pupils with SEND where necessary.

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Lessons are calm, focused and purposeful. Staff are well supported in upholding the school’s high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. Positive learning habits start in the early years. Children cooperate, focus on their learning and follow instructions in the well- designed indoor and outdoor environments. Students in the sixth form are mature and reflective.

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Pupils’ rates of attendance were negatively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Attendance is now a high priority for the school. Staff work well with families and a range of external agencies to support pupils who miss school frequently. However, overall absence is not reducing as quickly as the school intends. The number of pupils who are persistently or severely absent from school remains high.

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The school has carefully designed a personal, social and health education curriculum so that it supports pupils’ wider development well. Pupils learn how to stay healthy and to keep themselves safe, both in the community and online. Primary pupils learn to debate sensitive topics. They also learn about personal finance and take part in a banking and finance trip. Secondary pupils are taught about healthy relationships and maintaining positive mental health. They are supported to become ‘citizens of the world’, deepening their understanding of different faiths, cultures and perspectives.

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The school provides a comprehensive careers programme that prepares pupils well for their futures. Pupils complete work experience and receive impartial careers advice. Pupils with SEND are given one-to-one support with college visits and applications. Students in the sixth form receive detailed advice and guidance about their next steps. External trips and visiting speakers provide useful information about different pathways, including apprenticeships and universities.

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Trust leaders and trustees share high ambitions for the pupils. They have a well-informed and accurate understanding of the school. The trust works effectively with the school to realise their shared vision. Staff feel highly valued and appreciate leaders’ commitment to their professional development, workload and well-being. They are proud to work at the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 1 and 2 October 2024

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 At times, pupils’ learning is not checked or assessed carefully enough. As a result, teachers are not fully aware of what some pupils know and can do. This means that teaching sometimes moves on before pupils have fully understood what they are learning. The school should ensure that teaching uses formative assessment systematically to support pupils’ knowledge and understanding.  The school’s work to improve pupils’ attendance has not led to increased attendance, particularly for key groups of pupils. As a result, some of these pupils are missing out on their education. The school should strengthen its efforts to ensure that pupils attend school regularly. In particular, those pupils with the highest rates of absence should be supported to attend school.

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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). 1 and 2 October 2024

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provision

Number of pupils on the school roll 1,709

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form

Principals Laura Evry (lower and middle schools) Saqib Chaudhri (secondary and sixth form) Website www.oasisacademyshirleypark.org

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form

Dates of previous inspection 30 April and 1 May 2019

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Information about this school

 The school is a non-selective all-through academy which includes early years provision and a sixth form.  The school is part of the Oasis Community Learning Trust.  The school has three sites. Children in the early years and pupils in Years 1 to 3 attend the Stroud Green Campus at 47-49 Stroud Green Way, Croydon, CR0 7BE. Pupils in Years 4 to 6 attend the Long Lane Campus at Long Lane, Croydon CR0 7AR. Pupils in Years 7 to 13 attend the Shirley Road Campus at Shirley Road, Croydon CR9 7AL.  The school uses three registered alternative provisions and one unregistered alternative provision. 1 and 2 October 2024

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 The school has a specially resourced provision for primary phase pupils with SEND, which caters specifically for pupils with moderate learning difficulties. There are currently 14 pupils educated in the provision.  The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 13 with information and engagement about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. During a graded inspection, we grade the school for each of our key judgements (quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and management) and for any relevant provision judgement (early years and/or sixth form provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024, will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  During the inspection, inspectors met with the two principals and other senior leaders. Inspectors met with leaders with responsibility for pupils with SEND, behaviour and attendance, early reading and pupils’ wider development, early years, careers and sixth form.  Inspectors met with representatives of the trust, including the CEO.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, history, science and art. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their

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Information about this inspection

learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also discussed the curriculum in some other subjects.  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 the responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for parents, staff and pupils. 1 and 2 October 2024

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Inspection team

Christian Hicks, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Lorraine Slee Ofsted Inspector 1 and 2 October 2024

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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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