Oakhill Primary School

Inspection of Oakhill Primary School Alders Avenue, Woodford Green, Essex IG8 9PY

p.1

Inspection dates: 26 and 27 November 2024

p.1

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

p.1

Until November 2020, the school was exempt from routine inspection because it was judged as outstanding for overall effectiveness at its previous inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The school has not been inspected under section 5 of the Act since October 2013. Since September 2024, schools have not been awarded an overall effectiveness grade. 26 and 27 November 2024

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s vision of ‘enriching lives, unleashing possibilities and building futures’ is fully realised. Oakhill Primary School may be small, but it has a big school mindset. Pupils benefit from a curriculum that is highly developed, exciting and engaging. Pupils thrive, enjoy their learning, and attend very well. They feel very safe and behave extremely well, demonstrating strong resilience and commitment to their learning. As a result, pupils achieve very highly. Children in Reception also achieve very well.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ personal development is of exceptional quality. By Year 6, pupils are confident, mature individuals who are curious, knowledgeable and well-equipped to function effectively in society. Pupils take on significant leadership roles such as prefects, play leaders, eco-warriors and lunch leaders. They enjoy attending very well-considered trips and residential visits, using their experiences to enrich their learning. This contributes to the high quality of work and the development of strong evaluative skills. Pupils also attend a very wide range of clubs, including football, badminton, drama, and board games. The choir rehearse songs with great passion and accuracy. Pupils in the dance club demonstrate high levels of commitment and enthusiasm.

p.2

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

The curriculum is highly ambitious and personalised, meeting the needs of pupils. The school has ensured the key knowledge is identified and carefully sequenced in a logical order. Children in early years settle very quickly into their learning routines and get off to a rapid start. In art activities, children learn ‘all about me’ drawing self-portraits with increasing accuracy while holding pencils with precise technique. The art and design curriculum continues with practical skills being developed over time. In Year 3, pupils paint and apply their brush strokes effectively to capture the tone and shade of their sky paintings.

p.2

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

Subjects are delivered skilfully. Teachers benefit from the support of specialist subject experts who are passionate about their work. They develop the curriculum and enhance teachers’ subject knowledge very well. Teachers deliver learning through carefully chosen activities, presenting information very clearly and revisiting prior knowledge. In Year 5 physical education, pupils learn different types of passes and how to control the hockey stick with greater accuracy. Pupils demonstrate strong knowledge and practical applications of these skills by linking them to different team sports and play situations.

p.2

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

The teaching of reading is highly prioritised within the school. Children in Reception learn to blend sounds so they can recognise words more easily. Through Years 1 and 2, pupils continue to benefit from a skilful approach to the teaching of phonics. Any pupils who have fallen behind receive targeted support, which helps them to catch up quickly. They become more confident and increase their fluency in reading. Pupils enjoy reading across the school. Older pupils talk about their reading and understand the characters and the plot of the story. 26 and 27 November 2024

p.2

3

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) achieve very well. This is because the school identifies their needs accurately and relentlessly ensures that these needs are met. The staff ensure that any necessary adaptations to teaching are capably implemented.

p.3

3

Starting in the nurturing early years environment, behaviour is exceptional. Children in Reception settle very quickly into routines and take turns when using equipment. They cooperate very well with each other. The school has created a very strong culture where all pupils and staff are important. There are very high expectations of what pupils are required to do. They rise to these expectations. Pupils demonstrate a hunger to learn. They are resilient and confident to use their mistakes to help them improve. Bullying is very rare. Pupils know who they can talk to, and the school takes very swift action to resolve any issues.

p.3

3

The personal, social, health and economic programme is very well sequenced, enabling pupils to acquire a vast range of knowledge. This includes how to keep safe and mentally alert. They understand how to contribute to society. Year 6 pupils talk about the use of bank accounts and credit or debit cards. Pupils proudly represent the school. Their high- quality artwork is proudly displayed. Pupils visit many places, including museums, places of worship and art venues. Visiting authors and other guests enrich pupils’ knowledge and understanding of society.

p.3

3

Leaders, including the governing body, work exceptionally well with the Opossum Federation. The school collaborates well with other primary schools. Staff are highly appreciative of the significant reduction in workload this brings. Staff welcome the many professional development opportunities that enable them to advance their role, knowledge and skills. The school works very well with the community. Parents and carers are highly appreciative and supportive of the school, including the quality of provision for pupils with SEND.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

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.

p.3

How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school. 26 and 27 November 2024

p.3

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

p.4

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). 26 and 27 November 2024

p.4

School details

Local authority London Borough of Waltham Forest

p.5

School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

p.5

School details

Chair of governing body Debbie Strowbridge

p.5

School details

Headteacher Lisa McIntyre (executive headteacher) Liz Brandon (head of school) Prue Barnes-Kemp (CEO) Website www.oakhillschool.org.uk

p.5

School details

Dates of previous inspection 15 and 16 October 2013, under Section 5 of the Education Act 2005

p.5

Information about this school

 This school is part of the Opossum Federation, which consists of three other local primary schools. These schools share a governing body and an executive headteacher. The federation is overseen by a chief executive officer.  The school runs its own breakfast and after-school club.  The school currently uses no alternative provision.

p.5

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. 26 and 27 November 2024

p.5

6

 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.  The inspectors spoke to the members of the leadership team, including the executive headteacher, the head of school and members of the senior leadership team. The lead inspector held meetings with the CEO and governors.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in art and design, early reading, geography, and mathematics. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed 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 inspectors also discussed the curriculum in some other subjects.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single

p.6

6

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 the staff survey and spoke to a range of staff about their views of the school.  Inspectors took account of responses to Ofsted Parent View questionnaire and the free- text responses.  The inspectors spoke with groups of pupils during lessons and social times.

p.6

Inspection team

Ray Lau, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

p.6

Inspection team

Sara Morgan Ofsted Inspector 26 and 27 November 2024

p.6

7

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.

p.7

7

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.7

7

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open- government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

7

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

7

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7