Oakfield First School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Oakfield First School Imperial Road, Windsor, Berkshire SL4 3RU

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Outcome

Oakfield First School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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Outcome

The headteacher of this school is Howard Seymour. The school is part of Windsor Learning Partnership 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), Gavin Henderson, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by David Oliver.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils thrive at this happy, nurturing school. They know the school’s values of respect, responsibility and resilience and they try their best to model them. Pupils enthusiastically take part in many sporting activities, such as skipping, hockey and netball. Disadvantaged pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), flourish and build the confidence they need.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy the leadership responsibilities on offer at school, such as being librarians and school councillors. They understand how to keep themselves physically healthy, as well as to recognise risks to their well-being, for example online harms. The school’s extra- curricular clubs include music, the arts, gardening and sports. The school also offers drama performance activities, which help pupils to speak, sing and communicate with confidence.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ behaviour is excellent. From the beginning of breakfast club to the end of the school day, staff manage pupils’ behaviour well. Pupils are kind, polite and well mannered. Staff have high expectations for what pupils can achieve. Pupils’ outcomes are strongest in those subjects where the school has carefully chosen the key knowledge and skills that it wants pupils to know and remember. By the end of Year 4, pupils are prepared for their next stage of education and life. 7 and 8 January 2025

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

From the start of Reception Year, phonics and early reading are taught effectively. Staff model sounds accurately and check pupils’ understanding systematically. If any pupils fall behind in reading, they receive the help that they need to catch up to their peers quickly. Children make a strong start with learning to read in the early years and build on their knowledge and understanding well. Pupils with SEND have their needs identified quickly. Where necessary, the staff adapt the curriculum for pupils with SEND successfully. The school works closely with external specialists such as speech and language advisers to ensure that pupils’ needs are met. By the end of Year 4, pupils can read, write and use mathematical knowledge well.

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

Subjects such as mathematics and history are well developed, with clear sequences of lessons. Pupils develop key knowledge from these lessons strongly. In most subjects, staff have identified the precise knowledge and skills that they want pupils to learn. However, the school is still developing this in some subjects within the wider curriculum. Where subjects are not implemented as effectively, staff do not consistently have the subject knowledge that they need, and activity choices do not give pupils the opportunity to strengthen their understanding as effectively. As a result, pupils’ learning across the full curriculum is not as strong as it could be.

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

Staff have high expectations for pupils’ behaviour. Pupils learn and follow clear routines from the start of early years. They respond quickly to instructions from staff. They are polite and show genuine care towards each other throughout the school day. Any behaviour incidents are dealt with quickly and effectively. Pupils attend school regularly. The school analyses attendance information thoroughly. The school has started to work more closely with families to improve attendance further and it provides support where necessary.

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

The school develops pupils’ character well. Pupils benefit from educational visits to places such as local farms and a history museum, which links to the curriculum successfully. Pupils are helped to be responsible and active citizens. They are taught about respectful behaviour in the community and about life skills, including how to stay safe when crossing the road.

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

Staff and pupils have very positive relationships. Pupils learn about mental health appropriately. They speak confidently about this. For example, one group of pupils shared what they had learned about the human brain, describing the hippocampus area as ‘a place to keep your memories’. If pupils feel emotionally vulnerable, they quickly receive the help that they need. Pupils learn about British values. They enjoy learning about respect and tolerance through assemblies as well as taking part in democratic processes, such as electing pupil representatives. This helps to prepare them for their next stage of education.

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

Governors and trustees support the school effectively. They know the school’s strengths and act quickly to resolve any potential risks to the school’s quality of education. The newly appointed leadership team is dedicated and has a clear vision for the school. 7 and 8 January 2025

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Leaders take decisions that are in the best interests of children. Many parents and carers appreciate the excellent work and dedication of the staff. One parent summarised the thoughts of others, saying, ‘Oakfield is a caring school with highly committed staff. It has been like a family to us.’

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some foundation subjects, the school has not identified the precise knowledge and vocabulary that it wants pupils to learn. This leads to some pupils having gaps in their knowledge. The school should ensure that all subject curriculums clearly state the knowledge and skills that pupils must know to reach their ambitious end points.  In some subjects, staff do not consistently have the subject knowledge that they need to deliver the curriculum effectively. Some activity choices do not give pupils the opportunity to embed their learning securely. As a result, a small proportion of pupils do not achieve as highly as they could. The school should ensure that staff have the knowledge they need to deliver the school’s curriculum in all subject areas using appropriate activities for pupils to secure their learning.

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Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted’s website. From September 2024, graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade. This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

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Background

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school’s work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the predecessor school, Oakfield First School, to be good for overall effectiveness in October 2014. 7 and 8 January 2025

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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). 7 and 8 January 2025

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Oakfield First School joined the Windsor Learning Partnership Trust in October 2021. When its predecessor school, Oakfield First School, was last inspected by Ofsted it was judged to be good for overall effectiveness.  The school does not use any alternative provision.

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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.  The inspectors met with the headteacher and other senior staff.  The inspectors met with the CEO and other trust officers as well as the chair and members of the local governing body. 7 and 8 January 2025

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 Inspectors visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  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.  Inspectors spoke with several groups of pupils and observed their behaviour at breaktime and lunchtime.  Inspectors met with groups of staff.  Inspectors took account of the views expressed by parents and carers through Ofsted Parent View.

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Inspection team

Carl McCarthy, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 7 and 8 January 2025

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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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