Oakfield Primary and Moderate Learning Difficulties Resource Provision

Inspection of Oakfield Primary and Moderate Learning Difficulties Resource Provision St Mary’s Road, Hyde, Cheshire SK14 4EZ

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Inspection dates: 14 and 15 January 2025

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

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The headteacher of this school is Joanne Taylor. This school is part of Enquire 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), Darren Holmes, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Delyse Turrell. 14 and 15 January 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and safe at Oakfield Primary and Moderate Learning Difficulties Resource Base. They know that staff care deeply about their well-being. Pupils enjoy attending each day because of the warm relationships that exist across school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has an ambitious vision for pupils’ education. However, this is not lived out in pupils’ day-to-day experiences of the curriculum. Pupils gain the English and mathematics knowledge that they need to start their next stage of learning with confidence. However, the quality of the curriculum in most other subjects is not good enough. Where this is the case, pupils do not learn well and find it hard to remember enough of their learning over time.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The majority of pupils behave well. Incidents of poor behaviour sometimes occur but are dealt with swiftly by staff, so there is minimal impact on pupils’ learning. Pupils say that bullying is rare. They have faith in the systems in place to share any concerns they may have with staff.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Many parents and carers feel there have been recent positive changes to the communication that they receive from the school, including information about their child’s learning.

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

Children get off to a strong start in the early years. The curriculum is carefully designed to give children the essential knowledge that they need, while following their interests. Staff support children’s language development well. Effective professional development has led to staff being confident to guide children’s learning and know when to take a step back and encourage independence.

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

In key stages 1 and 2, the curriculum in too many subjects does not help pupils to learn the essential knowledge that they need to deepen their understanding. This is because the school has not identified the most important knowledge that it wants pupils to know and remember. Moreover, staff lack the secure subject knowledge needed to teach the curriculum well. Some of the learning activities that pupils are asked to complete do not help them to learn the intended outcomes. Consequently, pupils have gaps in their knowledge and find it hard to remember enough of their learning over time.

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

The school has a high number of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). It appropriately identifies pupils’ additional needs and shares these with parents. However, at times, this information is not used effectively enough by staff to make learning clear and meaningful. When this happens, these pupils find it difficult to connect new learning to what they already know.

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

The school prioritises reading. Pupils learn to read well. Staff have a secure understanding of the school’s approach to phonics. In the Nursery Year, children gain the skills that they need to begin the phonics programme at the very start of the Reception Year with gusto. 14 and 15 January 2025

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Staff skilfully spot pupils who find reading difficult. These pupils receive the additional help that they need to make improvements and become confident readers.

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Pupils hold a range of roles of responsibility. They relish these roles and fulfil them to the best of their ability. Pupils show genuine care towards others. This makes the school a friendly and welcoming place. There is an expectation that older pupils take care of younger pupils and act as role models. For example, older pupils make sure that lunchtimes run smoothly and guide younger pupils back to their classrooms. Pupils have a strong understanding about what makes people different, including race and religion. They fiercely believe that everyone deserves to be treated with respect and have the confidence to stand up for what they think is right.

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Pupils are kind and courteous. Those who find it more difficult to meet the school’s high expectations for behaviour receive the support that they need to improve. This includes receiving help from a range of external agencies that the school works closely with. The school monitors pupils’ attendance regularly. They provide well-placed support to families who need it.

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Staff say that the school prioritises their well-being and workload. They consider the school to be a caring place to work. Many staff are new to the school. The trust is helping the school to stabilise staffing after the many recent changes. It provides effective support for professional development. The trust has robust plans in place to strengthen the implementation of the curriculum so that pupils receive high-quality learning across all subjects that are on offer.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school has not identified the most important knowledge that pupils need to know and remember across the wider curriculum. Pupils do not deepen their understanding as well as they could. The school should set out the key knowledge in all wider curriculum subjects so it is clear what pupils need to know and remember.  The school has not ensured that staff have the subject knowledge that they need to teach the wider curriculum well enough. For some pupils, learning is not broken down into clear meaningful steps. Too many pupils, including those with SEND, do not learn as well as they could and find it hard to remember their learning. The school should make sure that staff have the knowledge and skills to deliver the curriculum in line with leaders’ expectations.  The school’s curriculum is not designed well enough so that pupils’ learning activities help them to learn the intended learning outcomes. Where this is the case, pupils do

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not build new knowledge securely. The school should improve how it makes checks to ensure that the curriculum delivery meets its expectations.

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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). 14 and 15 January 2025

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School details

Date of previous inspection 12 February 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The executive headteacher joined the school in January 2025. The head of school also started her position in January 2025.  Many of the class teachers have joined the school within the last year.  There is an on-site before- and after-school club that is run by the school.  The school does not make use of any alternative provision.  The specially resourced provision for pupils with SEND provides for 16 pupils aged three to 11 years with moderate learning difficulties. The local authority is currently funding temporary additional provision for seven pupils who are in the early years and key stage 1.

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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 14 and 15 January 2025

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(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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 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. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The lead inspector held meetings with the CEO, the school improvement lead, the executive headteacher, the head of school and other members of the senior leadership team. She met with leaders who are responsible for attendance, behaviour and pupils’ personal development.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and history. They met with subject leaders and with teachers. Inspectors visited lessons, looked at examples of pupils’ work and talked with groups of pupils about their learning.  The lead inspector observed pupils from Years 1 to 3 read to a familiar adult.

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 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.  The lead inspector met with the chair of the trust board.  Inspectors spoke with staff about their workload and well-being. They also took account of the responses to Ofsted’s online survey for staff.  Inspectors looked at a range of policies and documentation relating to pupils’ welfare and education. They observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons and around school.  Inspectors met with parents at the start of the school day. They took account of the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments.  Inspectors spoke with groups of pupils about their experiences at school. There were

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no responses to Ofsted’s pupil survey to consider.

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Inspection team

Jane Dennis, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector Elliot Costas-Walker Ofsted Inspector 14 and 15 January 2025

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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 looked-after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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