Beckfoot Oakbank

Inspection of Beckfoot Oakbank Oakworth Road, Keighley, West Yorkshire BD22 7DU

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Inspection dates: 21 and 22 January 2025

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The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Inadequate Personal development Requires improvement Leadership and management Inadequate Sixth-form provision Good Previous inspection grade Inadequate

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The headteacher of this school is Liz Hart. This school is part of Beckfoot 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), Shirley Watson, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by John Winkley. There is also an executive headteacher, Andrew Burton, who is responsible for this school. 21 and 22 January 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ behaviour is poor during social times and on corridors. Too many pupils miss important learning as they opt out of lessons and wander around the building. The school has introduced recent strategies to address this, but these are not currently having the desired impact. A significant minority of pupils do not treat staff or peers with respect. These incidents are not consistently addressed by staff. As a result, pupils say they feel less safe during these times.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most pupils have an adult they can speak with if they have concerns. When bullying occurs, the school takes appropriate action to address it.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has improved the quality of education that pupils receive. Pupils focus on their learning in class. Pupils recognise these improvements. The school has increased the ambition of the curriculum that pupils follow. More pupils study a full range of academic subjects than at the time of the last full inspection. Pupils say that some changes have helped them to get more out of lessons. However, pupils do not achieve well. Published GCSE outcomes in 2024 were poor, particularly for pupils with low attendance. There is still more to do to ensure that pupils in Years 7 to 11 are well prepared for the next stages of their education.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Students in the sixth form enjoy their experience. They progress well from their starting points. They have clear aspirations for their future careers.

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

The school has made positive changes to the curriculum since the last full inspection. The school has identified the key knowledge that pupils should remember. Adults demonstrate how pupils should approach independent tasks. This helps pupils understand how to respond to the tasks set. The school checks what pupils have remembered. However, misconceptions are sometimes not addressed. This is particularly the case for the significant proportion of pupils who have missed learning over time and have gaps in their knowledge.

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

The school has developed and embedded a consistent structure to lessons, known as the ‘Oakbank Way’. The school identifies key features of the lesson, known as ‘active ingredients’. This ensures that pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), experience a consistent approach throughout the day. However, sometimes, the support identified on pupils’ individual plans is not provided. This means that pupils with SEND do not achieve as well as they should.

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

A significant minority of pupils do not meet the school’s expectations of behaviour. Too many pupils spend vital lesson time out of class and wandering in corridors. This disrupts learning. The school has made recent changes to its behaviour management approach. However, this strategy is not having a positive impact on behaviour outside the classroom and at unstructured times. The changes have not been implemented fast enough. Recent 21 and 22 January 2025

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changes are still to be evaluated by the school. Therefore, weaknesses have remained unresolved.

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Pupils read a range of interesting books. This is helping pupils develop an enjoyment of reading. The school identifies pupils who are at the early stages of learning to read. Those who need extra support receive this from trained adults. Support such as phonics teaching is helping pupils develop their reading fluency.

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Students in sixth form have a positive experience. They benefit from a well-designed curriculum and progress well. Students can recall and apply their learning over time. Students benefit from the positive relationships they have with adults in the school. They value the care they receive. This helps students feel supported during their time in sixth form.

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The school’s work to improve pupils’ attendance is having limited impact. Too many pupils have high levels of absence. They miss out on valuable learning opportunities. Those with SEND or who are disadvantaged are more likely to be absent from school than their peers. There is an improvement in attendance for some of those who are persistently absent from school.

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The curriculum extends beyond the academic. However, some pupils lack understanding about different faiths and cultures. They do not understand important concepts such as the protected characteristics. This limits pupils’ ability to empathise with others. The school supports pupils to develop their leadership skills. Students in the sixth form help pupils in younger classes. Pupils in Years 7 to 11 take on roles in the school council, such as supporting charities. These experiences help pupils develop a sense of responsibility.

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The school develops pupils’ understanding of different careers. Pupils enjoy visits from different speakers who talk about their work. This helps pupils understand the job opportunities they might pursue in the future. Students in the sixth form benefit from the guidance they receive. They understand the different options available to them when they leave school.

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The school and those responsible for governance have not acted decisively enough to tackle weaknesses in pupils’ behaviour outside of the classroom or to encourage pupils to attend school well. However, trustees have provided some effective challenge, particularly around the quality of education. They have added capacity to the leadership of the school. This has had some positive impact. Many staff recognise that their workload and well-being matter. They say they are valued by leaders.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 21 and 22 January 2025

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school has not successfully embedded changes to behaviour systems. This means that the behaviour of pupils during unstructured times has not been challenged sufficiently over time and remains a concern. The school must carefully embed, monitor and evaluate changes so that it is clear about which aspects are improving and which need increased focus.  Pupils’ behaviour during unstructured times, and on the corridor when they opt out of lessons, is poor. This disrupts pupils’ learning and makes others feel less safe in school. The school must ensure that the behaviour policy is applied consistently and understood by all members of the school community.  Some pupils do not attend school often enough, especially those with SEND or those in receipt of the pupil premium. This means that these pupils develop gaps in their knowledge and do not achieve as well as they should. The school must intensify its

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

actions to improve attendance by working with external agencies and parents and carers.  The school does not address gaps in pupils’ knowledge, especially if they have missed lessons. This means pupils do not achieve as well as they should. Leaders should develop systems to check pupils’ understanding of their learning and ensure that gaps in knowledge are closed.  There are inconsistencies in how well the needs of pupils with SEND are met. These pupils do not get the help they need in some lessons. The school should ensure that support for pupils with SEND is accurately identified and consistently provided by all staff.  The school’s work to promote respect for others and awareness of difference is not sufficiently developed. Some pupils do not show respect for others. The school should ensure that pupils understand the importance of respect and tolerance as part of their preparation for life in modern Britain.

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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. 21 and 22 January 2025

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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). 21 and 22 January 2025

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provision

Number of pupils on the school roll 1,517

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form

Date of previous inspection 16 July 2024, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This school is part of the Beckfoot multi-academy trust.  The headteacher of the school was not available during the inspection.  The school has recently appointed an executive headteacher and temporary head of school.  The school uses alternative provision for some pupils; one is registered and three are unregistered.  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. 21 and 22 January 2025

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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

In accordance with section 44(2) of the Education Act 2005, His Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires significant improvement, because it is performing significantly less well than it might in all the circumstances reasonably be expected to perform.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the CEO, executive headteacher and head of school during the inspection. They also met with other members of the senior leadership team.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, history, modern foreign languages, mathematics and physical education. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  An inspector met with leaders of the sixth form.  Inspectors reviewed a range of school documents, including the school’s self-evaluation and improvement plans.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single

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Information about this inspection

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 views of parents through the responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire for parents, Ofsted Parent View.  Inspectors considered the views of staff and pupils through meetings held with them and through their responses to Ofsted’s online survey.

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Inspection team

Andrew Gibbins, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Pali Dhesi Ofsted Inspector 21 and 22 January 2025

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Liz Cresswell Ofsted Inspector 21 and 22 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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