Oakfield Park School

Inspection of a school judged outstanding for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Oakfield Park School Barnsley Road, Ackworth, Pontefract, West Yorkshire WF7 7DT

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Outcome

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

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s intention for pupils to ‘develop a voice’ is fully realised. Communication sits at the heart of the curriculum. Staff and pupils use a range of communication strategies consistently well so that pupils’ needs and learning are well understood. The school has high aspirations for pupils’ success in school and beyond. The broad curriculum helps to prepare pupils for their futures.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Learning happens at all times of the day. Pupils are encouraged to be as independent as they can be. At break- and lunchtimes, pupils take part in activities that interest them. Pupils enjoy interacting with others; there are lots of smiles. Their physical needs are well met through provision in outdoor activity areas, short circuit ‘challenges’ with a friend and frequent physiotherapy sessions.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave very well throughout the day because staff know them exceptionally well and give them the support they need to be successful. Pupils know how to ask for help if someone in school, or online, is unkind to them.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has a wide range of ways to involve parents and carers in their child’s learning. Parents and carers who expressed a view were extremely positive about the education and care their child receives.

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

The school has started to revise the curriculum ambition in light of the changing context and needs of the pupils. At the same time, the school has introduced a precise way of 4 and 5 March 2025

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identifying what individual pupils need to learn and practise next. Staff check this regularly and move pupils on as soon as pupils are ready.

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Phonics is now prioritised. The school has ensured that pupils receive high-quality teaching to help them to learn to read. Pupils enjoy the routines of phonics. The school uses effective systems to check what pupils know so that they can give extra support when it is needed. Pupils read books that are well matched to the sounds they know. Many of them read with confidence and enjoyment.

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The work of leaders, with the support of the local authority, to set out a more precise and deeper curriculum ensures pupils achieve well. Those pupils who are able now receive support to sit examinations and achieve formal qualifications. In most subjects, staff help pupils move their learning on at the right pace for them. However, in some subjects, such as mathematics and science, the school has only recently identified the small steps of knowledge pupils will learn and practise. As a result, in these subjects, pupils do not develop their understanding as well as they could.

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Staff support pupils well in managing their behaviour. They use consistent phrases and strategies to help pupils. There is a strong sense of calm in the school. Pupils engage well in their learning. The warm relationships between adults and pupils in lessons continue seamlessly into lunchtimes as midday staff join the team.

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The school has a strong oversight of pupils’ attendance. Leaders understand that illness and the needs of pupils can affect attendance. They work hard to ensure pupils attend school if they possibly can. The school has effective systems to check pupils are safe if they are not in school.

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The wider curriculum helps pupils become successful, independent citizens who can lead happy and fulfilled lives. Planned experiences help pupils develop their confidence and understanding of the world beyond school, including the world of work. Older pupils talk confidently about their employment aspirations. Student councillors play an active part in school life. Sixth-form students take pride in their input into the coffee shop and the tuck shop delivery service.

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All pupils participate in a careers programme from key stage 3 to the sixth form. Objective careers advice is given through the local authority. The school is working hard to overcome barriers in securing suitable careers providers. Students’ destinations are varied and appropriate to individual needs.

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Governors contribute well to the leadership of the school. They celebrate successes, as well as asking the right questions and providing the right support to ensure that the school continues to improve. The school works closely with wider agencies. Leaders check on staff well-being and workload regularly. An ongoing professional development offer has helped most staff feel confident in their roles, and, in many cases, helped them to progress in their career. 4 and 5 March 2025

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The curriculum is not defined precisely enough in some areas, including mathematics, to ensure that pupils on more formal pathways achieve as well as they could. The context and needs of pupils in school has changed over time. The school should continue to raise expectations of what pupils can achieve. They should implement their plans to break down expected knowledge into manageable parts so that pupils achieve well over their time in key stages 3 and 4 and sixth form.

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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 outstanding 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 first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be outstanding for overall effectiveness in October 2019.

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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. 4 and 5 March 2025

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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). 4 and 5 March 2025

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Appropriate authority The governing body

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Website www.oakfieldpark.wakefield.sch.uk

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Dates of previous inspection 8 and 9 October 2019 under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is a community special school that caters for pupils aged 11 to 19 years with severe, complex or profound multiple learning difficulties. All pupils in the school have an education, health and care plan.  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. 4 and 5 March 2025

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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.  Inspectors met with senior leaders, including the headteacher, throughout the inspection. The lead inspector met with representatives from the governing body, including the chair and vice-chair, and also with the local authority school improvement partner for the school.  Inspectors visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning, heard some pupils read and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The views of staff were taken into account by inspectors through discussions during the inspection and review of responses in Ofsted’s online survey. Inspectors reviewed responses parents had made in Ofsted Parent View.

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Inspection team

Kate Rowley, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Tracy Millard Ofsted Inspector 4 and 5 March 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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