Oasis School 21

Inspection of School 21 Pitchford Street, Stratford E15 4RZ

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

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The headteacher of this school is Moray Dickson. This school is part of the Big Education 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), Liz Robinson, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Andrew Thraves. 29 and 30 April 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy attending School 21. Through its broad, balanced and innovative curriculum, the school seeks to ‘empower young people to make a difference’. This starts in the early years, where children learn key knowledge and skills for Year 1. It continues through to the secondary phase, where students typically achieve well and are prepared effectively for the next stage. The school supports pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) effectively so they achieve in line with their peers.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Typically, pupils work hard and behave well. The values of humanity, community, excellence, openness and responsibility are demonstrated regularly across all phases. In particular, many pupils talk positively about the spirit of community in the school. They appreciate the support that they receive from staff if they have a concern. Pupils are happy and safe here.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school provides pupils with opportunities to develop their talents and interests, particularly in the performing arts. For example, all pupils up to Year 9 take part in the annual ‘festival of light’ music concert. Every pupil in Years 5 to 9 engages in the band project and has the opportunity to learn to play an instrument. The school also holds an annual oracy exhibition to promote ‘learning to talk and learning through talk’.

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

The school has developed an ambitious curriculum from Reception to the sixth form that goes beyond what is expected nationally. The school has carefully selected the ‘big ideas’ that pupils should learn across all phases. For example, in mathematics, pupils consider equivalence, proportionality and representation. In science, pupils learn about particle theory, atomic structure and bioenergetics.

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

The school has carefully thought about how important knowledge builds smoothly from the primary to the secondary phase. For example, in geography, pupils used their knowledge from the primary phase to examine confidently case studies relating to Africa and Asia in the older years. The school’s curriculum is not implemented consistently well across all phases and subjects. This means that sometimes pupils struggle to recall the key knowledge they have learned previously. This includes students in the sixth form, where published outcomes are currently not as high as they are for younger pupils.

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

The school prioritises reading. In Reception and Year 1, pupils learn to segment, sound out and blend the words that they read. Over time, pupils read with increasing fluency. Pupils who are not keeping up are identified quickly and receive extra support so they become more confident readers. Support for pupils at the early stages of reading is less well developed in the secondary phase. The school is working to develop more positive attitudes to reading among older pupils.

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

The school checks regularly that pupils remember the key content they have been taught. In class, teachers demonstrate strong subject knowledge and present new information clearly, including in the sixth form. This work is enhanced by a full professional 29 and 30 April 2025

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development programme, which staff value highly. However, the school’s work to assess and provide feedback on what pupils know is not sometimes fully effective. This limits how precisely the school identifies and addresses gaps and misconceptions in pupils’ learning.

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The school ensures that the needs of pupils with SEND are identified and met in classes across the school. Support for pupils with SEND is well considered, and the school works effectively with external agencies. Lessons are calm and purposeful. Positive learning habits start in the early years, where children learn to share, listen and be kind. Students in the sixth form are mature and reflective. The school continues to prioritise attendance. It builds strong professional relationships with families to help pupils attend regularly.

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There is a carefully thought-out coaching programme for personal, social and health education. This helps pupils learn important life skills in an age-appropriate way. From a very early age, pupils learn how to stay safe and healthy. Pupils also explicitly learn oracy. They debate Socratic questions and philosophical problems. Discussion and inquiry are part of everyday school life.

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The school has developed a broad careers programme that prepares pupils for the next stage in their education, employment or training. In the primary phase, pupils benefit from trips, science week and external visitors. Pupils in the secondary phase take part in careers fairs, university and employer visits and subject masterclasses. Students in the sixth form attend university fairs and engage with successful professionals in different areas of work.

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Many staff, pupils and parents and carers commented positively about the recent changes and improvements in the school. Staff enjoy working at the school. They feel valued by leaders and appreciate the support they receive for their workload and well-being. Governors and trustees have a much sharper understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for development than they did previously.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 There is some variability across the school in the way the ambitious curriculum is implemented. The school’s preferred approach to teaching is not utilised consistently well across all phases and subjects. This limits the embedding of key knowledge and vocabulary specified in the curriculum into pupils’ long-term memory. The school must ensure that all staff have the knowledge, skills and understanding to implement the curriculum so that pupils deepen their knowledge and understanding consistently well.  Sometimes, the school does not use pupils’ assessment information effectively to check 29 and 30 April 2025

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where pupils have gaps or misconceptions in their knowledge. This means that teaching does not provide effective feedback about how pupils can progress more successfully in their learning. As a result, these gaps and misconceptions in pupils’ learning persist, and they cannot integrate new knowledge into larger ideas. The school must ensure that assessment systems are utilised effectively to support and enable pupils’ progression through the curriculum.

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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). 29 and 30 April 2025

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provision

Number of pupils on the school roll 1,103

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form

Dates of previous inspection 13 and 14 March 2023, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Big Education Trust.  The school offers a breakfast club.  The school does not currently use any alternative provision.  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.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 29 and 30 April 2025

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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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 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.  During the inspection, inspectors met with the headteacher, members of the school senior leadership team, a selection of subject leaders, teachers and support staff.  Inspectors met with representatives of the trust, including the CEO, trustees and the chair of the local school board.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, science, geography and physical education. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also discussed the curriculum in some other subjects.

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 To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, 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 considered the responses to Ofsted’s online survey for parents and carers, Ofsted Parent View, and surveys for staff and pupils.

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Inspection team

Christian Hicks, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Rekha Bhakoo Ofsted Inspector 29 and 30 April 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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