a school not in a category of concern of Oakfield Academy

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T 0300 123 1231 www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.1

Michelle Parsons Executive Headteacher Oakfield Academy Oakfield Road Frome Somerset BA11 4JF

p.1

Academy

This letter sets out the findings from the monitoring inspection that took place on 4 June 2025 on behalf of His Majesty's Chief Inspector of Education, Children's Services and Skills. The monitoring inspection was carried out under section 8(2) of the Education Act 2005 and took place because the school meets the monitoring threshold as set out in the Monitoring Inspection Handbook .

p.1

Academy

The purpose of a monitoring inspection is not to grade the school's key and (where applicable) provision judgements, but to identify and report on the school's progress. It is to highlight to the school and parents any improvements that school leaders have made since the school's previous graded inspection.

p.1

Academy

During the inspection, I discussed with you, other senior leaders, the chief executive officer (CEO) of the trust, other school staff, trust executive staff and governors the actions that have been taken to improve the school since the most recent graded inspection. We discussed the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. I also carried out visits to lessons, looked at samples of pupils’ work, met with groups of pupils and scrutinised the school’s action plans. I have considered all this in coming to my judgement.

p.1

Main findings

Since the previous inspection in January 2024, the school has joined the Midsomer Norton Schools Partnership trust. The previous headteacher left in April 2025. You joined as executive headteacher in April 2025 with a head of school also being appointed at the same time. 2024 outcomes in the key stage 2 national curriculum tests showed an improvement in pupils’ achievement, albeit from a low base. However, the majority of pupils still did not achieve the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics.

p.2

Main findings

Despite your tenure being in its early stages, you, along with the head of school have quickly grasped what is working well in the school and what still needs to improve. There have been significant changes to the curriculum, particularly at key stage 3. The school has drawn on the trust’s expertise to ensure that pupils learn an ambitious and well- sequenced curriculum in Years 7 and 8. This is helping pupils to learn well. However, there is still more work to do to ensure that pupils in key stage 2 learn a well-designed and ambitious curriculum for English.

p.2

Main findings

The school has overhauled its approach to supporting pupils who have fallen behind in their reading. It now conducts thorough checks on gaps in pupils’ knowledge. This means the school can target precise support for pupils to help them to catch up. Staff have benefited from training to deliver this support effectively. This includes the use of external support from an English hub. Pupils are now beginning to catch up quicker and this is also helping them to access more of their learning in the wider curriculum. The numbers of pupils requiring this additional support for reading is reducing. However, because of the historical deficiencies in the school’s curriculum, there are still a significant minority of pupils who struggle to read in line with the expectations for their age.

p.2

Main findings

The school has started to implement agreed teaching approaches for lessons, although this has not been fully rolled out to all teachers. It has provided training for staff to help understand the school’s expectations for these. This is starting to help raise the standards of teaching in the school. Teachers are starting to expect more of pupils. However, inconsistencies remain. In some lessons, teachers do not check pupils’ understanding of what they have learned well enough. This means that pupils do not receive work that is well-matched to their needs. When this happens, pupils do not learn as much as they could. Furthermore, the school’s expectations of presentation and handwriting are variable. This leads to some pupils’ work being below their best.

p.2

Main findings

The school has improved its systems for holding middle leaders and teachers to account for pupils’ progress. This improving oversight means that dips in pupils’ progress are identified swiftly, and measures taken to address them.

p.2

Main findings

The school has improved pupils’ behaviour. You are aware that pupils did not always engage well in their lessons. Clearer behaviour systems, as well as stronger curriculum implementation, means that more pupils are engaged for more of the time. Lessons are calm and purposeful. However, you are clear that you wish to improve how the school meets the needs of pupils with more complex needs, including those with special educational needs and or disabilities. The trust has provided substantial and highly effective support for the school, both before and after the school’s transition into it. It has provided expertise in both curriculum development and in the checks that the school makes on its improvement work. This ensures that improvements continue at pace. This has accelerated more recently due to the strengthened leadership team. The school’s plans for improvements show that the right decisions are being taken at the right time. Governors hold the school to account

p.2

Main findings

well. Their checks on the school’s work help them to have an informed and accurate view of the school.

p.3

Main findings

I am copying this letter to the chair of the board of trustees and the CEO of the Midsomer Norton Schools Partnership trust, the Department for Education's regional director and the director of children's services for Somerset. This letter will be published on the Ofsted reports website.

p.3