Oasis Academy Watermead

Inspection of Oasis Academy Watermead Barrie Crescent, Sheffield, South Yorkshire S5 8RJ

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

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The executive principal of this school is Nichola Smith. This school is part of Oasis Community Learning, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), John Barneby, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Caroline Taylor.

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Until November 2020, the school was exempt from routine inspection because it was judged as outstanding for overall effectiveness at its previous inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The school has not been inspected under section 5 of the Act since July 2017. The school received an ungraded inspection under section 8 of the Act on 19 and 20 September 2023. Since September 2024, schools have not been awarded an overall effectiveness grade. 3 and 4 June 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to this school. Several join at different times of the year. Established pupils help those new to the school to find their way around the large site and to make friends. Pupils settle into the school’s routines quickly. Staff know pupils and their families well. They work with parents and carers to support them in their child’s education. Pupils trust staff to help them if they have a worry or concern.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most pupils behave well. They are polite and courteous to visitors and adults. Pupils use the ‘Oasis nine habits’ to inform their conduct. They recognise how these habits help them to develop as a person. Pupils demonstrate a mature and responsible attitude in class and around school. This contributes to a calm and purposeful learning environment.

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What is it like to attend this school?

In recent years, the school has undergone a significant period of change. This includes an increase in the number of pupils on roll and its leadership and staffing. The school has high ambitions for its pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). This is seen particularly in pupils’ work and the confidence they demonstrate in their learning. The improvements made to the school’s curriculum are not, at this stage, reflected in published outcomes.

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

The school has implemented the trust’s curriculum across all year groups. It has identified the important knowledge and skills that pupils must learn. Where appropriate, it has adapted the curriculum to enable pupils to make connections in their learning to their own experiences and the area in which they live.

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

The school, in partnership with the trust, provides staff with regular, high-quality training. This allows staff to teach the curriculum with confidence. Teachers demonstrate strong subject knowledge. They explain tasks clearly. They anticipate and address pupils’ misconceptions quickly. Current pupils benefit from this practice which has become increasingly established.

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

Pupils with SEND are very well supported. Staff have a clear understanding of pupils’ learning and development needs. They use this knowledge to adapt pupils’ learning appropriately. As a consequence, most pupils successfully access the curriculum.

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

Children in the early years get off to a very strong start. Caring staff have established positive relationships with children. This supports children to explore new concepts and share ideas through purposeful activities. Staff skilfully support children to communicate their thoughts and ideas. Staff understand how activities help children to build upon their learning. Children are well prepared for the demands of the key stage 1 curriculum.

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

The school has implemented a consistent approach to the teaching of phonics. Children in Nursery learn to discriminate between different sounds. They enjoy learning nursery rhymes and songs. As children move into Reception and progress to key stage 1, they build their phonics knowledge. Pupils segment and blend words with increasing accuracy. 3 and 4 June 2025

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They read books that match their stage in phonics. Teachers regularly check that pupils have confidently grasped new sounds. Pupils receive appropriate and timely support to enable them to keep up with their peers. The school’s approach to teach pupils how to use and apply their phonics and spelling knowledge when reading and writing is not consistently applied. The school has rightly identified this as an area to develop. Pupils enjoy selecting books from the class book corner and school library. They read a range of age-appropriate texts.

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Pupils across the school use tablet computers with confidence. They conduct research and record their work clearly. Through this integrated use of technology, pupils demonstrate a mature approach to their studies. They develop an awareness of their digital footprint and understand how to keep safe online.

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The school has ensured that pupils regularly learn about different faiths. Pupils enjoy finding out about what it is like to live in other countries. They recognise that this helps to develop tolerance and respect for others. Pupils are aware of the dangers of smoking and vaping and the impact this can have on our health.

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At the beginning of the academic year, the school introduced a robust approach to improving attendance and punctuality. Clear oversight and newly established processes to support families have resulted in a slight reduction in pupils’ absence. Despite this, some pupils do not attend school regularly enough. Some pupils do not arrive at school on time. The school is resolute in its ambition to consistently achieve high rates of attendance.

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The trust, and those with responsibility for governance, maintain clear and close oversight of the school to ensure that actions taken to improve it are having the intended impact on pupils’ learning. Staff feel well supported in their roles. They value the ways in which the school and trust support their workload and well-being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school’s approach to teaching spelling and develop pupils’ vocabulary is not consistently applied. Sometimes, staff do not enable pupils to use and apply their phonics and spelling knowledge as well as they might. The school should ensure that strategies used to support pupils’ spelling and vocabulary development are taught consistently well.  Some pupils do not attend school regularly or on time. They miss important opportunities to learn. The school should continue to work with parents to support pupils to attend school regularly and arrive punctually. 3 and 4 June 2025

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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). 3 and 4 June 2025

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School details

Principal Nichola Smith (Executive principal)

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 19 and 20 September 2023, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The executive principal is responsible for this school and Oasis Academy Don Valley.  The school has an interim principal. They started in this role in September 2024.  The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) also started in post in September 2024.  The school manages its own breakfast club.  The school does not currently use any alternative provision.

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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 3 and 4 June 2025

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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 evaluations of the school.  Inspectors spoke to the executive principal, interim principal, SENCo, subject leaders and directors from the trust.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, geography and art and design. 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.  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

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safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The lead inspector met with representatives from the trust, including the CEO and board of trustees.  Inspectors spoke to parents at the end of the school day. They also considered responses to Ofsted’s parent survey, Ofsted Parent View.  Inspectors reviewed responses to Ofsted’s staff and pupil survey.

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Inspection team

Matthew Harrington, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Sam O'Brien Ofsted Inspector 3 and 4 June 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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