Oak Green School

Inspection of Oak Green School Oak Green, Southcourt, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire HP21 8LJ

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 15 and 16 July 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy, confident and well mannered. They feel safe and valued in their school community, where there is a strong sense of belonging. As soon as children arrive in the early years, they learn how to express their feelings and manage their emotions. This helps pupils to communicate effectively and to make positive behavioural choices as they move through the school. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are well understood. Staff are adept at teaching pupils how to persevere and to take responsibility for their actions.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for pupils’ achievement, which are increasingly being met. Pupils recognise recent improvements that have been made to the curriculum. They particularly enjoy how learning is brought to life through well-considered trips. Visits to museums, galleries, theatres and sports grounds also widen pupils’ appreciation of culture. Pupils deepen their understanding about democracy through activities such as their local member of parliament visiting the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils know and model the school’s values of honesty, respect, friendship, kindness, trust and fairness. They have a strong sense of justice and equality, recognising that discrimination is not acceptable. Pupils take care of each other and are well supported by staff to look after their own well-being.

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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 that carefully considers the needs of its pupils. Pupils build strong foundations in their knowledge and skills from the early years upwards. Published outcomes in national tests remain below national expectations. However, pupils are now learning more securely as a result of improvements to the curriculum. Pupils are well prepared for the next stages of their learning. The school’s specially resourced provision for pupils with SEND helps these pupils to be successful in their learning.

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

Teachers mostly have strong subject knowledge. They introduce new learning in a way that engages pupils and captures their interest. Staff make regular checks on pupils’ understanding to see how well they are learning. Sometimes, these checks do not give an accurate oversight of pupils’ misconceptions. At times, pupils repeat the same mistakes before they are picked up by teachers. The school provides effective support to help pupils catch up where it has identified gaps in their knowledge over time. However, sometimes, these gaps could be prevented if misconceptions were addressed more swiftly in lessons.

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

The school accurately identifies any barriers to learning that pupils may have. Staff know pupils well and ensure that support closely reflects the needs of pupils with SEND. However, some lesson activities are not adapted as precisely as they could be to match pupils’ needs. Where this happens, pupils with SEND are sometimes unable to access learning as independently as their peers. 15 and 16 July 2025

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Reading is prioritised highly in the school. Children learn phonics as soon as they start in Reception. Those who join the school in the Nursery are introduced to sounds and rhymes that help embed positive early reading routines. Staff have an accurate understanding of which pupils are behind in their reading development and ensure that they catch up quickly. Pupils continue to enjoy regular reading opportunities as they move through the school. As a result, they develop accuracy and fluency in their reading.

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In lessons and around the school, pupils consistently behave very well. Starting from the Nursery, children understand and meet the high expectations that staff have for them. Pupils make positive choices in their behaviour. They are routinely polite and respectful. The school has taken effective action to improve pupils’ attendance where this was previously too low.

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The manner in which the school develops pupils’ character is exceptional. Staff recognise the challenges that many pupils and families face. They make every possible effort to ensure that pupils do not miss out on the important experiences and opportunities that will help them to live rich and full lives. This begins in the early years, where the school fulfils ‘10 promises’ that develop children’s life skills and broaden their cultural experiences. Pupils develop their spiritual awareness by reflecting on the similarities and differences across faiths. They are interested to learn about one another’s beliefs and cultural traditions. Pupils welcome and celebrate their diverse community, consistently showing respect to others.

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Staff appreciate leaders’ careful consideration of their workload when making important improvements to the school. Staff are passionate about their work and proud to be a part of the school. Leaders are highly ambitious for every pupil to achieve success and to contribute positively to the wider community. Governors provide effective support and challenge to the school to ensure this ambition is achieved.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Sometimes, the adaptations teachers make to the curriculum for pupils with SEND do not precisely match their needs. Where this is the case, pupils do not access the intended learning as independently as their peers and, therefore, do not achieve as well as they could. The school should ensure that curriculum adaptations are consistently well matched to pupils’ particular learning needs.  Checks on pupils’ understanding are not used consistently. Sometimes, staff do not identify and address pupils’ misconceptions as swiftly as they could. This means pupils may repeat the same misconceptions. The school should ensure that checks on 15 and 16 July 2025

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understanding are used effectively and consistently to inform and adapt teaching choices.

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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). 15 and 16 July 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Headteacher Nicola Beesley and Donna Kelloway (Co- headteachers) Website www.oakgreen.bucks.sch.uk

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 21 and 22 February 2023, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school has a specially resourced provision for pupils with SEND. All pupils have an education, health and care plan with a diagnosis of autism spectrum condition (ASC). There are currently 14 pupils across the age ranges accessing this provision.  The school uses one registered provider of alternative provision.  The school uses one unregistered provider of alternative provision.  The school offers nursery provision for two-year-old children.  The school is led jointly by two headteachers.

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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). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade. 15 and 16 July 2025

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 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation of 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 senior leaders, staff and pupils. The lead inspector also met with representatives from the governing body and the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, English, history 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 considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments. They also took account of the responses to the confidential online staff survey and gathered the views of both staff and pupils throughout the inspection.

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 Inspectors reviewed and scrutinised a range of the school’s documentation, including minutes of governing body meetings and records of attendance and behaviour incidents.  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.

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Inspection team

Tash Hurtado, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Wayne Jarvis Ofsted Inspector 15 and 16 July 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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