Oasis Academy MediaCityUK

Oasis Academy MediaCityUK

Address: King William Street, M50 3UQ Unique reference number (URN): 135661

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, pupils are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect schools for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The school has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. All legal requirements are met. Not met: The school has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Leaders analyse attendance and behaviour data thoroughly. Careful review of trends helps them to ensure that they act quickly on concerns. For instance, leaders work closely with families to ensure that those pupils, particularly those with additional needs, who miss school frequently are supported effectively. As a result, attendance rates have remained broadly close to national averages and persistent absence has declined over time.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Pupils’ behaviour is typically orderly and purposeful. They generally follow the ‘Oasis Way’ behaviour routines well. Leaders' high expectations are understood well by pupils and staff. Staff typically reinforce these expectations so that routines are embedded in daily practice. This contributes to a calm environment. Leaders have created a culture, where staff typically know, support and care for pupils well. Pupils’ attitudes to learning are improving. However, leaders are still developing their work to enhance support for pupils so that they consistently show dedication to their learning.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Historic leadership instability and staffing issues led to increased disruptive behaviour across school. In turn, this led to a high number of suspensions. However, with the trust’s support, the school has refined its behaviour management strategy. This has helped to reduce the number of suspensions and improve behaviour. Pupils are confident that any issues with bullying would be swiftly dealt with.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Inclusion is central to the school’s ethos and vision. Leaders generally engage well with parents and carers, especially parents of children with vulnerabilities. For example, the school uses a community ‘hub’ to support pupils and their families to access professional and expert support. Leaders use additional funding for pupils, particularly those who are disadvantaged, carefully. This ensures that bespoke strategies, such as additional mentoring and funding for trips, are put into place. This helps vulnerable pupils to access their learning better.

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Inclusion Expected standard

With support from the trust, leaders have strengthened how they identify the additional needs or barriers to pupils’ learning. They have refined the information and training that staff receive. As a result, staff are increasingly confident in adapting their teaching to meet the additional needs of pupils. Leaders rigorously monitor the strategies used to support these pupils. These quality checks help leaders to systematically refine practice when needed.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The school takes appropriate action to reduce barriers to pupils’ learning and wellbeing through careful adjustments and enhanced support. For instance, they use alternative provision appropriately to support pupils to re-engage with their learning.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders have strengthened how the personal, social, emotional and health education programme is delivered. This has helped pupils to develop a deeper understanding of topics, such as relationships, health and safety. Pupils learn about risks, such as vaping, knife crime and online dangers. This supports them to develop the knowledge they need to make sensible choices.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Pupils benefit from a wide enrichment offer. They take part in cultural, sporting and creative events. Pupils enjoy the theatre trips, residential experiences and a variety of clubs. This helps pupils to develop their skills and interests. Leaders reduce barriers so that disadvantaged pupils and those with additional needs can also take part. For example, pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) have relished their involvement in local sporting competitions, such as 'SEND athletics', ten pin bowling and tag rugby.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Pupils understand the importance of healthy relationships and develop a mature understanding of keeping physically and mentally healthy.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Pupils benefit from a wide range of meaningful leadership roles, including 'language ambassadors' who support their peers who are learning English as an additional language. Pupils are proud of these responsibilities. They take their roles seriously and value the chance to make a positive impact on their peers’ school life. Through these opportunities, pupils develop respect for others’ opinions, learn to appreciate cultural diversity and develop their understanding of the fundamental British values.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders provide a broad careers programme that is shaped by research and local labour market needs. Pupils receive careful guidance and information that helps them to make informed choices about their future careers. This has helped to reduce the number of pupils who do not enter education, employment and/or training after school. Leaders have also designed bespoke support for pupils with SEND so that they are prepared well for adulthood. For example, the school offers tailored college visits, guidance for independent living and creates opportunities for these pupils to participate fully in society.

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Achievement Needs attention

Pupils’ attainment and progress in national assessments have remained below national averages over time. Nonetheless, disadvantaged pupils make similar progress to that made by their peers nationally.

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Achievement Needs attention

Leaders’ recent actions to enhance teaching strategies are beginning to improve achievement for vulnerable pupils. This is helping them to overcome barriers to learning. However, pupils do not benefit from consistent high-quality teaching across subjects. Consequently, although in some subjects gaps in disadvantaged pupils’ attainment are closing, gaps in pupils' learning are not closing quickly enough overall. This means that some pupils are not well prepared for their next steps in education, employment and/or training.

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Achievement Needs attention

Some of the work to develop pupils’ literacy and numeracy skills is still in its infancy. As such, some pupils do not develop the foundational skills in reading, writing and mathematics that they need to access the curriculum as well as they could.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Teaching across the school does not consistently emphasise the most important knowledge in each subject. As a result, at times, pupils do not develop a deep enough understanding of the subject content as they move through the curriculum.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Although some teachers deliver subject content clearly, others lack confidence in adapting their teaching activities to address misconceptions. Furthermore, in some subjects, teachers do not use assessment strategies to check pupils' understanding. This limits how well teachers shape future learning.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Leaders have a sharp understanding of the quality of curriculum and teaching. They are beginning to address weaknesses across subjects, including how the curriculum is designed to meet the needs of pupils. Leaders have improved the depth and order of subject content to ensure that essential knowledge is built on securely over time. Despite these recent efforts, some of the improvement work has not been timely enough to reverse the decline in standards across school.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Leaders have started to strengthen the support that is given to pupils to secure their knowledge and skills in reading, writing and mathematics. However, the identification of gaps in pupils’ literacy and numeracy skills is not sharp enough. As a result, support is often too general and does not match pupils’ specific needs. This reduces the effectiveness of interventions and slows the pace at which gaps in pupils’ knowledge are closed.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Leaders and staff use information about pupils’ additional needs well to adapt teaching activities. For example, teachers use sentence starters and coloured paper to help pupils to access the curriculum.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Until recently, the actions taken by leaders to identify and address priorities for improvement, particularly in curriculum and teaching, have not been quick enough. However, since the recent change in senior leadership and trust regional governance arrangements, work to improve the school has accelerated. In some areas of the school, such as addressing behavioural issues, this improvement work has had some positive impact. Even so, the effectiveness of leadership varies across different curriculum areas. Consequently, pupils do not consistently experience secure learning opportunities and this limits how well they learn.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Governance has been recently strengthened through the introduction of regional oversight. These clear systems of accountability, including the use of monitoring and evaluation teams, helps trustees and trust directors to keep well informed of the school's progress. Trustees meet their statutory duties and provide appropriate challenge and support to leaders.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Leaders and trustees ensure that meeting the needs of vulnerable pupil groups is central to their decision-making. They have clear oversight of the progress that these pupils make and use this to help shape improvement priorities.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

The professional learning programme has been strengthened to ensure that it is research ‑ based and designed to build staff expertise. Early career teachers and trainee teachers are typically supported well. Even so, some staff's subject expertise is still developing. As such, some variation in curriculum delivery remains.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Staff value the recent changes and improvements to leadership. They feel better supported and appreciate the thought given to their wellbeing and workload when new changes are implemented. Most staff are proud to work at this school.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils experience a curriculum that is ambitious and broad ranging. However, in some subjects, teaching activities do not help pupils to build securely on their prior learning. As a result, they do not achieve as well as they should. With the help of the trust, leaders are beginning to address some of these historical weaknesses. This is starting to benefit some pupils. For instance, their study habits are beginning to improve and learning is becoming more interesting and enjoyable. Pupils also benefit from enhanced careers provision, literacy initiatives and leadership opportunities. This better prepares them for their next steps. Even so, some of this improvement work is new and its impact is at an early stage.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils, particularly those who are vulnerable, have trusting relationships with staff who know them and their needs well. This helps to reduce barriers to learning that these pupils have. For example, pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported with tailored aids and resources to help them to access the curriculum more readily. These pupils generally learn successfully alongside their peers.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils are respectful of each other and respond positively to leaders’ raised expectations of them. Recent refinements to behaviour management strategies, including promoting the ‘Oasis 9 habits’, have helped staff to apply routines more effectively. As a result, behaviour across the school has improved. Bullying incidents are taken seriously and dealt with effectively. As such, the care and support from staff contribute to pupils feeling safe. Most pupils attend school regularly.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils learn about different faiths and cultures and enjoy celebrating differences through events, such as interfaith day and culture day. They develop a mature understanding of the importance of respecting those who are different from themselves. Pupils’ experiences are further enriched by a broad range of extra-curricular activities, such as talent shows and charity work. This helps to build pupils’ confidence and encourages them to contribute positively to the school community. Typically, pupils are prepared well for life in modern Britain.

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Next steps

• Leaders should ensure that teaching across the school consistently emphasises the most important knowledge in each subject so that pupils know and remember more as they move through the curriculum, leading to raised achievement for all. • Leaders should ensure that teachers' assessment strategies are closely aligned with the curriculum knowledge across subjects, supporting teachers to consistently make astute decisions about what to teach and when to teach it. • Leaders should strengthen the identification of gaps in pupils' literacy and numeracy skills so that the support that pupils receive addresses their precise needs more readily. • Leaders should ensure that they further enhance the support that pupils receive to help them to consistently show dedication to their learning.

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Team inspectors:

Ahmed Marikar, His Majesty's Inspector Michael Pennington, His Majesty's Inspector Rebecca Sharples, His Majesty's Inspector Ben Hill, His Majesty's Inspector

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Facts and figures used on inspection

The data was used by the inspector(s) during the inspection. More recent data may have been published since the inspection took place.

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About this inspection

This school is part of Oasis Community Learning 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), John Barneby, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Caroline Taylor.

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About this inspection

Inspectors carried out this full inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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About this inspection

Following our renewed inspection framework, all inspections are now led by His Majesty’s Inspectors (HMIs) or by Ofsted Inspectors (OIs) who have previously served as HMIs.

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About this inspection

Inspectors spoke with the principal, senior leaders, chair of trustees, CEO, chair of the hub council and a local authority representative during the inspection.

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About this inspection

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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About this inspection

The inspectors confirmed the following information about the school:

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About this inspection

The school makes use of 1 registered and 3 unregistered alternative provisions for a small number of pupils.

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About this inspection

There have been some substantial changes to the school’s leadership. The current principal was appointed in September 2025. One deputy headteacher and one assistant headteacher were also appointed in September 2025.

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About this inspection

Principal: Christian Harris This data is from 2 December 2025

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils currently at this school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils who can attend the school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with an education, health and care plan. This covers pupils with more support than is available through special educational needs support.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with reported special educational support needs at the school.

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What does this mean?

Based on the English Indices of Deprivation (2019) and the school's location, we have calculated whether the school is located in a more or less deprived area.

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What does this mean?

Whether school has Resourced Provision or SEND unit (if applicable).

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English and maths GCSE

Percentage of pupils who achieved grade 5 or above in English and maths GCSE.

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Attainment 8

A measure of pupils' point scores across 8 subjects including maths (double weighted), English (double weighted if both language and literature are taken), 3 EBacc measures and 3 GCSE or technical measures.

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Progress 8

How much progress pupils made between the end of primary school (key stage 2) and the end of secondary school (key stage 4), compared to pupils across England who got similar results at the end of key stage 2.

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after.

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Disadvantaged pupils' English and maths GCSE grade 5 or above

Percentage of disadvantaged pupils achieving grade 5 or above in English and maths GCSE.

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Disadvantaged pupils' Attainment 8

A measure of disadvantaged pupils' point scores across 8 subjects including maths (double weighted), English (double weighted if both language and literature are taken), 3 EBacc measures and 3 GCSE or technical measures.

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Disadvantaged pupils' Progress 8

How much progress disadvantaged pupils made between the end of primary school (key stage 2) and the end of secondary school (key stage 4), compared to pupils across England who got similar results at the end of key stage 2.

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance gap

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after. The school disadvantage gap is the difference between the performance of the school's disadvantaged pupils compared to the performance of all non-disadvantaged pupils nationally.

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Disadvantaged pupils' English and maths GCSE grade 5 or above

Percentage of disadvantaged pupils who achieved grade 5 or above in English and maths GCSE.

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Disadvantaged pupils' Attainment 8

A measure of disadvantaged pupils' point scores across 8 subjects including maths (double weighted), English (double weighted if both language and literature are taken), 3 EBacc measures and 3 GCSE or technical measures.

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Disadvantaged pupils' Progress 8

How much progress disadvantaged pupils made between the end of primary school (key stage 2) and the end of secondary school (key stage 4), compared to pupils across England who got similar results at the end of key stage 2.

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Destinations after 16

Percentage of pupils staying in education or employment for at least 2 terms after the end of secondary school (key stage 4).

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Overall absence

The percentage of all possible mornings and afternoons missed due to absence from school (for whatever reason, whether authorised or unauthorised) across all pupils.

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national average

2024/25 (1 term) 7.9% 7.7% Close to average

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Persistent absence

The percentage of pupils missing 10% or more of their possible mornings and afternoons.

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national average

2024/25 (1 term) 24.5% 21.1% Close to average

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other schools can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The school reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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Expected standard

The school is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The school needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

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Urgent improvement

services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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