Oakmoor School

Oakmoor School

Address: Budds Lane, Bordon, Bordon, Hampshire, GU35 0JB Unique reference number (URN): 140182

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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 Strong standard

Attendance has significantly improved over recent years. The school has clearly articulated high expectations, perceptive systems and individualised approaches to support attendance, which is highly effective at removing barriers. Families recognise the importance of attendance and pupils are keen to attend because of the school’s welcoming, kind and supportive culture.

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Attendance and behaviour Strong standard

Pupils’ positive behaviour is a strength of the school. The school is a calm place that many pupils describe as a community or a family. They know that rare incidents of unkind behaviour are dealt with quickly and effectively. The school’s value of respect is central to its ethos.

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Attendance and behaviour Strong standard

Should pupils need extra help to manage their behaviour, carefully developed systems are nuanced and are successful in helping pupils to improve. As a result, pupils are positive about the way the school’s behaviour systems are used.

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Attendance and behaviour Strong standard

Pupils have positive attitudes to their learning. This is bolstered by the improving quality of the education that pupils receive. The school makes sure that pupils recognise the purpose and value of their education, meaning pupils are highly motivated and keen to achieve.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders have a detailed and accurate understanding of the quality, breadth and ambition of the school’s curriculum. It is now carefully sequenced to ensure pupils' knowledge builds steadily over time. As part of the school’s drive to raise achievement, the curriculum now provides a secure foundation for future learning. Typical of leaders' attention to individual pupils and their needs is an innovative new curriculum to strengthen pupils' workplace skills.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Teachers have a detailed knowledge of the subjects they teach. Regular training is improving the consistency of teaching. As a result, pupils know what to expect in lessons. While some variability remains, leaders use individualised support and coaching to systematically improve the precision of all teaching.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Developing pupils’ foundational skills, including reading, is a cornerstone of the way the school educates all pupils. Where pupils need targeted reading support, intervention is impactful. The school’s work on writing is systematic, although not yet as fully embedded as the reading programmes. Leaders recognise that both writing and oracy should remain a development focus. Tailored support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, or others, is well designed and impactful, meaning that they access learning in line with their peers.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Inclusion is at the heart of the school. Leaders recognise that pupils learn best in school and so endeavour to ensure all pupils attend regularly and benefit from school. The school strives to know each pupil as well as possible and to support them individually, regardless of any barrier they may face. This information is used to quickly identify and reduce any barriers to learning or participation. Consequently, support is impactful and improves how pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, disadvantaged pupils, and looked after children are able to both participate and achieve.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders are expert in seeking out best practice and research. This helps them to design support that is innovative and impactful. Additionally, the school is adept in targeting support accurately and checking impact. If any processes or support do not make enough difference, leaders are careful to ascertain why and make necessary changes.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Systematic staff training ensures consistent use of agreed inclusion strategies. Pupil premium funding is used judiciously to design and implement programmes that will have the greatest possible impact, such as the school’s well-developed reading programme, alongside the new life skills and workplace skills curriculum in key stage 4.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders have rapidly improved the way that the school helps pupils to learn and thrive. They unfailingly act in the best interests of pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, disadvantaged or vulnerable pupils, and children in care.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders have a detailed understanding of the school's context, strengths and areas for development. Their planning for the school’s next steps is systematic. Because leaders routinely check the impact of their initiatives and adapt any aspect that is not yet good enough, they have been able to make school improvement progress in a short period of time.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The school’s approach to learning is rooted in research and supported by the trust. This is exemplified by the positive impact of the school’s approach to teaching and improvements in both behaviour and attendance.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Governors and trust staff have a shared ambitious vision for the school. They work together to ensure that actions are focused precisely and statutory duties are met. Governors are well supported by the trust and can call on trust expertise whenever needed, which helps them to maintain the strategic direction of the school.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

School leaders have high expectations of themselves and of all staff. Staff praise the school's inspiring and energetic leadership. They appreciate the targeted professional learning programme they receive. Staff fully participate in school improvement and in continuing to build the school’s strong and highly inclusive culture.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Personal development and wellbeing are taught hand-in-hand with the school’s values through the ‘values strategy’. As a result, pupils have a detailed understanding of the importance of respect and kindness and how to be responsible, respectful citizens. The programme also develops pupils' understanding of characteristics, such as race, that are protected by law. Pupils understand fundamental British values and cultural diversity. Pupils are encouraged to be considerate of others. While some find it more difficult to articulate the importance of the protected characteristics, they do show tolerance, empathy and understanding of people’s differences.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

The personal development programme is designed to teach pupils about important aspects, such as keeping safe, relationships and consent. The programme also helps ensure that pupils benefit from the school's range of clubs and activities. Leaders carefully check which pupils participate and encourage those who may be reluctant. Consequently, participation continues to rise, including for vulnerable pupils or those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, although it is not yet as widespread as leaders would like.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders ensure that staff have the necessary knowledge and skills to teach the content of the personal development programme effectively. The school uses its detailed knowledge of pupils, families and the local area to adapt the programme as needed in response to the context of the school.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Careers education has recently been overhauled. Leaders have an accurate view of the programme’s strengths and areas for development, resulting in impactful careers education. Pupils experience activities and sessions that help them to understand the local employment situation and their range of future options. As a result, Year 11 pupils are confident about their next steps and feel well supported by knowledgeable staff. This helps them to be motivated and excited about their futures, which in turn improves their participation in their education.

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Achievement Needs attention

In national assessments, such as GCSEs, pupils do not achieve as well as they should. However, because of leaders' well-judged and systematic curriculum and teaching developments, pupils' progress and attainment are improving. These developments are helping to ensure that pupils throughout the school achieve, meaning that pupils now develop a suitable foundation for their subsequent learning. Despite this, leaders recognise that there remains more to do before pupils’ achievement is as consistent and as strong as it should be.

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Achievement Needs attention

Pupils with additional needs, such as those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, benefit from the school’s effective identification of need and adaptive teaching, and as a result, achieve in line with their peers. These pupils are also benefiting from the school’s drive to improve attainment and the school’s high ambition for all.

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

Pupils are proud to attend the school. They feel part of a caring community where staff appreciate them and know them well. The school uses its values of 'ambition, determination, excellence, integrity, kindness and respect' to create a shared ethos and expectations of behaviour and conduct, as well as preparing pupils for life in modern Britain.

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

Pupils are proud of how behaviour has improved in recent years. Their behaviour is calm and settled. Pupils feel safe and know how to report any concerns, including bullying, however rare. Even during an unexpected event, such as a breaktime snowstorm, pupils maintain sensible demeanours. The small number of pupils who find behaving well more difficult receive very effective, individualised support. Consequently, pupils recognise that behaviour systems are both fair and highly effective.

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

The school takes care to get to know pupils and families as well as possible. As a result, any barriers to learning or wellbeing are quickly identified and minimised. Because of this, pupils are able to engage well in their learning and participate fully in school life. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, or disadvantaged pupils, are supported effectively in class and participate frequently in the school's extra-curricular activities.

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

Pupils’ attendance has rapidly improved over the last few years, and they now attend well. This helps them to achieve more and make more progress in lessons. Similarly, the school’s recent focus on consistent and high-quality teaching is welcomed by pupils, who see the difference this has made. They know that staff want them to do well and help them to achieve, including planning for their futures. Because of this, pupils are increasingly well prepared for their next steps, although at present, not all pupils achieve as well as they should in national tests such as GCSEs.

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Next steps

• Leaders should maintain careful checks to ensure that their range of new strategies are having the intended impact. This needs to result in all pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and disadvantaged pupils, achieving well in national assessments such as GCSEs and BTECs. • Leaders should ensure that pupils are readied for their continued education by ensuring that support for writing and oracy enables all pupils to consistently use, apply and develop their knowledge, both orally and in their written work.

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Team inspectors:

Ann Fearon, Ofsted Inspector Marieke Forster, Ofsted Inspector Nathan Thomas, Ofsted Inspector Ginny Rhodes, Ofsted 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 University of Chichester (Multi) Academy Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Jennese Alozie, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Christopher Shelton.

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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 held meetings with the headteacher, senior leaders, the special educational needs and/or disabilities coordinator, curriculum leaders and other staff.

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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 6 alternative provisions, including 5 that are unregistered.

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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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What does this mean?

The type of Special Educational Needs provision provided at the school (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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national average

2023/24 (final) -0.26 -0.03 Close to average

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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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(provisional)

2023/24 (final) 19.2% 25.8% Close to average

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(provisional)

2022/23 (final) 25.0% 25.2% Close to average

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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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(provisional)

2022/23 (final) 33.2 35.0 Close to average

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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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national average

2023/24 (final) -0.71 -0.57 Close to average

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national average

2022/23 (final) -0.81 -0.57 Close to average

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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 (2 term) 8.4% 8.1% Close to average

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national average

2023/24 (3 term) 10.0% 8.9% 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 (2 term) 22.7% 21.9% Close to average

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national average

2023/24 (3 term) 29.1% 25.6% 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. 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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