Oakhurst Community Primary School

Oakhurst Community Primary School

Address: Pioneer Road, Oakhurst, Swindon, Wiltshire, SN25 2HY Unique reference number (URN): 149880

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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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Achievement Expected standard

Leaders have high expectations for pupils’ achievement. Children learn the curriculum well in Reception, which equips them for the challenges of Year 1. The proportion of pupils who meet the expected standard in the phonics screening check in Year 1 is well above average. By Year 6, most pupils have made secure progress from their starting points, including many who face barriers to learning. As a result, published outcomes from key stage 2 national tests show that pupils attain in line with or above the national averages in reading, writing and mathematics.

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Achievement Expected standard

Pupils delight in sharing their knowledge about plants, including using terms such as ‘photosynthesis’ correctly. New approaches to supporting pupils' handwriting, spelling and writing are having a positive impact. Pupils' foundational knowledge is improving, particularly in key stage 1. Some older pupils lack fluency and accuracy in their writing, and this can hold back their progress.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Leaders set high expectations for pupils’ attendance. Robust systems are in place to monitor, track and support pupils at risk of persistent absence. Leaders forge positive relationships with pupils and their families. They work tirelessly to overcome barriers that make it difficult for some to come to school. Leaders have introduced helpful systems to support pupils with anxiety to attend with increased regularity. This includes having meetings with parents and carers and giving them support where needed, such as offering places for pupils in the breakfast club. As a result, most pupils attend well.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Leaders and staff set a positive example, act as role models and reinforce high expectations. Pupils understand and live up to these and to the school rules of ‘be ready, be safe, be respectful’. They conduct themselves with kindness and respect, both toward one another and the adults around them. Bullying is rare. Pupils know that if friendship issues occur, staff sort things out quickly. Pupils participate well in lessons and take pride in their work. In the playground, pupils socialise happily. They make up their own games or use the vast array of play equipment.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders have an accurate and informed understanding of the quality of the curriculum and teaching across the school. A coherent curriculum is in place from the early years through to Year 6. Leaders identify the most important knowledge they want pupils to know and remember and the order in which they should learn it. This helps pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, to build on what they already know and can do. For example, older pupils draw on their prior knowledge and use scientific language when explaining the functions of parts of plants.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Staff draw on their subject knowledge to provide regular practice for pupils to develop the foundations of reading, writing and mathematics. Pupils develop secure phonics knowledge and become increasingly fluent readers. Generally, teachers use effective questioning, modelling and assessment to check understanding and adjust lessons in the moment. An inclusive approach underpins the curriculum and teaching. Extra support is given to those who need it. However, sometimes teachers do not use assessment information to adapt learning effectively. This means that some pupils complete work that is not ambitious enough. Leaders recognise this and are working closely with staff to improve the precision and impact of assessment.

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Early years Expected standard

In the early years, staff are knowledgeable about what children should learn and when. From the Nursery Year onwards, children build secure foundations in communication and language. The curriculum is based on high-quality texts, including well-known stories and poems. Staff support children’s vocabulary development by talking with them, modelling speech, reading to them and singing songs. This helps them use and recognise new words. Children in Nursery and the Reception Year benefit from high-quality interactions with adults.

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Early years Expected standard

Children in the Reception Year are taught the sounds that letters make as soon as they start school. They typically apply their knowledge accurately when reading and writing. Staff identify children who need additional support, such as those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, quickly. They provide effective help to ensure that children keep up. Children work independently with appropriately designed learning activities, both in the classroom and in the wider learning environment. Routines are clear, transitions are calm and the environment is safe, engaging and well resourced. Children show sustained concentration when playing and completing activities. As a result, they are generally well prepared for their next stage of learning.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Inclusive learning starts from the moment children join the school. Leaders have high expectations for them. They work in partnership with parents and carers, and other professionals, to identify the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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Inclusion Expected standard

In this school, every pupil is known and valued. Staff understand their needs and care deeply about each pupil. Leaders provide staff with relevant guidance and training. Clear systems help leaders to identify pupils' needs early. Typically, staff use these insights to set specific targets to help pupils access the curriculum. These targets, with appropriate adaptations in the classroom, help break down barriers to learning. Where pupils fall behind, they receive tailored interventions to close their learning gaps. This means that pupils make progress from their various starting points. As a result, they feel included and successful.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Additional funding is used well to help remove barriers to disadvantaged pupils' learning and wellbeing. For example, leaders ensure access for all pupils to clubs and residential visits. Parents and carers speak positively about the support their children receive.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders have high expectations of themselves, staff and pupils. They have a clear view of what is working well and what the school needs to improve. Their decisions are well informed and strategic and firmly grounded in what is best for pupils. Leaders collect information about different areas of the school, but do not always use this as precisely as they could to inform future strategies.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders provide staff with the training they need to teach the curriculum well. Most recently, ‘The Oakhurst Way’, an agreed pedagogical approach, is supporting curriculum delivery and teaching. Staff receive support and guidance on how to overcome some of the barriers that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) face. Staff value leaders’ ‘open-door’ approach and the consideration given to their wellbeing. They enjoy working at the school. Staff appreciate that processes such as marking and feedback have been streamlined to make their work more manageable.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Trustees and governors actively engage and maintain a close working relationship with leaders. They provide both support and challenge. They have a secure understanding of statutory requirements and ensure these are met. The school has a clear sense of direction and a genuine community spirit that is consistently reflected in the experiences of those within it. Most parents and carers value the education provided by the school. They praise the staff’s dedication, warmth and willingness to go above and beyond for children, particularly those with SEND.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders have designed a coherent, well-planned programme of personal development from the early years onwards. Across the school, pupils learn how to stay healthy, keep themselves safe and understand the world around them. Events such as ‘Junior Good Citizenship' days teach pupils how to stay safe in the community, on public transport and when working online. Connections with local charities raise awareness of knife crime and champion equality.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

The fundamental British values are woven through the curriculum. Leaders help pupils to appreciate differences and learn tolerance. Leaders provide pupils with opportunities to explore a range of faiths and beliefs through assemblies and the recognition of religious festivals such as Diwali. However, some pupils struggle to recall what they have learned.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

The introduction of the house of ‘worries’, ‘good things’ and ‘dreams’ provides a safe culture of wellbeing support. Pupils feel comfortable sharing their feelings, enabling staff to identify and resolve concerns promptly. Pupils take on a range of leadership roles across the school, including as digital leaders and librarians. Wellbeing ambassadors, for example, promote random acts of kindness or recognise other pupils who demonstrate kind behaviours in and around the school.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Music is valued as part of school life. Pupils thoroughly enjoy opportunities to sing and take part in concerts, performing alongside thousands of other primary school children in Birmingham. The choir performs with a local brass band at the ‘Picnic Proms’, which showcases pupils’ talents and celebrates their achievements. Pupils also take part in after- school clubs such as football, art or the brass group. They set up and run their own clubs linked to their own interests, including a ‘Monday Morning News’ journal. Leaders recognise that the personal development programme is an entitlement for every pupil. They take steps so all pupils can access all trips and wider curriculum opportunities.

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

Pupils arrive at school each morning eager and enthusiastic, ready to embrace the day ahead. They feel happy and safe, and genuinely enjoy their learning. Pupils clearly live out the school's values of ‘unity, courage and ambition’ in their everyday behaviours and attitudes. This creates a calm, purposeful environment where everyone is included. Pupils know that trusted adults will listen to and act on any concerns they raise. As a result, bullying is rare.

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

Pupils benefit from warm, trusting relationships with staff, which gives them a deep sense of belonging and togetherness. The close-knit, family feel of the school means pupils feel supported, helping them to thrive both academically and personally. Where barriers to attendance exist, leaders work hard to reduce them. This means that, typically, pupils attend well.

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

Pupils are active participants in all aspects of school life. When learning, they ask and answer questions, work collaboratively alongside their peers and develop their knowledge and understanding across the curriculum. Their energy and curiosity carry through to the playground, where a rich array of activities invites pupils to explore, build, climb, dig and create. For example, playground equipment captures imaginations as pupils invent their own games and stories.

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

Beyond the classroom, pupils enjoy a rich range of broader experiences that extend and complement the curriculum. Visits to local and national landmarks bring learning to life. Older pupils benefit from residential experiences that build their resilience and independence. This prepares them for the next steps in their education. These opportunities, rooted in the school's values, help prepare pupils well for life in modern Britain.

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Next steps

Leaders should continue to strengthen their work to embed strategies for developing writing and transcription so they can continue to improve pupils' achievement. Leaders should ensure teachers use assessment accurately and consistently so all pupils complete ambitious work and achieve highly across all subjects. Leaders, at all levels, should continue to use the information they gather to evaluate the impact of improvement strategies more precisely and drive further development.

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Lead inspector:

Gavin Summerfield, His Majesty's Inspector

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Team inspectors:

Richard Vaughan, Ofsted Inspector Lisa Dadds, Ofsted Inspector Helen Large, 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 Grove Learning Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the interim chief executive officer (CEO), Simon Cowley, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Anne-Marie Howroyd.

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About this inspection

Inspectors carried out this full inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. 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 headteacher, the deputy headteacher, the special educational needs coordinator, the trust's interim CEO, the chair of the trust board, the chair of the local academy committee and other members of this group.

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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 is preparing to join the White Horse Federation. Representatives from the trust provided support for school leaders during the inspection.

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About this inspection

The school uses one registered alternative provider.

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About this inspection

Headteacher: Elizabeth Christopher Above average

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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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Pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standards in a combined reading, writing and mathematics measure.

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average

2023/24 (final) 61% 61% Close to average

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in reading.

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average

2023/24 (final) 80% 74% Close to average

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing.

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics.

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average

2023/24 (final) 77% 73% 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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mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics.

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average

2023/24 (final) 45% 46% Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading.

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average

2024/25 (final) 55% 63% Close to average

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average

2023/24 (final) 64% 62% Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher- assessed writing.

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average

2024/25 (final) 64% 59% Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics.

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average

2024/25 (final) 73% 61% Close to average

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average

2023/24 (final) 64% 59% 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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mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics, including the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading and the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher- assessed writing and the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics and the disadvantaged gap.

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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 (3 term) 4.5% 5.2% Close to average

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national average

2023/24 (3 term) 4.9% 5.5% 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 (3 term) 10.4% 13.0% Close to average

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national average

2023/24 (3 term) 13.0% 14.6% 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.

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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

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk . Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

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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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