Sires Hill Primary Academy

Sires Hill Primary Academy

Address: Darwin Drive, Didcot, Oxfordshire, OX11 9GY Unique reference number (URN): 149696

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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 Strong standard

Pupils achieve well across the school. They achieve highly in the Year 1 phonics screening check. Pupils build secure early knowledge that supports their wider learning. They read, write and discuss their ideas frequently, which helps them remember what they have learned.

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Achievement Strong standard

In nursery, children benefit from high-quality interactions that develop their communication skills and vocabulary effectively. Carefully chosen activities help them develop physically and enjoy their learning. Staff monitor children’s progress closely and provide exactly what they need. As a result, children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are well prepared for their next steps.

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Achievement Strong standard

Pupils in key stage 1 also benefit from the same detailed care and attention, meaning that they, including pupils with SEND, or other potential barriers to their education, also achieve highly.

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Attendance and behaviour Strong standard

The school’s approach to attendance is highly effective and helps pupils, including the most vulnerable pupils, attend regularly. Pupils enjoy coming to school and look forward to learning and spending time with their teachers and friends. Leaders understand pupils and families well and set clear expectations for attendance. Their work has helped pupils who previously found regular attendance difficult to attend much more often. These pupils benefit from increased attainment and safeguarding is enhanced through more regular contact.

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Attendance and behaviour Strong standard

Pupils behave well and this contributes to the calm and positive atmosphere across the school. This is a strength of the school. Clear expectations, applied kindly and consistently, help pupils understand how to behave and how to treat others. Pupils are respectful, considerate and enjoy their time at school. If any discrimination, harassment or bullying were to occur, staff would address it quickly and effectively. Low-level disruption in lessons is rare and pupils show positive attitudes to learning. Pupils who find positive behaviour more difficult receive support that helps them improve. Children in nursery are taught to communicate with each other in a way which they all understand. As a result, they share, take turns, and any upsets are quickly resolved.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The curriculum supports pupils’ learning across the school. Because it is planned from nursery to Year 6, teachers understand clearly what pupils have learned before and what they need to learn next. This helps teachers check pupils’ understanding and build learning in a logical and effective way. The early knowledge gained by 2-year-olds contributes directly to their later success, and older pupils benefit from a steady and well-sequenced increase in knowledge. Foundational skills are taught regularly and securely, meaning that pupils are given frequent opportunities to practise essential skills such as reading, writing and number work, helping them to build confidence and remember what they have learned over time. Pupils develop the reading, writing and communication skills they need to access the full curriculum. Those at the early stages of learning to read receive effective support, including pupils who need

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

extra help. Pupils build their vocabulary and communication skills, which they use confidently in lessons and during conversations.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Teachers have detailed subject knowledge. This helps them question pupils effectively, identify gaps in understanding and adapt teaching when needed. Lessons are purposeful, enjoyable and help pupils learn well. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities benefit from the school’s clear teaching approach and from individual adaptations that help them take part fully in learning.

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Early years Strong standard

Children achieve well in early years. The curriculum is designed to build the early foundational skills and knowledge that they need, including communication and vocabulary. Leaders ensure that staff are knowledgeable, which results in high-quality education and steady physical development.

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Early years Strong standard

Staff use very clear and consistent routines so that children know exactly what is expected of them. This means that children can focus on their play and learning. Children develop their knowledge and skills quickly and those of all ages build independence in ways that match their stage of development.

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Early years Strong standard

Children’s social development is planned carefully. Staff teach sensitive topics, such as friendship and respect, in age-appropriate ways. Children learn how to recognise and manage their emotions and relationships. As a result, early years is a calm, happy and purposeful place.

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Early years Strong standard

Where children need extra support, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, the school assesses their needs precisely and provides individual support. This helps vulnerable children flourish alongside their peers.

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Early years Strong standard

The school works closely with parents and carers, who are very positive about the quality of early years provision.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The school is highly inclusive and places pupils’ needs at the centre of its work. Leaders recognise that some pupils may face barriers to their education and are committed to reducing these wherever possible.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Pupils’ needs are identified quickly. Actions to remove barriers are thoughtful, effective and reviewed regularly. Leaders check the impact of support carefully and consider whether further steps could help pupils even more. When needed, the school works with external experts and agencies to gather additional guidance about how best to support pupils. In lessons, pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities or other barriers to learning receive well-matched support. Teachers use precise plans to guide their teaching and ensure that pupils take part in lessons fully. Pupils known or previously known to social care benefit from the school’s rigorous approach, including as a result of the leaders' strong links with the virtual school.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Although the school’s pupil premium plan is new, support for disadvantaged pupils is well established. Many aspects of school life are designed to reduce disadvantage, including access to clubs, trips, cultural events and sporting opportunities. This ensures that disadvantaged pupils benefit as much as others and take part fully in wider school life.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders have been very successful in growing this new school, while ensuring pupils of all ages receive a consistent and effective education. Leaders, including trust leaders, use a range of methods to check the impact of their actions. Their analysis is comprehensive and their responses to what they find are measured and deliberate. Because leaders know precisely what they need to achieve they have been able to expand the school carefully without losing quality or consistency.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders have a detailed and accurate understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for development. Their clear expectations help staff understand precisely what they need to do. Staff are very positive about working in the school and feel leaders consider their workload and wellbeing. Staff are, rightly, proud of the school’s positive and welcoming atmosphere and the way it helps pupils achieve well. Similarly, parents and carers are also positive about the education their children receive and the support the school provides when needed.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Trustees and governors are effective in the way they ensure that all decisions are made with the best interests of pupils in mind, including fulfilling their statutory duties.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Staff training is regular and closely matched to the school’s development aims. As a result, staff, including new teachers, are supported to continually improve and to bring new expertise to the school through training with external partners and expert organisations.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Pupils’ wider development is central to the school’s work. Leaders understand that all pupils, particularly the most vulnerable such as those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), those known or previously known to social care and disadvantaged pupils, benefit from a broad and inclusive programme of additional experiences. Leaders plan these opportunities carefully so that barriers to participation are reduced and involvement is high.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Pupils’ learning around social, moral and cultural aspects contributes to their highly courteous and welcoming outlook. Pupils understand the importance of respecting each other’s similarities and differences. They benefit from age-appropriate relationships education. Pupils value the democracy that they see in school, such as voting for school council, because they know that this is fair and just. Similarly, pupils’ spiritual education is strengthened by well-judged lessons about a range of world religions. Pupils learn the key aspects within each faith and explore, discuss and develop an appreciation of both the unique aspects and the similarities.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Pastoral support is effective and supported by effective systems to support pupils' needs. Staff know pupils well and recognise when they may need help. Highly effective links with families help the school support pupils and children across all ages.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

The school offers an impressive range of clubs, trips and activities for pupils and children. Whenever a trip is planned, leaders ensure that everyone who should go, can go. This builds community and also supports vulnerable and disadvantaged pupils. Clubs take place during the school day which removes barriers to attendance. Participation at clubs for disadvantaged pupils is prioritised. Because staff run the clubs, any adaptations needed for pupils with SEND are included, helping all pupils benefit fully.

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

Pupils enjoy being part of this growing school and feel proud to belong to its community. They attend regularly, arrive on time and show clear enthusiasm for learning. Pupils treat each other with respect and kindness, and they enjoy spending time together in lessons, at playtimes and during the wide range of Friday clubs and extra activities. Classrooms and social spaces feel lively and purposeful because pupils take pleasure in learning and working with their friends.

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

Positive relationships between pupils and staff sit at the heart of the school. Staff model calm, considerate behaviour and set clear expectations that help pupils understand how to behave and how to treat others. These expectations are applied consistently and fairly, which helps pupils feel secure and valued.

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

All pupils, including the youngest, learn how to respect themselves and others. This creates a warm and supportive atmosphere across the school. Pupils behave well, feel safe and know who to speak to if they have any worries. They say that bullying is rare and are confident that staff would deal with any concerns quickly and effectively.

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

In nursery, children take turns, share ideas and enjoy talking about their experiences. Clear routines help even the youngest children develop independence and understand what is expected of them. Older pupils build a real sense of purpose in their learning and work hard to link ideas together.

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

The well-planned curriculum and teaching help pupils develop secure knowledge and essential early skills. This prepares them well for their next steps and gives them confidence in their learning.

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

Pupils with potential barriers to learning, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, those known or previously known to social care and children in care, are well understood. Staff work closely with families to put in place effective adaptations so that pupils can achieve as well as their peers.

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Team inspector:

Charlene Martin Bakermault, Ofsted Inspector

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Facts and figures used on inspection

This was the data available at the time of the full inspection, taken from different sources . More recent data may have been published since the full inspection took place.

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Next steps

As the school continues to grow, leaders should ensure that its effective practice is sustained and remains impactful across all ages, including through the development of Key Stage 2 classes.

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About this inspection

This school is part of Omnia 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, Jodie Croft, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Russell Massie.

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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 HMI.

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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, CEO, trustees and other staff.

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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 currently uses no alternative provision.

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About this inspection

The school opened in September 2023 and currently admits pupils up to and including year 2. The school plans to admit pupils up to and including year 6.

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About this inspection

Executive Headteacher: Alison Ashcroft The inspector(s) used this data during the full inspection on 6 May 2026

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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 6 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 needs support 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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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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Persistent absence

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

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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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