Great Oaks Small School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 28 January 2025

Pupils learn to be comfortable being themselves at Great Oaks Small School. Together, staff and pupils ensure that every pupil is welcomed into the school community. When pupils start at the school, they often have low confidence. Staff support pupils sensitively to reengage with school and rediscover a love of learning. The school has high expectations of every pupil. Staff are guided by the school's vision of achieving excellence. Pupils are expected to work hard at their academic studies, but also to learn how to be good citizens so that they earn a valued place in society. Pupils have worked with staff to redevelop the school values of 'Be Kind - Be Curious - Be You!'. These values guide the way that staff work with pupils, as well as how pupils learn and interact with each other. Staff are attentive to pupils' interests and talents. Pupils are taught that they can contribute meaningfully, both within and beyond the school. Pupils appreciate the way the school day is designed to enable them to make choices about how to spend their free time. For example, a range of clubs run at lunchtime. Staff are available to support positive social interactions, but pupils might also choose to use their breaktimes to have quiet time.

What the school should improve

• Some staff, who teach pupils at earlier stage of learning to read, do not have sufficient expertise in the teaching of early reading. They do not explain key concepts clearly to pupils. This affects how well and how quickly these pupils catch up. The school should ensure that staff who support pupils at an early stage of learning to read have the requisite expertise to do so effectively.
• In some subjects, there is a lack of clarity about what pupils need to learn and when in order to get better at that subject. This leads to some inconsistencies in how well the curriculum is implemented. Where this is the case, this affects how well some pupils achieve. The school should ensure that, in these subjects, staff are clear about the important subject knowledge that pupils need to learn in order to achieve highly.
• The lack of clarity in some subjects affects how well the school checks what pupils know and remember. Where this is the case, the school does not identify and address gaps in their knowledge and understanding as well as it should. The school should ensure that, in all subjects, teachers check that pupils have learned and remembered the intended curriculum content.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)