Oakwood Primary Academy

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 15 October 2024

There has been much change in the school since the last inspection. The new leadership team is ambitious and determined for all pupils at Oakwood to learn well. Pupils are starting to benefit from these improvements. This view is echoed by many parents and carers. Nevertheless, the school is realistic that there is still work to do to restore the school's standing in the community. Pupils are polite to each other most of the time. In some lessons, pupils' behaviours are not effective for learning. When this happens, pupils' learning is disrupted. Furthermore, some pupils hold an unwavering view that there are pockets of bullying in the school. They say that when staff are made aware of these incidents, they are dealt with well. Despite these weaknesses, pupils are safe and most enjoy school. Pupils appreciate the many opportunities that they have beyond the academic. They recall memorable experiences of camps and trips with enthusiasm. Pupils have access to a wide range of extra-curricular clubs. They appreciate the opportunities that they have to contribute to school life, such as being a 'happy mind leader' or a 'well-being champion'. However, not all pupils have a strong enough understanding of British society.

What the school should improve

• The trust has made recent changes to most of the curriculum. It is not clear how these changes are strengthening pupils' knowledge and understanding. For example, assessment is not fully developed in some subjects. Systems for checking what pupils know and remember are not precise enough. This leads to some pupils having gaps in their knowledge. The trust must ensure that the changes to the curriculum are having a positive impact on pupils' outcomes.
• The phonics programme is not implemented effectively. This means that too many pupils are not learning phonics well. Books are not consistently well matched to pupils' phonics knowledge. The trust must strengthen the precision and consistency of the implementation of the phonics programme, so that all pupils can read fluently and with confidence.
• Some pupils with SEND do not learn the curriculum as well as they could. This is because curriculum activities are not adapted well enough to meet their needs. The trust must ensure that staff use what they know about pupils with SEND so that these pupils can access the curriculum fully and achieve well.
• Pupils' behaviour in lessons, including in the early years and at social times, is not always positive. Low-level disruption is tolerated in some classes. This hinders pupils' learning. The trust needs to ensure that all staff have consistently high expectations of pupils' behaviour and conduct so that all pupils can learn well without interruptions and enjoy their social times.
• Pupils' attendance remains stubbornly low, particularly for disadvantaged pupils. As a result, these pupils miss out on important learning. This is leading to gaps in pupils' knowledge of the curriculum. The school should continue to work closely with families and external agencies to ensure that pupils' attendance improves and persistent absence reduces rapidly.

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