Oasis Academy South Bank Primary

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 17 December 2024

There is a strong community at this small and friendly school. Parents and carers say it is like a 'village in the heart of the city'. The school has an inclusive ethos and new pupils are made to feel welcome. Families benefit from a wide range of services through the 'Community Hub'. Pupils feel safe here and attend well. The school has high expectations for what pupils can achieve, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The school has recently introduced an ambitious new curriculum which is in the early stages of implementation. Pupils typically behave well in lessons and around the school. They are polite to visitors and treat each other with kindness. Pupils of different ages play well together and older pupils help to take care of younger pupils. Careful consideration has been given to pupils' social and emotional development. Pupils have many opportunities to experience the local area, including historic sites such as Tower Bridge. The school has partnerships with local businesses, including an architect's firm. These provide unique opportunities for pupils to participate in creative projects, such as the Southbank Winter Windows project. Year 6 pupils speak enthusiastically about their residential trip where they take part in outward bound activities.

What the school should improve

• In some lessons, pupils are introduced to a number of different ideas or concepts at the same time, or before they are ready. This is because there is a lack of precision about exactly which key content should be prioritised in the new curriculum. As a result, knowledge in some subjects is not secure and some pupils become overwhelmed. The school should ensure that staff have the training needed to precisely identify what the important knowledge is and the confidence to prioritise that learning before moving on to new content.
• There are insufficient opportunities for pupils at the earliest stages of learning to read to practise and rehearse what they have learnt. This means that some pupils do not develop the fluency needed to access the wider curriculum. The school should ensure that all staff have the necessary training to deliver the new phonics programme well and that pupils who need it, have frequent opportunities to recap and rehearse what they have learnt.
• Sometimes, teachers do not consistently reinforce the behaviour expectations. As a result, routines are not well established, and sometimes this interrupts learning. The school should ensure that staff are consistent in their application of the behaviour expectations to support pupils in being able to learn without disruption.

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