Oasis Academy Connaught

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school Leaders and staff have worked hard since the previous inspection to raise the standard of education at the school. The principal and deputy principal provide determined leadership in the drive for further improvement.

As a result, pupils are now making good progress due to effective teaching across the curriculum. For the last three years, the progress made by pupils at key stage 2 has been above or in line with the national average. Leaders have established a strong culture of safeguarding.

Keeping children safe is at the heart of everything the school does. The school's work with the community it serves is exemplary. Staff have an excel...lent understanding of the school's context and this allows them to plan effectively for pupils' academic and personal development.

The multi-academy trust, Oasis Community Learning, provides strong support and effective challenge to school leaders. This makes an important contribution to school improvement. Middle leadership is an emerging strength of the school, although it needs further time to embed in order to reveal its full impact.

Staff work very successfully to improve pupils' personal development, behaviour and welfare. Attendance has improved and the number of exclusions has declined. Behaviour in classes is very good and pupils demonstrate consistently positive attitudes to learning.

The provision for children in the early years is strong. Children get off to a good start to their education and make quick progress from typically low starting points. The leadership of teaching has strengthened considerably since the previous inspection.

Effective monitoring and high-quality teacher training have improved the quality of teaching, learning and assessment. Teachers know their pupils well and use this effectively to plan their learning. Sometimes, however, teachers do not pay close enough attention to what pupils already know and can do when planning for pupils' next steps or assessing their work.

Occasionally, leaders' desired approach to promoting literacy in mathematics is not followed and this can impede pupils' understanding.

Information about this school

Oasis Academy Connaught is part of the Oasis Community Learning (OCL) multi-academy trust. OCL operates a professional model of governance through national and regional directors.

The academy council has an advisory role and represents the local community. The board of trustees is the appropriate authority. The school serves an area of high socio-economic deprivation.

It has a much higher proportion of pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds than the national average. Almost two thirds of pupils are in this category. The school has two classes in each year group from Reception to Year 6.

It has one Nursery class for children aged three and above. The school received a monitoring visit from Ofsted in October 2017. The school uses one alternative provider, Lansdown Park Academy.