Ofsted conducted a short inspection of East Oxford Primary School on 13 March 2019, following its previous judgment of good in February 2015. The inspection confirmed that the school continues to maintain a good quality of education. The leadership team, under Mr. Russell Kaye, has shown tenacity and passion in fostering a welcoming and inclusive community. Parents, pupils, and staff unanimously agree on the school's inclusive ethos, with positive feedback from parents highlighting the school's effectiveness in catering for a diverse student population.
The school environment is calm and purposeful, with pupils displaying confidence, politeness, and enthusiasm for taking on responsibilities. They engage in various roles, such as ‘rainbow buddies’ and school councillors, and express excitement about initiatives like a recycling project. Pupils feel safe and supported, knowing that teachers are available to help with any problems.
The inspection noted improvements in phonics teaching since the last inspection, resulting in a higher percentage of Year 1 pupils meeting the expected standard in the phonics check compared to the national average. Pupils enjoy reading, and parents report increased engagement in reading at home. The school has implemented targeted interventions, including support for speech and language, contributing to strong progress in reading.
The school effectively supports pupils who speak English as an additional language, with strong progress observed through the involvement of the EAL lead and initiatives like EAL library sessions. The leadership has revitalized staff motivation and set higher expectations, leading to improved outcomes for current pupils. The proportions of pupils achieving expected standards in reading, writing, and mathematics at the end of key stage 1 are broadly average, with strong progress noted in key stage 2.
Governors demonstrate a strong commitment to the school, understanding improvement priorities and monitoring the use of additional funding effectively. They work closely with the leadership team to ensure progress towards improvement goals. Safeguarding practices are robust, with a strong culture of pupil safety established. Staff are well-trained, and there are effective partnerships with external agencies to address any concerns regarding pupil safety and well-being.
The inspection focused on the effectiveness of writing instruction, revealing that pupils' progress in writing has strengthened, with above-average outcomes by the end of key stage 2. Observations confirmed that pupils are taught to write in various styles and for different purposes, although some teachers may benefit from further development in writing instruction.
The inspection also examined reading progress, identifying it as a priority for improvement. While phonics skills are well-developed in early years and key stage 1, the new approaches to teaching reading need to be consistently embedded across all classes to ensure strong progress.
Lastly, the effectiveness of the wider curriculum was assessed, showing that leaders have implemented a broad curriculum with opportunities for cultural and religious education. However, the quality of writing in subjects other than English needs improvement to match the standards achieved in English.
Next steps for the school include enhancing the quality of writing instruction by sharing best practices and embedding new reading approaches to ensure all pupils make strong progress from their starting points.
