Oakfield Academy, located in Frome, Somerset, underwent an inspection on January 23 and 24, 2024. The overall effectiveness of the school was rated as requiring improvement, with specific areas such as the quality of education and leadership and management also marked as needing improvement. However, the school demonstrated good performance in behavior and attitudes, as well as personal development.
The headteacher, Emma Wilkes, leads the academy, which operates under a trust overseen by a board of trustees chaired by Kate Hellard. The school has a strong sense of community, with pupils expressing that they feel happy and safe. They report that kindness and respect are prevalent, and they appreciate the support available from staff when concerns arise. The introduction of a new behavior policy has helped establish clear expectations, leading to focused learning in most lessons. Nevertheless, there are areas of the curriculum that are not implemented effectively, which can lead to decreased motivation among pupils.
Pupils engage in a variety of extracurricular activities, including sports clubs, a Shakespeare club, and coding, which they find enriching. They also take on leadership roles through the academy council and other initiatives, allowing them to contribute their ideas and opinions to the school community.
While the school has developed a broad curriculum, its implementation varies across subjects. For instance, geography is sequenced well, but mathematics suffers from inconsistencies where different classes may learn concepts that do not build on prior knowledge. This lack of coherence can hinder pupils' ability to tackle more complex problems. In English, certain curriculum components are not taught with the intended depth, resulting in an incomplete educational experience.
The school has made efforts to support pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) by adapting teaching strategies. Pupils with SEND are involved in planning their support, which has proven effective in some areas. However, the overall quality of the curriculum can still impede their learning, particularly in subjects where implementation is weak.
Reading is a priority at Oakfield Academy, with a daily program aimed at fostering a love for reading. However, the school has not adequately planned for pupils who are at the early stages of learning to read, leading to a mismatch between instruction and their needs. This can delay their reading development.
Attendance is generally good, and the school employs alternative provisions to support pupils who require additional assistance. The personal, social, and health education curriculum is well-structured, covering essential topics such as relationships and mental health, which pupils find beneficial. Career education is also integrated into the curriculum, preparing Year 8 pupils for future choices.
Despite the school's ambition for all pupils to succeed, the mechanisms for reviewing and evaluating the curriculum's impact are not robust. This oversight has resulted in missed opportunities for timely improvements. The school must enhance its curriculum review processes to identify areas for development more effectively. Additionally, the sequencing of knowledge in subjects like mathematics needs to be addressed to ensure that pupils can build on their learning progressively.
In summary, while Oakfield Academy has strengths in pupil well-being and extracurricular engagement, it faces challenges in curriculum implementation and leadership effectiveness. Addressing these areas will be crucial for the school to improve its overall effectiveness and better support its pupils' educational journeys.
