Ofsted report shows marked improvement.
Staff and pupils at a Handsworth Primary School are celebrating today, having gone from ‘Special Measures’ to ‘Good with outstanding features’ in under two years.
Oasis Academy Boulton, on Boulton Road, Handsworth has received extensive praise from Ofsted for incredible improvement, impressive teaching, exceptional behaviour and attainment above the national average.
The Ofsted report – which is available for review on the Academy website – found extensive evidence of high quality performance at every level of Academy life. As well as commending the leadership of the Principal who has “placed the need to ensure all pupils reach their full potential at the heart of the Academy’s work” the report found that subject leaders “have responded very well to the challenge of improving teaching and learning in their areas of responsibility.” The work of Teaching Assistants was also highlighted as a “real strength of the academy.”
Jessie Kaur Elbaz, Principal of the Academy says, “The results of this Ofsted inspection have shown what a powerful combination of high expectations and a belief in each and every child can achieve. A first-class education is crucial to a young person so they receive the best possible start in life, and thanks to the hard work of the entire Academy team we are now seeing this become a reality in the lives of our pupils. Also we got to special measures to outstanding in just two years and we are the school in the local area that has EYFS outstanding.
After a two-day inspection of the Academy, inspectors found that:
• Student Behaviour – ‘Outstanding’
• Teaching and Learning – ‘Outstanding’
• Student Achievement and Progress – ‘Outstanding’
• Spiritual, Moral, Social, Cultural Development – ‘Outstanding’
• Leadership and Management – ‘Outstanding’
• Overall Effectiveness – ‘Outstanding’
• Since the academy opened, rates of progress have improved for all groups of pupils across the school
• Children get an excellent start to Academy life in the Nursery and Reception classes. Attainment at the end of Reception is well above national averages.
• Teaching is typically good because teachers know their pupils very well and plan work carefully to meet their differing needs.
• The Principal is bringing about rapid improvements in achievement and teaching.
Pupils were also commended for their exceptional behaviour with inspectors noting that “they care about one another and show this in numerous ways. They are eager to learn and highly attentive in lessons. Inspectors saw no low-level disruption or poor behaviour anywhere in the Academy.”
Jessie Kaur Elbaz added, “The highest praise has to go to the children themselves who on a daily basis make a decision both to try their hardest and to care and look after one another. As well as delivering the best possible education, we seek to nurture each young person to grow up to become positive and active members of their families and communities. As the report has noted, this approach is clearly bearing fruit.”
A full copy for the report can be accessed through the academy website: www.oasisacademyboulton.org