Oakhill Church School is charting a positive course towards improvement following its recent Ofsted inspection.

The school was rated as 'Requires Improvement' in several key areas. This marks a shift from its previous 'Good' rating.. Despite the challenges outlined in the Ofsted report, the school is steadfast in its commitment to progress.

The report acknowledges Oakhill's transition phase, with notable changes in leadership and staffing, impacting the consistency of its curriculum and pupil achievement. However, it also highlights the school's nurturing environment and solid staff-pupil relationships.

Inspection Overview:

The inspection report highlighted several challenges faced by the school.

These include inconsistent leadership and staffing changes, leading to uneven expectations and an underdeveloped curriculum. As a result, pupils have exhibited gaps in their knowledge across various subjects.

Despite a solid aspirational vision, the report says the school has not provided a consistently high-quality education.

The school has started introducing a revised curriculum, but the implementation is still in its early stages. The inspector found that staff lacked the necessary subject knowledge, impacting the effective delivery of the curriculum. Reading education is another area highlighted for improvement, with some pupils struggling to develop sufficient reading skills. The inspector also said that some pupils show disruptive behaviour and attitudes, impacting the overall learning environment.

The early years provision at the school's 'Roots' nursery also requires improvement to better prepare children for Year 1.

While the school works effectively with external agencies to support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), there is a need for a curriculum that better supports these pupils' subject knowledge development.

The report also praised the relationships between adults and pupils, and the school environment is deemed safe.

Headteacher's Response:

Headteacher Jude Clements welcomed the inspection report, acknowledging both the school's successes and areas for improvement.

"We recognise, as the report indicates, that the school is emerging from an unsettled period and that we have some key areas to improve," she wrote.

She was encouraged that the inspection findings aligned with the areas the school's leadership team had already identified and begun addressing and confirmed that their efforts are on the right track.

She highlighted introducing a revised curriculum framework to provide "rich and inspiring learning experiences" rooted in the local community. This framework aims to ensure effective intervention, so children meet the curriculum expectations.

Clements' letter also recognised the positive aspects of the school, such as effective safeguarding and improved pupil behaviour.

The school has introduced a new phonics programme, 'Read, Write, Inc', to improve early reading education. This will be a key focus area, with ongoing training for staff and close monitoring by school leaders and governors.

Moving Forward:

With support from the Bath and Wells Multi Academy Trust and a clear plan for improvement, Oakhill Church School is dedicated to enhancing its educational offerings and environment.

"We are especially proud of all the children who met with the inspectors, talked about our school, shared their work and described the positions of leadership and responsibility that they are able to take," Mrs Clements concluded.

"We really value the support given to us by parents, carers and the local community and would like to thank all those who took time to complete the online survey... 'Together we grow from acorns to oaks'

"The Bath and Wells Multi Academy Trust, our staff and our governors have a clear determination to accelerate our school improvement journey by working relentlessly on the key areas for development that will enable every child at Oakhill Church School to flourish."