Ofsted Update

Dear families,  

On the 23^rd September, our school had its first ungraded Ofsted monitoring visit since our last full inspection. HMI Inspector, Chris Carr, visited Beckfoot Oakbank to report on the school’s progress since our last inspection in January.  

We are very pleased to say that Inspectors noted that Beckfoot Oakbank has significantly improved the culture of behaviour across the school, with pupils reporting this as “typical”. This reflects all the hard work we have done to transform our school and create a positive, thriving environment for learning. The report highlights words such as calm, consistent, improved, thoughtful, and supported – a true reflection of the progress our community has made. 

The report shares many more details, and I’d encourage you to read it in full. In the meantime, we want to thank you all -families, students, and staff for everything you’ve done to support us on our journey to becoming remarkable. 

Ofsted judgement  

While the school’s official status will remain the same until the next full inspection, this is simply part of the Ofsted process, the latest visit was overwhelmingly positive. Inspectors recognised the genuine progress and transformation taking place across our school. We expect a full inspection within the next 18 months and feel confident that, when it happens, our achievements will be clearly reflected. 

Ofsted report  

The report clearly recognises the following key improvements:  

• The development of leadership capacity which has strengthened our ability to drive and sustain improvement.   

• The calm and purposeful atmosphere of the whole school building, including during transitions around the building and classrooms.  

• Positive feedback from pupils who have been suspended, reflecting our commitment to supporting students to continue and return to learning.  

• The clear impact of our ‘kind and consistent’ approach, which can be seen and heard throughout our school.  

• The positive impact of the CTMC on our young people.  

• Our leaders’ improved use and understanding of attendance data to drive effective challenge and reward. 

• The continued support and accountability of our Trust and external partners.  

There is much more to come from Beckfoot Oakbank! Our next steps from this report are clear:  

• Build on the excellent work we’ve already completed to improve behaviour at social times.  

• Continue to strengthen support for children and families following suspensions, ensuring every child feels valued and guided. 

• Continue to develop our support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) – this work is progressing well, though it will take time to embed fully. 

• Keep building on the quality of education to secure the highest standards of teaching and learning across the school. 

Please be assured that we are already addressing every area highlighted. Although we are already well staffed, we have advertised for additional specialist teachers in English, Maths, and Science to coach and mentor others. Our aim remains to build the strongest workforce in the area so that your child receives the highest-quality education. 

We also remain committed to all aspects of school life. When we last wrote to you, we had 48 clubs running each week, and in just two weeks, that number has already grown to 67. We are delighted to see how much our pupils are enjoying and thriving through these extracurricular activities. 

We have three requests for our families. Firstly, please help us spread the word about Beckfoot Oakbank. Our children, and yours, are truly amazing!  

Secondly, if you ever have a concern, please come and speak to us. Let us try and put things right. We’re only human, and why we may not always get things right, we care deeply and are committed to each child and their success.  

Lastly, please continue to support us with attendance. Children achieve best when they are in lessons every day, and this is crucial in helping them lead successful lives beyond school. A minimum attendance of 95% is essential, and every day really does make a difference. 

Kind regards,  

Andy Burton Chris Ray  

Executive Headteacher  Head of School