Melksham Oak Community School

Overview

The report describes a school with a “growing culture of ambition and raised aspirations,” where most pupils respond well to high expectations. Leaders have established routines that help pupils behave, creating calm lessons and an organised atmosphere during social times. Overall, the school is judged as Good across all inspection categories.

Strengths

• Leaders have planned an “ambitious and broad curriculum” using ‘big’ questions, with subject leaders identifying clear steps of learning in most subjects.
• Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are “well supported,” with staff understanding individual needs and successfully breaking down learning.
• The sixth-form provision is “well-considered,” offering a wide enrichment programme that prepares students for success and life skills.
• Governors are “highly skilled,” holding leaders to account rigorously and providing support while fulfilling statutory duties.
• Pupils have a “good understanding of relationships and diversity” through a well-designed personal, social and health education curriculum.

Areas to improve

• In some subject areas, the curriculum has not been planned thoroughly to consider the steps of learning, meaning “pupils do not understand the learning.”
• Leaders, staff, and pupils need to work together to address the use of derogatory language among a small group of pupils to ensure a “positive culture of respect.”
• Leaders do not always use data in an informed way, such as analysing information to understand trends, limiting their ability to fully inform actions.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective, with staff maintaining a “secure culture of safeguarding” through a ‘no matter is too small’ approach to reporting concerns.