Welcome to Oakway Academy
We are very proud of our continually improving academy, come and visit and you will see PRIDE in action!
Oakway has been educating children in our local area for over 50 years, there have been many changes over that time but we have always been at the heart of the community; with generations of families attending. We are a large primary school catering for up to 630 children in 21 classes with extensive provision for pastoral care and children with additional educational needs. Visiting our school is highly recommended as we have spectacular grounds with extensive outdoor learning opportunities.
In 2014 we entered into a new era, becoming part of Hatton Academies Trust, a local family of schools working together to ensure the highest quality of education Working together with the other schools in the Trust provides opportunities for our children and staff to continually improve.
Involving and supporting families in their child’s learning and progress is essential if they are to reach their potential. At Oakway Academy we strive to support families in a variety of ways to ensure that children can transfer their learning experiences between school and home. Parent voice and feedback is essential to our continued self-evaluation and improvement, together we are Growing PRIDE at Oakway Academy.
Our mission Statement ‘Growing PRIDE’ underpins our ethos and drives everything we do in order to improve outcomes for all learners. Our PRIDE values of Passion, Responsibility, Independence, Determination and Enjoyment represent the traits we are seeking to develop in our children so they understand how to be successful within the academy and British Society as a whole. We are a nurturing and welcoming community academy where relationships with children and families and each other as staff are at the forefront of everything we do.
The dedicated staff is the machine that drives our academy. Every member of staff believes that our children deserve the very best and as a result, they are always developing their skills to ensure the highest possible educational experiences.
If you require a paper copy of any of the information on our website, please speak to the school office who will be happy to help you.
“I am delighted to be writing to you to introduce myself as the Principal at Oakway Academy.
As many of you may know, I have been at Oakway Academy for sixteen years. I came in 2005 as a student, then a newly qualified teacher and eventually progressed to Vice Principal before being appointed as Principal in April 2020. In the seven years as Vice Principal I had a fantastic apprenticeship to my new position by working extremely closely with our previous Principal Mrs Wallace, the CEO of Hatton Academies Trust, Rob Hardcastle and the Directors of the Trust to attain our Ofsted judgement of Requires Improvement with Good in; leadership and management; early years and; behaviour, safety and welfare.
I am passionate about Oakway Academy and feel extremely proud and honoured to be its’ Principal. I look forward to working very closely with the directors, staff, parents and children to build upon the successes that have already been secured and to take the school forward in the next phase of history and development. I intend to ensure that Oakway Academy continues with the same ethos, care and values that it has built up for as long as I have worked here. The school and community are very important to me and I wholeheartedly support the Oakway PRIDE values of Passion, Responsibility, Independence, Determination and Enjoyment.
Change is a fact of life and I firmly believe that Oakway Academy cannot and should not stand still. Alongside the talented leadership team we aim to lead change in a way that is respectful of what has gone before. I would like to take this opportunity to introduce James Hollingsworth and Angie Aitken as Heads of School and Rebecca Owen, Laura Mutlow and Vicky Lochridge as Assistant Principals. Our simple vision is to make learning and teaching our number one priority and to focus our attention on the factors that help children to learn. In doing so we aim to raise academic achievement in all areas and to continue the improvement journey that we have already started.
I believe that a successful and happy academy depends on all of us working together. Parents make an important contribution to children’s achievements at school, and I want to continue to develop relationships between the academy and parents for everyone’s benefit.
If you have any concerns, then please do not hesitate to speak to me. Please email Claire Waters, Assistant to Senior Leadership Team on c.waters@oakwayacademy.org.uk or leave a message at the office and I will endeavor to get back to you as soon as possible.
Thank you for your continued commitment and support for the Academy.”
Claire Byron – Principal
“The central mission of all at Hatton Academies Trust is to provide an education without limits for every student we have the privilege to educate, regardless of their background.
We recognise the power that education has to remove the deeply ingrained link between poverty and academic underperformance.
In order to achieve our mission, we do not over complicate and strive to secure teaching that is consistently excellent, leadership that is outcomes focussed and inspiring and standards of behaviour that are rated as exemplary.
The other part of our mission statement is to act with integrity at all times. In order to achieve this, we expect all who work in our organisation to put the best interests of our students at the heart of every decision made. We place great emphasis on building effective partnerships and relationships across all of our student, professional, parental and leadership groups.
As an organisation we are humble, we recognise that professional learning flows from our interactions with all practitioners who work with us and who work outside of our organisation. Excellence can be found in every school and it is our professional duty to seek this out, use it to improve ourselves and others and ensure we celebrate it. Our successes are built on the hard work and professionalism demonstrated by each of us.
As a Trust, we are in the privileged position to be able to play a leadership role in shaping the future of our sector and of society. As CST state in their recent paper – A Bridge to the Future, ‘Civic Trusts are created with the sole purpose of advancing education for the public benefit’. If we are to aspire to this, we need to demonstrate leadership that acts with and on the education system in place through maximising the benefits or working with others, whilst improving the system in which we work.
We welcome those who wish to come and experience our educational provision and learn about the values upon which that provision is based. Our academies are places where our students are happy, learn effectively and develop as well rounded people. Without exception, we expect their choices of behaviour to be pro-social and positive and support them to achieve this as they complete their educational journey with us.
More information can be found about the Trust on our website and via our Trust Strategy which can be found by clicking here.
Rob Hardcastle – CEO
Meet the staff
Senior Leadership Team
Mrs Claire Byron
Principal
Mrs Angie Aitken
Head of School
Mr James Hollingsworth
Head of School
Miss Becky Owen
Assistant Principal
Mrs Vicky Lochridge
Assistant Principal