Welcome to Oakway Academy
Growing Pride
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.
“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 Vice Principals and Rebecca Owen and Laura Mutlow 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
Senior Leadership Team
Meet the staff
Mrs Claire Byron
Principal
Mrs Angie Aitken
Vice Principal
Mr James Hollingsworth
Vice Principal
Miss Becky Owen
Assistant Principal
Mrs Laura Mutlow
Assistant Principal
Mrs Kate Pettifer
Business ManagerEYFS
Miss Becky Owen
Strategic Lead & Asst Principal
Mrs Vicky Lochridge
EYFS Lead & Class Teacher
Miss Abby Skinner
Class Teacher
Miss Jayda Southgate
Class Teacher
Miss Melissa Leadbeater
Teaching Assistant
Mrs Amanda Wilson
Teaching Assistant
Miss Hannah Forward
Teaching AssistantYear 1
Miss Becky Owen
Phase Lead & Assistant Principal
Mrs Lisa Parker
Class TeacherMiss Kimberly Letch
Class Teacher
Mrs Zoe Cornish
Class Teacher
Miss Sacha Charman
Teaching Assistant
Miss Sarah Leon
Teaching AssistantMrs Carole Elliott
Teaching Assistant
Miss Tara Williams
HLTAYear 2
Mr James Hollingsworth
Phase Lead & Vice Principal
Miss Ivy Lee
Class Teacher
Mrs Rebecca Hawker
Class Teacher
Mrs Caroline Bellham
Class Teacher
Mrs Carly Dunn
Teaching AssistantMrs Aggie Cieszczyk
Teaching Assistant
Mrs Tracey Lacy
Teaching AssistantYear 3
Mr James Hollingsworth
Phase Lead & Vice Principal
Miss Amy Walker
Class Teacher
Miss Tiffany Ho
Class Teacher
Mrs Natasha Williams
Class Teacher
Miss Claire Chapman
Teaching AssistantMrs Janette Shores
Teaching AssistantYear 4
Mrs Claire Byron
Phase Lead & Principal
Miss Sarah Walker
Class Teacher
Miss Danielle Pratt
Class Teacher
Mrs Rowan Brawn
Class Teacher
Mrs Jemma Barnes
Class Teacher
Mr Paul Chandler
Teaching Assistant
Miss Laura Hunt
Teaching AssistantMiss Hannah Morgan
Teaching Assistant
Mrs Melissa Langham
Additional TeacherYear 5
Mrs Angie Aitken
Phase Lead & Vice PrincipalMiss Sophie Lea
Class TeacherMrs Jane Liddington
Class TeacherMiss Laura Marshall
Class Teacher
Mrs Tara Jarrett
Teaching AssistantYear 6
Mrs Angie Aitken
Phase Lead & Vice Principal
Miss Sidrah Akhtar
Class Teacher
Mrs Kerry Brewer
Class Teacher
Mrs Larissa Nash
Class Teacher
Miss Bethany Mayes
Class TeacherIntervention Teachers
Miss Kerry Taylor
Additional TeacherPE Team
Mr Jack White
Team Ace Teacher
Ms Corinne Gingell
Team Champ Teacher
Mr Sam Innes
Team Bravo TeacherMr Paul Chandler
Additional TeacherMaternity Leave
Mrs Kirstin Jones
Additional TeacherMrs Megan Bristow
Class Teacher
Mrs Katie Perry
Class TeacherInclusion Team
Mrs Jacinta Gordon
SENCo & DSL
Mrs Marli Uys
Speech & Language Assistant
Mrs Rachel Giles
Speech & Language AssistantMrs Sandra Golley
Inclusion AssistantMrs Angela Riley
Inclusion Assistant
Mr Paul Belham
Inclusion AssistantMrs Jordan Indge
Inclusion AssistantMiss Lily Clark
Inclusion AssistantWelfare Team
Mrs Laura Mutlow
Lead DSL & Assistant PrincipalMrs Jacinta Gordon
SENCo & DSL
Miss Terri Needs
Attendance Officer & DSL
Miss Lois Benta
Welfare Officer & DSLMiss Deena Singh
Welfare Officer & DSL
Mrs Kelly Underwood
Welfare Officer & DSLSite Team
Miss Lisa Marriott
Site SupervisorAdmin Team
Mrs Kate Pettifer
Business Manager
Mrs Claire Waters
Assistant to SLT
Miss Nic Redden
Receptionist
Mrs Jacqui Baldry
Data AdministratorMiss Suzy Caffin
Finance Assistant
Mrs Cindy Howes
Inclusion AdministratorMrs Hayley Hyde
Admin AssistantLunchtime Supervisor Team
Mrs Hayley Hyde
Senior LTS
Miss Sam Godfrey
Lunchtime SupervisorMiss Juliette Henry
Lunchtime Supervisor
Mrs Julie Kaczmaryk
Lunchtime Supervisor
Ms Sally Patrick
Lunchtime Supervisor
Mrs Annemarie Sambridge
Lunchtime SupervisorMrs Heather Kelland
Lunchtime SupervisorMrs Zoe Brown
Lunchtime SupervisorMrs Susan Dewan
Lunchtime SupervisorMiss Danielle Aldred
Lunchtime SupervisorMrs Claire Hopkins
Lunchtime SupervisorMiss Michelle Dunkling
Lunchtime Supervisor
Here at Oakway Academy we are extremely proud of the achievements of all our pupils and the dedication and care provided by the staff. We aim to be the very best we can be and we encourage all members of our school community to set high standards in whatever they do.
The PRIDE values are fully embedded into our teaching ethos where we ensure that all children understand the values and what they look like in different situations.