Oakbank School Triumphs After Major Turnaround!

A Berkshire secondary that faced parent protests is "no longer failing", Greenshaw Learning Trust's chief executive says, after a major turnaround.

Oakbank School in Ryeish Green was rated inadequate in all four key areas by Ofsted two years ago. Parents protested before Greenshaw took over from Anthem Schools Trust in September 2025.

Will Smith told Wokingham Borough Council the trust inherited "deep systematic safeguarding, behavioural and educational outcome challenges" but has spent the past year changing how the school operates.

He said the aim was to create a calm, safe place "where teachers can teach, where children can learn free from distractions" and where vulnerable children are "supported rather than excluded".

Results have improved: Oakbank achieved its best-ever GCSEs this summer, with the pass rate including English and maths close to 60 per cent and 72 per cent passing English. Outcomes for disadvantaged pupils improved by almost 15 percentage points, helping to halve the attainment gap.

Attendance has risen from just under 84 per cent to almost 90 per cent. "Attendance, which is a national challenge, has risen to just shy of 90 per cent from 84 per cent this time last year. These numbers might not sound very different but they are very different in terms of improvement."

"We are really thrilled with the fact children are attending and equally importantly, they want to attend. They feel safe and they are thriving in lessons," he added.

Suspensions have fallen by almost two-thirds compared with the same period last year, and among children with additional needs and care plans they fell from 56 to three.

Inspectors in November 2024 had found safeguarding arrangements were not effective, many pupils did not enjoy school and instability in staffing and leadership had "destabilised" the school. Parents protested in February 2025 and Anthem stepped down.

Rebuilding Oakbank's reputation remains a challenge. Councillor Rebecca Margetts said restoring confidence so parents want their children to attend is now "the big issue".

Smith said Greenshaw welcomes visits. He said "every day is an open day" and that inviting Ofsted back early is possible but carries "a certain element of risk".

He praised the local community, saying "In many ways, the community at Oakbank is what makes the school," and thanked MPs, councillors and council officers for their support.

Greenshaw Learning Trust now runs 40 primary, secondary and special schools across the south of England, including eight in Berkshire. That includes the former John Madejski Academy in Whitley, renamed Hartland High School this month.

Katie French, Local Democracy Reporter