Oasis Academy Sholing Review 2026: A behaviour-led reset, with teaching consistency as the next frontier

This is a large, mixed 11–16 secondary in Sholing, Southampton, serving a broad local intake and operating within Oasis Community Learning. The current principal is Martin Brown.

The February 2025 Ofsted inspection judged Quality of Education as Requires Improvement, with Behaviour and Attitudes, Personal Development, and Leadership and Management all judged Good (and no overall grade under the post-September 2024 framework).

The headline story for families is improvement momentum, with a clear push on routines, conduct and belonging, alongside a curriculum that aims high but does not yet land with consistent impact in every classroom. Behaviour is described as calmer and more settled than it has been, while the inspection also flags variability in how well teaching responds to gaps and adapts learning for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

For practicalities, the academy day runs 8.30am to 3.00pm, and enrichment typically runs after school.

A useful way to understand the current feel is to start with culture, not buildings. The academy has put significant emphasis on expectations, belonging and shared language, which shows up in how systems are framed. The house structure is used as a daily mechanism for recognition and motivation, with points, competitions and events that go beyond sport into quizzes, cooking challenges and problem-solving activities.

The “kind place to learn” description that appears in official inspection commentary aligns with a wider narrative of raised expectations and clearer routines, rather than a soft approach. Pupils are expected to meet standards, and the organisation work is designed to make that feasible for most students most of the time.

Leadership is visible across the website through practical information, staffing and safeguarding structures. The senior leadership team and key pastoral roles are published, including a designated safeguarding lead within the leadership team. This matters because families assessing a school on an improvement journey usually want reassurance that responsibility is explicit, not informal.

There is also a strong emphasis on student voice, with a student leadership structure referenced in inspection evidence, including pupils influencing charity choices. In an 11–16 setting, where pupils are making earlier decisions about GCSE routes and post-16 pathways, this kind of participation can contribute to engagement, but only if it is coupled with strong classroom delivery.

Outcomes paint a demanding picture. On FindMySchool’s GCSE performance ranking, the academy is ranked 2921st in England and 16th locally in Southampton, which places it below England average overall and within the lower performance band nationally (the bottom 40% of schools in England on this measure).

The underlying performance indicators reinforce that message. The academy’s Attainment 8 score is 38.6, its EBacc average point score is 3.62, and Progress 8 is -0.66. The proportion achieving grades 5 or above across the EBacc suite is 10.8%.

The key implication for families is that progress and attainment are currently not where leaders want them to be, and the “why” is not mysterious. The most recent inspection narrative points directly to variability in classroom practice, including how consistently teaching corrects misconceptions and closes knowledge gaps, plus uneven adaptation for pupils with SEND.

For parents comparing local options, the FindMySchool Local Hub and Comparison Tool can be helpful for seeing how these indicators sit alongside nearby schools, particularly when you want to weigh academic measures against travel time and the admissions reality.

The curriculum intent is ambitious and structured. Subject pages describe sequences designed to build knowledge over time, and the inspection confirms a sequential approach aiming to equip pupils with the knowledge and skills leaders expect.

Where teaching works well, the evidence suggests strong subject knowledge and clear explanation. That typically shows up as calmer lessons, fewer interruptions, and pupils being able to build confidence in foundational skills such as reading, with additional support for those who find reading difficult.

The practical challenge is consistency. The inspection narrative is explicit that, in some lessons, activities do not reliably help pupils learn the important content the curriculum sets out, and that learning sometimes moves on before concepts are properly understood. The impact is most acute for disadvantaged pupils and for pupils whose attendance is not regular, because gaps compound quickly when teaching does not repeatedly check, correct and revisit learning.

SEND sits within that same theme. The issue is not awareness of need, it is the reliability of day-to-day adaptation so that pupils can access the curriculum without being left behind. Families of children with additional needs should therefore focus questions on classroom scaffolding, literacy support, and how subject teachers are trained and supported to adapt in lessons, not only on specialist staffing.

As an 11–16 school, the academy’s job is to prepare students for a range of post-16 pathways rather than sixth form study on site. The careers programme is framed around the Gatsby Benchmarks and includes exposure to different routes, including encounters with further and higher education.

The strongest indicator in the inspection narrative is that careers education is integrated, with pupils supported to make impartial and ambitious decisions about next steps. In practice, that should mean families can expect structured guidance around college, sixth form, apprenticeships and training options, alongside practical support for applications and interviews in Year 11.

If you are shortlisting, it is reasonable to ask what proportion of Year 11 remain in education or training, and what local colleges and sixth forms are most common destinations. Where a school does not publish destination numbers, the best approach is to request an anonymised destinations overview at an open event or via the careers lead.

Year 7 admission is set at a published admissions number of 210 for September 2026 entry. The oversubscription criteria follow a standard pattern: looked-after and previously looked-after children first, then children with exceptional medical or social care reasons evidenced appropriately, then siblings, and then distance. Distance is described as a straight-line measurement to the nearest pedestrian gate, using mapping data supplied by Ordnance Survey.

Demand is real rather than theoretical. In the most recent dataset year provided, there were 334 applications for 201 offers for the main Year 7 route, which indicates oversubscription and roughly 1.66 applications per offered place. The last distance offered figure is not available so families should assume that proximity can matter and check the local authority’s published admissions guidance for how distance is measured and how ties are broken.

For Southampton families applying for Year 7 places for September 2026, the local authority window opened on 01 September 2025 and closed on 31 October 2025 (at 11.59pm). The national notification date for secondary transfer for that cycle is in early March 2026. For future cycles, the timing typically follows the same pattern each year, so families looking at September 2027 entry should plan for a September-to-October application window, then offers in early March.

To avoid surprises, families should use FindMySchoolMap Search to test their exact distance-to-gate against recent allocation patterns, and to sanity-check travel routes before listing preferences.

Pastoral effectiveness is one of the clearest strengths. The inspection narrative points to improved behaviour, clearer routines and a more settled learning environment, supported by a consistent approach to promoting positive conduct.

Safeguarding is described as effective, which is a baseline requirement but still worth stating plainly in a community-facing review. The academy also signposts external support and local partnerships for families, which can be helpful when students need early intervention or community-based services alongside school support.

Attendance is flagged as a priority area, and the inspection text describes a detailed approach to identifying pupils who need additional support, including therapeutic input and work with external experts. The limitation is that persistent and significant absence remains too high, which matters because academic recovery is extremely difficult without regular attendance in a five-lesson-per-day model.

Enrichment is presented as a daily routine rather than an occasional add-on. The academy states that extracurricular provision runs after school each day, typically between 3pm and 4pm, with encouragement for pupils across Years 7 to 11 to take part.

The club offer includes a mix of academic reinforcement and identity-building spaces. Examples from published club timetables include Homework Club in the Learning Resource Centre, KS4 Photography Club, Science Club, KS4 Cookery Club, a Creative Writing Club for Key Stage 3, and a dedicated LGBTQIA+ club. There are also interest-led clubs such as Magic: The Gathering and Board Game Club, plus Book Club and Crochet Club.

Sport is present in both participation and fixtures, with timetabled opportunities including football, netball and basketball, alongside structured categories that separate skill development from competition. The implication for families is that extracurricular life can support attendance and belonging, especially for pupils who find the classroom harder. However, it only has full value if learning during lessons is consistently strong, because clubs cannot compensate for gaps created by uneven classroom practice.

The academy day runs Monday to Friday from 8.30am to 3.00pm, with a tutor period followed by five lessons and structured breaks.

Breakfast provision is available before the school day, with a breakfast club running from 7.45am to 8.30am. After-school enrichment typically runs 3.00pm to 4.00pm on school days, based on the published enrichment model.

Uniform expectations are detailed and traditional, including a required blazer and tie, with clear rules on shirt colour and acceptable trousers.

For transport, local bus information indicates that a regular service stops nearby on Spring Road, which may suit families relying on public transport.

• Academic recovery still required. The current performance picture is below England average on FindMySchool’s GCSE ranking and is supported by a negative Progress 8 figure. This can be the right choice for some pupils, but families should be realistic about the scale of improvement still needed and ask for specific examples of how teaching consistency is being strengthened.

• Teaching variability. Official inspection evidence highlights inconsistency in how well gaps and misconceptions are addressed, and uneven adaptation for pupils with SEND. This matters most for students who need structured scaffolding and repeated checking for understanding.

• Attendance expectations. Attendance improvement is a stated priority and an active focus. For families where attendance has already been a challenge, it is worth discussing support strategies early, including how pastoral teams work with families and external services.

• Admissions demand. The school is oversubscribed in the main Year 7 route year provided. If you are applying from outside the immediate locality, it is sensible to treat admission as uncertain and shortlist alternatives in parallel.

Oasis Academy Sholing is best understood as a school in the midst of a disciplined reset. Behaviour, routines and personal development are moving in the right direction, and the day structure, enrichment model and pastoral emphasis are set up to support engagement.

Who it suits: families in the Sholing area who prioritise a clear behavioural culture, structured routines and a growing sense of belonging, and who are prepared to engage actively with attendance and learning. The core question for parents is not whether the school has a plan, it does, but whether classroom consistency and outcomes will rise quickly enough for their child’s stage and needs.