Outwood Academy Newbold

Inspection of a good school: Outwood Academy Newbold Highfield Lane, Newbold, Chesterfield, Derbyshire S41 8BA

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Inspection dates: 22 and 23 November 2022

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Outcome

Outwood Academy Newbold continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to attend Outwood Academy Newbold. One described how the school had made him ‘a better person’. This comment summed up how others feel. Pupils know that the school’s rules are there to support them. They feel safe here, knowing that staff will tackle any bullying immediately.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) feel valued. They readily express their views on what the school does well and where it can do better. They are supported well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and staff expect much of pupils. Pupils appreciate the school’s high standards and want to live up to them. They can get on with their work in class because staff manage their behaviour consistently. Leaders have listened to pupils’ feedback. For example, they have improved the support for pupils’ mental health.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Younger pupils, especially those in Year 7, are excited by the opportunities they have. They especially enjoyed their recent visit to Bletchley Park. Some older pupils feel that what they learn in ‘Life’ lessons is not meeting their needs.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Teachers give pupils the belief that they can achieve well. The curriculum is ambitious. On occasion, pupils need more help to remember their learning.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders want the ‘best education for every child’. They have thought carefully about what they want pupils to learn. For example, leaders feel passionately about the literary works that pupils should experience. In art, teachers take pupils on a creative journey, building their knowledge of different techniques and different artists. In languages, teachers do not shy away from teaching complex grammar at an early stage of learning. The proportion of pupils who take a GCSE in a modern foreign language, and other academic qualifications, is steadily increasing. 22 and 23 November 2022

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Leaders are determined that pupils with SEND will learn exactly what others learn. Pupils in the Autism Resource Centre (ARC) spend most of their time in class with their peers. When they are in ARC, they follow the same curriculum as their peers. Staff encourage these pupils to try their best. They help them with the things they find difficult. Pupils with SEND achieve well. Like other pupils, they do exceptionally well in art.

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Teachers know their subjects well. They explain things clearly and show pupils how to be successful in examinations. Pupils do not have enough opportunity to go over what they have learned previously. Occasionally, they attempt complex tasks before they are ready.

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Pupils read widely. Teachers enthuse pupils with their love of books. They set challenging targets to encourage pupils to read on in their books.

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In key stage 3, pupils learn a wide range of subjects. Those in key stage 4 have missed some learning, for example in physical education, in order to catch up in English and mathematics. Leaders plan that in future all pupils will learn a wide range of subjects until the end of key stage 4.

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Students in the sixth form describe their teachers as ‘super nice and supportive’. They appreciate the efforts that teachers take to help them. They explained how leaders have acted on feedback from the student voice groups to improve support for mental health. Students were keen to explain how they have supported each other, for example by creating a playlist of mood-lifting songs.

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Staff never tolerate poor behaviour. Leaders’ approach of ‘authority with heart’ includes training staff how to defuse situations. The proportion of pupils who receive a suspension is falling sharply.

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Pupils have mixed views about how the school supports their personal development. Some enjoy their ‘Life’ lessons. Others feel that these lessons do not fully meet their needs. They would like more opportunities to discuss and debate issues that are important to them. Leaders are proud of their work to promote equalities, for example by hosting the region’s first-ever school-based Pride. Pupils largely agree that staff would challenge any form of prejudice.

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Many staff agree that leaders do their best to reduce workload. Some think that leaders ask them to do things that are an unnecessary burden. Trust leaders have put a workplace charter in place to address these concerns.

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Governors and trustees carry out their roles effectively. Members of the academy council ensure that the local community has a voice in the running of the school. Trustees get detailed and accurate information about the school’s performance. They use this information well to encourage leaders to do better. The trust supports school leaders well, for example with the curriculum, safeguarding and attendance. 22 and 23 November 2022

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff know what to do if they are worried about a pupil. Leaders ensure that pupils and families get the support they need. They meet regularly to share information and review concerns they have. Leaders have put in extra support for pupils who are struggling to attend well, for example by visiting them at home.

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Safeguarding

Pupils learn how to stay safe in a range of situations. Leaders have trained staff and governors in child-on-child abuse. They have the right procedures in place to deal with sexual harassment and sexual abuse.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders have constructed an ambitious and well-sequenced curriculum. Occasionally, pupils struggle to remember their learning. They are asked to complete tasks that are too complex. Teachers should ensure that pupils have sufficient opportunity to revisit their learning so it is embedded in their long-term memory. They should ensure that pupils have secured the small steps in knowledge necessary to complete more complex composite tasks.  Pupils in key stage 4 do not all feel that their learning in ‘Life’ lessons meets their needs. They do not have enough opportunities to contribute their views or discuss and debate issues that are important to them. Leaders should ensure that they listen to pupils’ views in designing the content of the personal development curriculum. They should ensure that this curriculum allows pupils sufficient opportunity for meaningful discussion.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in November 2017. 22 and 23 November 2022

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. 22 and 23 November 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10242229 Type of school Secondary comprehensive

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provision

Number of pupils on the school roll 1044

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form

Dates of previous inspection 14 and 15 November 2017, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Outwood Grange Multi-Academy Trust.  The school has an ARC, which supports pupils who have autism spectrum disorder. There are currently 16 pupils in the ARC provision.  The school uses one alternative provider. This provider is not registered.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 22 and 23 November 2022

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 Inspectors met with the principal and other members of the senior leadership team. The lead inspector met with executive leaders from the trust, including the chief executive officer. The lead inspector met members of the academy council.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, mathematics, modern foreign languages and art. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in class and around school. They spoke with pupils about behaviour and what the school does to keep them safe, including their learning in Life lessons. The lead inspector spoke to single-sex groups about the school’s work to promote equalities.  The lead inspector met the designated safeguarding lead and looked at a range of

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information relating to safeguarding. Discussions were also held with leaders for personal development, attendance and behaviour. The lead inspector visited the ARC provision.  Inspectors considered the views given in Ofsted’s online surveys for staff and parents and carers. There were no responses to the pupil survey.

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Inspection team

Deirdre Duignan, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Karen Hayes Ofsted Inspector 22 and 23 November 2022

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regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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