Outwood Academy Danum

Inspection of Outwood Academy Danum Armthorpe Road, Doncaster, South Yorkshire DN2 5QD

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Sixth-form provision Good Previous inspection grade Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

The principal of this school is Amanda Crane. This school is part of Outwood Grange Academies Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Lee Wilson, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by David Earnshaw. 8 and 9 May 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is an inclusive school which prepares pupils to be responsible citizens. Pupils of every background are provided with the opportunities they need to be successful. The school provides a range of specialist support for pupils with additional needs, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most pupils have positive relationships with their teachers and value their lessons. They learn and remember new information and are successful in assessments and examinations. Sixth-form students are positive about their experience and feel well prepared for their future careers.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils routinely behave well in lessons and around the school site. Some pupils do not attend regularly enough, and some pupils are suspended frequently. These pupils miss valuable learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy a range of opportunities that develop their character and widen their life experience. Pupils take part in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, and a range of clubs such as basketball, oil painting, debating and journalism. A ‘climate change crew’ has influenced changes to school policies to improve sustainability. Sixth-form students actively lead initiatives through the school parliament and mentor younger pupils.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe at the school. They are taught about the dangers of online grooming and knife crime. Bullying is not frequent and is dealt with if it occurs.

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better?

The school provides a curriculum which gives pupils the best possible start in life. Leaders have carefully designed the curriculum to meet the needs of pupils and those of future employers. For example, a new T level in health has been introduced to allow students in the sixth form access to local opportunities in the healthcare sector. Pupils leave the school with qualifications that allow them to access higher education, training and employment.

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better?

Teachers have good subject knowledge and enjoy working at the school. They are well trained. They plan lessons which allow pupils to develop their understanding and skills. Pupils revisit what they have learned regularly through retrieval tasks and assessments. This helps them to remember and build on what they have learned. The school ensures that gaps in knowledge are addressed. For example, the school employs intervention teachers who analyse assessments and provide bespoke lessons for small groups of pupils. Sixth-form students are taught in small groups and value the one-to-one support they receive from teachers.

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better?

Most pupils progress well through the curriculum. Some pupils, including those who are disadvantaged and those who are higher attaining, do not consistently make the progress that they could. Leaders recognise this and have introduced strategies to 8 and 9 May 2024

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ensure the progress of these pupils improves. The school has invested in specialised provisions to support different groups of pupils. For example, pupils that require additional academic support receive personalised lessons at the school’s ‘personalised learning centre’. Pupils that have specific needs, such as dyslexia, are supported at the school’s ‘bridge’ provision. In the words of one pupil, representing many, ‘the one-to-one sessions help things to stick and make sense’.

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The school has a resourced provision, the ‘ARC’, for deaf pupils. Teachers have specialised training to support these pupils. The pupils are fully included in mainstream lessons and the wider life of the school, such as taking part in school drama productions. Extra-curricular clubs such as a British Sign Language club help to educate other pupils about hearing impairment.

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Leaders emphasise the importance of reading throughout all aspects of the school. The school provides a vending machine for books and celebrates pupils that read regularly. Some pupils are nominated as reading champions and help to promote a love of reading to others. Pupils who are less confident at reading are quickly identified and provided with appropriate intervention.

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Most pupils behave well. They are polite, courteous and respectful. Pupils are attentive in lessons and behave sensibly in social spaces, such as the school dining area. Some pupils do not attend school regularly and miss important learning. Some pupils have not adapted to the school’s heightened expectations of behaviour and, as a result, are suspended. The school has recently recruited additional staff to work in the ‘personal development centre’ to work with pupils that have behavioural needs. However, suspensions remain high, and as a result some pupils miss opportunities to learn.

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Pupils receive a comprehensive programme of personal development. They learn about pertinent themes such as consent, healthy relationships, drugs and online grooming. Sixth-form students learn about managing finances, mortgages and sexual health. Pupils have tolerant attitudes to others and learn about fundamental British values and different world faiths. Pupils are prepared for their future and know about future career opportunities.

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Leaders at the school have a clear vision for the school. They are driven by a moral purpose to improve the life chances for all pupils. Leaders carefully evaluate areas of need at the school and introduce appropriate strategies to improve provision. Staff workload is considered to be manageable, and staff value the comprehensive training opportunities provided by the trust. Governors and trustees have an accurate understanding of the school and work effectively to challenge and support leaders.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 8 and 9 May 2024

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some pupils do not attend regularly and too many pupils are persistently absent. Although attendance for most pupil groups shows a trend of improvement, a significant number of pupils still miss too many lessons and this reduces the progress they make through the curriculum. The school should continue its work to improve attendance across all pupil groups.  The number of suspensions and repeat suspensions is high. As a result, too many pupils miss opportunities to learn. Although the school has introduced measures to reduce suspensions, these are still relatively new. The school should continue its work to reduce the number of suspensions and ensure that learning opportunities are not missed.  Some groups of pupils, notably those who are disadvantaged and those of high prior attainment, do not make the progress that they could. This limits their achievement and outcomes. The school should ensure that there is significant

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

improvement in the progress that these pupil groups make.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to 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’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 8 and 9 May 2024

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provision

Number of pupils on the school roll 1,224

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sixth form

Dates of previous inspection 29 and 30 November 2018, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Outwood Academy Danum joined Outwood Grange Academies Trust in September 2016. The school is one of 41 schools in the trust.  The school uses seven unregistered and three registered alternative providers of education.  The school shares sixth-form provision with another school in the trust, Outwood Academy Adwick.  The school has resourced provision (the ‘ARC’) for deaf pupils. The school also has internal provisions (‘the bridge’, ‘personalised learning centre’ and ‘personal development centre’) which support pupils with SEND and behavioural needs.  The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 13 with information and 8 and 9 May 2024

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engagement about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the principal, other leaders, staff and pupils. They met with governors and trustees. They met with the CEO.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, geography, science, art and design, and mathematics. 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 visited the resourced provision for pupils with SEND. They visited the internal provisions for pupils with additional needs. Inspectors visited lessons and

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Information about this inspection

considered how the needs of disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND are met. They observed pupils at various times of the school day.  Inspectors spoke to representatives from a sample of the alternative provisions used by the school.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; considered the views of parents; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.

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Inspection team

Chris Carr, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Dan Whieldon Ofsted Inspector 8 and 9 May 2024

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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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