Outwood Academy Ripon

Inspection of Outwood Academy Ripon Clotherholme Road, Ripon, North Yorkshire HG4 2DE

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Previous inspection grade Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Good

The principal of this school is Rachel Donohue. 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, Lee Wilson, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by David Earnshaw. There is also an executive principal, Cara Ackroyd, who is responsible for this school and others.

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Overall effectiveness Good

This school was last inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 eight years ago and judged ‘Outstanding’ under a previous inspection framework. This reflected the school’s overall effectiveness under the inspection framework in use at the time. From then until November 2020, the school was exempted by law from routine inspection, so there has been a longer gap than usual between graded inspections under section 5 of the Act. The school received an ungraded inspection under section 8 of the Act on 10 and 11 May 2022. Judgements in this report are based on the current inspection framework and also reflect changes that may have happened at any point since the last graded inspection. 2 and 3 July 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Outwood Academy Ripon provides pupils with a strong academic curriculum alongside a breadth of wider opportunities that significantly enhance the education. These opportunities support pupils to develop academically, and as individuals, during their time at the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most pupils at the school behave well. Lessons are calm. Pupils focus on their learning well. Staff praise pupils regularly for their efforts and contributions. Pupils learn to become mature and respectful members of the school community. The ‘academy conduct and expectations’ (ACE) programme helps pupils understand why it is important to make positive choices about their behaviour. A small minority of pupils do not meet the school’s high expectations for behaviour consistently. The school responds effectively in these cases. For example, by using the ‘ACE redeem’ programme to reinforce expectations.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school provides pupils with a rich set of experiences beyond the curriculum. The ‘honours’ programme provides a high-quality character education curriculum. Pupils work towards badges that reward them for demonstrating behaviours that the school wants to promote. For example, pupils earn rewards for volunteering or community service. Many pupils benefit from opportunities such as the Duke of Edinburgh award scheme. The school uses these opportunities to develop pupils’ independence. Each aspect of the school’s personal development offer helps pupils to be better prepared for adulthood.

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better?

Pupils at the school benefit from a high-quality education. They achieve well. Their detailed knowledge, and the qualifications that they achieve, prepare them well for their next steps in education, employment or training.

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better?

Pupils learn an ambitious curriculum. This is carefully sequenced so that pupils’ knowledge builds over time. The school provides teachers with effective training. This enables teachers to use the school’s ‘5 pillars’ teaching strategies well. Teachers break down new knowledge carefully. Pupils practise this new content before applying it in different contexts. This helps pupils to develop a secure understanding of the subjects that they study.

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better?

Most pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) achieve well. Since the previous inspection, the school has made improvements to the support that these pupils receive. Some improvements need further time to embed. Leaders have trained teachers well in how to support pupils with SEND. They now receive detailed information about the needs of individual pupils. However, in a minority of lessons, teachers do not use this information consistently well to make adaptations that would benefit pupils with SEND. 2 and 3 July 2024

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The school identifies pupils in the early stages of learning to read swiftly. It uses assessment information well to understand the barriers to each pupil reading fluently. Knowledgeable staff provide these pupils with effective support that helps them to catch up.

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Most pupils attend school regularly. Pupils’ attendance is higher than other schools locally and nationally. The school’s effective work is leading to further increases in many pupils’ attendance. However, some pupils, particularly disadvantaged pupils, miss lessons regularly. This can be due to sanctions for poor behaviour or other absence from school. These pupils miss important learning and develop gaps in their knowledge.

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Pupils have a detailed understanding of the school’s ‘Life’ curriculum. Pupils spoke knowledgeably with inspectors about what they had learned in these lessons. For example, when talking about democracy, some pupils explained the limitations of other systems. Other pupils were able to describe similarities and differences in the beliefs and customs of other religions. This understanding prepares pupils well to be positive members of the local community.

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The school has taken steps to understand the views of parents and carers. A small number of families are not satisfied with some aspects of the school’s work. The school has acted quickly to respond to many of these concerns. The school, and trust, continue to make changes to ensure that all stakeholders work together to support pupils who attend the school.

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Leaders, including those with responsibility for governance and the trust, know the school well. They have supported school leaders to manage recent staff absence and changes to staffing well. They understand which areas of the school’s work can be improved even further. They have taken actions, such as providing additional training, to make these improvements. Most staff appreciate the steps leaders take to reduce their workload. They agree that the actions taken by leaders are improving the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a minority of lessons, the information that teachers receive about how to meet the needs of pupils with SEND is not used well. In these lessons, the support for some pupils with SEND is not as effective as it could be. The school should ensure that teachers use the detailed information that they receive consistently well.  Some disadvantaged pupils miss lessons too frequently. This is because of sanctions for poor behaviour or other absence from school. These pupils miss 2 and 3 July 2024

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important learning. The school should build on its current work to improve the attendance and behaviour of these pupils so that they consistently access the high-quality education that the school provides.

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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). 2 and 3 July 2024

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 10 and 11 May 2022, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The principal is new to the role since the previous inspection. She began her post in January 2024.Leaders have temporarily suspended the sixth-form provision.  The school uses one registered and two unregistered alternative provisions.  The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 13 with information and 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. 2 and 3 July 2024

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 Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of 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; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The lead inspector met with members of the trust board, the local governing board and the trust’s chief executive officer.  During the inspection, inspectors met with the principal and executive principal. They also met with other senior and middle leaders, including those responsible for safeguarding, behaviour, attendance and personal development.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: mathematics, science, history, design and technology and physical education. For each deep dive,

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inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors looked at a range of documentation regarding the support for pupils with SEND. They looked at the quality of the provision for pupils with SEND in lessons.  Inspectors scrutinised a range of documentation, including the school’s self- evaluation and improvement plans.  Inspectors looked at a range of information regarding behaviour. They observed the behaviour of pupils in classrooms and at social times.  The views of pupils and staff who responded to Ofsted’s surveys were considered.  Inspectors considered the views of parents through the responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire for parents, Ofsted Parent View.

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Inspection team

Thomas Wraith, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Richard Jones His Majesty's Inspector 2 and 3 July 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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