Outwood Academy Carlton

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Outwood Academy Carlton Royston Lane, Carlton, Barnsley, South Yorkshire S71 3EW

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Inspection dates: 15 and 16 October 2024

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Outcome

Outwood Academy Carlton has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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Outcome

The principal of this school is Paul Taylor. 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 associate executive principal, Darren Smith, who is responsible for this school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are taught to ‘be good human beings’ as part of the ethos at Outwood Academy Carlton. Pupils of all backgrounds and abilities are welcomed, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils are taught to be ready for the wider world when they leave school. For example, pupils are taught how to tie a tie and how to polish their shoes.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high ambitions for its pupils. Pupils are happy and enjoy learning. Pupils develop a thorough grounding in knowledge and skills. Pupils that attend regularly do well in examinations at the end of key stage 4. Some pupils do not attend regularly enough and this limits how well they achieve.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have a strong moral code and behave well in and outside of lessons. They contribute to the wider community. For example, pupils do litter picks to tidy the local environment and support a range of charities. Pupils learn how to save lives with lessons about resuscitation techniques. Pupils enjoy a wide range of clubs such as darts, chess, cheerleading and gardening. Pupils feel safe. They are taught about local dangers such as swimming in lakes. 15 and 16 October 2024

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

Leaders are determined that all pupils should succeed and be well prepared for life. The school provides a curriculum that develops the knowledge, skills and character of pupils. The curriculum is designed to prepare pupils for their next steps in education, training or employment. For example, the school has introduced a new course in construction to reflect job opportunities in the local area.

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

Pupils benefit from lessons that are structured according to the school’s ‘five pillars of learning’. Pupils regularly recall past learning and practise new knowledge. As a result, they know and remember more over time. The school has implemented a new oracy strategy and this is encouraging pupils to talk frequently about their learning. This helps them to develop confidence using subject-specific vocabulary. Teachers question pupils to help them link knowledge together. The school recognises that, on some occasions, teachers do not routinely check for understanding and address misconceptions.

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

The school ensures that the curriculum can be accessed by all pupils. For example, teachers check that pupils understand important vocabulary at the start of lessons. The school’s ‘Personal Learning Centre’ provides tailored support for pupils with more substantial gaps in learning. Pupils with SEND are quickly identified and provided with the support they need. Teachers know the needs of pupils in their lessons and adapt lessons accordingly. Pupils who struggle with reading are provided with the swift and precise support they need to become confident and fluent readers.

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

Pupils that attend the school regularly make strong progress through the curriculum. Pupils’ outcomes in some published examinations do not currently reflect the rapid improvement seen at the school. The school is aware that outcomes need to improve further and consistently for pupils.

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

The school uses extensive strategies to address attendance. The school also uses its own internal provision to help pupils reintegrate back into school following a period of absence. As a result of these strategies, attendance has improved considerably. However, a notable number of pupils still do not attend as regularly as leaders expect them to.

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

Pupils have positive attitudes to learning. They behave well in lessons. They show respect to teachers and are polite to visitors. The school’s ‘Personal Development Centre’ provides effective support for pupils with more complex behavioural needs. The school’s rate of suspensions has reduced over time and is continuing to fall.

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

Pupils learn about wider aspects of life such as relationships, puberty and how to stay safe online. They have an in-depth understanding of protected characteristics and understand the importance of fundamental British values. Younger pupils proudly collect a range of badges such as ‘library legend’, ‘first aid’ and ‘aspiring author’ that show their developing expertise. Pupils receive regular education about careers and potential opportunities. 15 and 16 October 2024

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Governors and trustees have a thorough understanding of the school. Leaders at all levels have taken effective steps to improve the provision of the school. Leaders have put systems in place to improve the workload of staff.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Although attendance has substantially improved, a significant number of pupils are still absent from school too often. This limits the progress they make through the curriculum and their outcomes in external examinations. The school should prioritise attendance and work with the community to ensure that attendance and outcomes continue to improve.  Methods by which checks are made of pupil misconceptions and understanding lack consistency across the school. This means that pupils sometimes do not link ideas and knowledge together as effectively as they could. The school should ensure that there is greater consistency in checks that are made of pupils’ understanding, and that this supports pupils to link their knowledge and ideas together.

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Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted’s website. From September 2024, graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade. This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

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Background

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. 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’s work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection 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 for overall effectiveness in January 2019. 15 and 16 October 2024

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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’ 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). 15 and 16 October 2024

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School details

Number of pupils on the school roll 1,127

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 16 and 17 January 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Outwood Academy Carlton joined Outwood Grange Academies Trust in February 2016. The school is one of 40 schools in the trust.  The school uses four unregistered and one registered alternative providers of education.  The proportion of pupils with education, health and care plans is above the national average.  The proportion of pupils eligible for support through pupil premium funding is above the national average.  The school has an integrated resourced provision for 25 pupils with various types of SEND. The school also has internal provisions (‘The Bridge’, ‘Personalised Learning Centre’ and ‘Personalised Development Centre’) which support pupils with a range of different needs. 15 and 16 October 2024

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 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 ungraded inspection under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation 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, executive principal, other leaders, staff and pupils. They met with governors and trustees. They met with the chief executive officer.  Inspectors discussed the curriculum with 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 resource provision for pupils with SEND. They visited the internal provisions for pupils with additional needs. Inspectors visited lessons and considered how the needs of disadvantaged and pupils with SEND are met. They observed pupils

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Information about this inspection

at various times of the school day.  Inspectors spoke to a representative from one 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

Janet Sheriff Ofsted Inspector 15 and 16 October 2024

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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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