Rise Carr College

Inspection of Rise Carr College Eldon Street, Darlington, County Durham DL3 0NS

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Previous inspection grade Good 4 and 5 March 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Rise Carr is a calm school, well-connected to its community. Pupils, over time, grow to engage positively with all aspects of their education. They appreciate the warm relationships they build with staff. Pupils know who to share any worries or concerns with. This helps them to feel safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff provide an environment where pupils develop their self-worth. This is carefully built into the rhythm of school life. For example, through time with pupils’ keyworkers or sharing lunch with other staff and their peers. This helps pupils engage constructively with the curriculum. The school has high expectations for pupils’ achievement and they do well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are helped, over time, to improve their behaviour. Staff provide very high-quality pastoral support to pupils. They learn to manage their own emotions. Pupils comment on how well the school has helped them to understand themselves and move forward positively.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The development of pupils’ character is exemplary. The school guides pupils to explore their interests. Staff help pupils to develop their talents. Pupils experience a broad selection of wider opportunities. These include careers competitions, visits to areas of natural beauty or careful use of different alternative provisions. Pupils are prepared well for the next steps they take.

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

The school is highly ambitious for all its pupils, regardless of their past experiences or current challenges. When pupils join the school, their needs are assessed with care. This provides staff with detailed information about pupils’ special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), as well as their academic understanding.

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

The school’s central priority is to support pupils’ whole development. Staff carefully consider what they know about pupils to ensure that the correct provision is in place to meet their needs. This flexibly strategic approach means that pupils grow towards their best next step. This can be successfully returning to another mainstream school or moving onto a variety of education or employment opportunities.

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

Across the well-designed curriculum, teachers are skilled in delivering learning. They effectively identify and address any gaps in pupils’ knowledge. Staff generally choose very effective ways to help each pupil to access the curriculum. Due to the structure of the school day, some pupils can struggle to learn as well as they could.

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

The school has raised the profile of reading. Most pupils quickly gain the knowledge and skills they need to become confident, fluent readers. Staff have the expertise to help pupils who are at the early stages of learning to read. This helps pupils who find reading difficult to catch up. Key vocabulary is promoted well through a variety of subjects. 4 and 5 March 2025

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Staff are clear about the behaviours that they expect from the pupils. Pupils understand exactly what is expected of them. Staff work effectively to support them back to their learning when they need help. The school has made improving attendance a high priority. Most pupils attend more frequently than they did at their previous school.

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Pupils’ personal development is exceptional. The personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) provision is central to pupils’ development and is precisely implemented. Educational visits are carefully intertwined with other learning to allow pupils to develop a richer experience of life. For example, pupils have opportunities to learn from a local ‘listener’ who regularly discusses a wide range of issues connected to life beyond school, linked to fundamental British values. They have meaningful encounters with the world of work. Pupils are very much involved and have helped to design the rewards system They relish the regular culture days. Pupils receive consistent, personalised careers support.

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Staff say that the school cares about their well-being as well as that of the pupils. Staff speak highly about the support and opportunities they receive. Senior leaders have relentlessly driven improvements since the last inspection. They have ensured that change has been sustainable and well-understood by all.

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Governors have a clear and precise understanding of the school and its priorities. They provide effective challenge and support. This helps to ensure the school continues to improve and act as key part of supporting vulnerable pupils in the local area.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The structure of the school day sometimes hampers the delivery of the curriculum. At times this restricts the extent to which pupils learn. The school should review, and make suitable amendments to, the structure of the school day to maximise learning.

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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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You can search for published performance information about the school.

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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). 4 and 5 March 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 15 and 16 November 2023, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The number of pupils on roll is above the school’s pupil admissions number.  The number of pupils on the school’s roll with complex needs is increasing. The school takes pupils who are awaiting specialist provision places.  Many pupils who join the school have an education, health and care plan.  The majority of the pupils who join the school have been permanently excluded from their previous school.  The school runs three provisions: Eldon House, a resourced provision for pupils with an EHC plan who have social, emotional and mental health needs, Rise Carr College and Home and Hospital Service. All three are based on the main school site.  The school began running the Home and Hospital Service in September 2024.  The school is involved in running two projects with the local authority. One to support primary pupils at risk of, or who have been, permanently excluded, based at local primary school. The other is called Connect, based at Hummersknott Academy, aimed

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Information about this school

at supporting pupils to transition to secondary education.  The school uses twelve unregistered provisions for its pupils. 4 and 5 March 2025

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 The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 11 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. During a graded inspection, we grade the school for each of our key judgements (quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and management) and for any relevant provision judgement (early years and/or sixth form provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024, will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school's education provision.  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  During the inspection, inspectors held discussions with the headteacher and other senior and middle leaders.  Inspectors held discussions with governors on the management committee and with a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in English, mathematics and PSHE. For each of these subjects, inspectors met with subject leaders, carried out visits to lessons, spoke with pupils and looked at some of their work.  Inspectors also visited some lessons and discussed with subject leaders the curriculum in some other subjects,  Inspectors visited the keyworker time that pupils attend on arrival and reviewed the provision for personal development and extra-curricular activities with leaders.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors met with members of staff and spoke to pupils at various points in the inspection. An inspector also visited the primary project and the one at Clifton House.  Inspectors looked at records and spoke with staff in relation to behaviour, bullying, attendance and safeguarding. 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.

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Inspection team

Richard Wakefield, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Dennis Ley Ofsted Inspector 4 and 5 March 2025

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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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