River Tees Academy Grangetown

Inspection of River Tees Academy Grangetown 170a Overdale Road, Middlesbrough TS3 7EA

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

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Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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The headteacher of this school is Leanne Chilton. This school is part of River Tees Multi-Academy 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), Christina Jones, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Patrick Cambage. 10 and 11 June 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to attend this school. They enjoy learning and are ambitious for their futures. The care and support that staff offer to pupils is second to none. Positive relationships between staff and pupils are at the centre of the supportive and aspirational culture that runs through the school. Pupils describe the school as one big happy family.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has extremely high expectations for what pupils will achieve. Pupils’ work and their knowledge of the curriculum shows that they achieve well. High expectations extend to pupils’ behaviour. Pupils behave exceptionally well at the school. They are polite, courteous and respectful to each other and the adults in the building.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school weaves pupils’ personal development through every aspect of the curriculum. Pupils understand the school values of currency, character and community, known as the ‘3 Cs’. This helps to ensure that pupils are exceptionally well prepared for adulthood. Pupils have a deep understanding of the fundamental British values and why they are important. As a result, everyone is welcome at the school, regardless of their differences.

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

The school has developed a curriculum that is ambitious for all pupils and meets the scope of the national curriculum. Staff make adaptations to the curriculum to meet the social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs of each pupil. Staff know pupils well and identify their needs. Teaching often breaks learning down into small, manageable chunks that some pupils find helpful. Staff check pupils’ learning regularly using a variety of methods and adapt their teaching when needed to ensure that all pupils access the curriculum. As a result, most pupils have a strong understanding of the curriculum content. At times, some of the information on pupils’ education, health and care (EHC) plans is not reflected on pupils’ individual targets. As a result, support for pupils’ needs beyond their SEMH needs is sometimes not as precise as it could be.

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

The key stage 4 curriculum has been carefully designed to ensure that pupils have access to qualifications that are appropriate for them. A range of academic and vocational courses equip pupils with important life skills, including skills that are informed by the needs the local labour market. In each area of the curriculum, staff take care to ensure that pupils know which careers they link to. This helps to prepare pupils for life beyond school.

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

The school places a sharp focus on pupils learning to read. All pupils are assessed for their reading ability when they start at the school. Pupils in the early stages of learning to read receive phonics teaching. These pupils read books matched to their phonics knowledge. Anyone falling behind receives extra support to catch up. Pupils who no longer require phonics teaching continue with reading lessons that support their fluency and comprehension. All pupils take part in regular ‘class reader’ sessions. In these sessions, pupils read carefully selected texts confidently to their peers. This helps pupils to develop a love of reading. 10 and 11 June 2025

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The school takes every opportunity to promote and teach positive behaviours. From the moment pupils enter the school building, staff model the school’s expectations. If needed, pupils receive bespoke support to help them reflect on their behaviour and make different choices moving forward. This relationships-based approach helps to ensure that pupils’ conduct is of the highest standard. The school deploys a highly effective system to support pupils to attend. As a result, attendance at the school is high.

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The school’s provision for pupils’ wider development is exceptional. The 3 Cs inform each area of the curriculum. The junior leadership team makes a positive contribution to the life of the school and the local community. The school takes care to ensure that work experience opportunities for pupils in Year 10 are meaningful and linked to their aspirations. Pupils access enrichment opportunities such as sports, sign language and theatre trips. As a result, pupils are aspirational and have the skills needed for their next steps in life.

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Those responsible for governance carry out their responsibilities well. This allows them to support and challenge school leaders where appropriate. Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the support and education that the school provides. The school is mindful of staff workload. Staff are proud to work at the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some of the information in pupils’ EHC plans is not used as well as it could be to inform the targets that the school sets for pupils. This means that, at times, staff do not have a clear understanding of how to support pupils beyond their SEMH needs. This could affect how well some pupils achieve. The school should ensure that information in pupils’ EHC plans is used more effectively to support the targets that the school sets and the support that pupils receive, enabling pupils to achieve highly across all areas of the curriculum.

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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. 10 and 11 June 2025

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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). 10 and 11 June 2025

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school caters for pupils with SEMH needs. All pupils have an EHC plan.  The deputy headteacher joined the school in April 2025. This is a new post at the school.  In September 2024 the school increased its capacity from 40 to 56 pupils.  The school does not use alternative provision.  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. 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 10 and 11 June 2025

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provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

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 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 headteacher and other senior staff.  An inspector met with the CEO of the trust.  An inspector met with the chair of the trust, a trustee and one member of the local governing committee.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, mathematics, and personal, social, health and economic education. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke with some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of their work. Inspectors also considered the quality of education in other subjects.

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 To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, 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.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in a range of situations, including in corridors, at social times, at transitions and in lessons. They also spoke with pupils about behaviour and bullying.  Inspectors spoke with leaders, teachers and pupils about the school’s programme of personal development.  Inspectors considered the views of pupils, parents and carers and staff gathered through discussions and Ofsted’s online surveys, including Ofsted Parent View.

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Inspection team

Chris Sergeant, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Mary Cook His Majesty’s Inspector 10 and 11 June 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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