Outwood Academy Adwick

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Outwood Academy Adwick is a friendly and inclusive school where everyone is welcome.

Leaders pride themselves on their high expectations. These expectations are met by the majority of pupils. Staff share leaders' ambitious vision for the school and help pupils to make positive choices inside and outside of the classroom.

The school has a supportive and caring culture. Staff build warm and friendly relationships with pupils. Pupils achieve their full potential.

Pupils know that staff will listen to them if they have a concern. Pupils feel safe and valued at the school. Leaders' records show that bullying is rare.

If it happens, pupils are confident th...at staff will deal with it quickly.

Instances of poor behaviour have reduced significantly over time. However, lessons are still affected by low-level disruption from a minority of pupils.

Leaders recognise that more work is required with a small group of pupils to ensure their behaviour improves more rapidly.

Leaders have created a positive culture at the school. Pupils' achievements are celebrated regularly.

Leaders have established 'The Adwick Way' which provides staff and pupils with a clear understanding of excellence. Pupils always do their best. They value the opportunity to be recognised for their hard work.

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

Pupils learn a well-planned and varied curriculum. A wide range of qualifications are on offer, including for pupils in the sixth form. The school curriculum prepares pupils well for their next stage in employment, education or training.

The curriculum is ambitious for all pupils. An increasing number of pupils study the English Baccalaureate, including English, mathematics, science, a language and either history or geography.

Leaders have considered the important knowledge and skills that pupils must learn at each stage of their education.

Staff are beginning to help pupils understand how different knowledge and skills link to their previous learning. In some subjects, such as mathematics, pupils understand these connections well.

Staff present topics with enthusiasm.

They are knowledgeable about their subjects. Those who teach lessons outside of their specialism are well supported and access additional training. This helps all staff provide a high-quality education for all pupils.

Staff select appropriate learning activities for each lesson. Pupils engage well with their learning. Opportunities for discussion are frequent.

Staff ask thoughtful questions to find out what pupils do, and do not, understand.

Assessment is used well to identify gaps in pupils' knowledge. Each lesson provides an opportunity for pupils to revisit prior learning.

This helps pupils to remember more of what they have learned over time. Assessment is also used to recognise pupils' successes as part of the 'Praising Stars' initiative. Pupils respond well to staff feedback in many subjects.

Where assessment is less secure, staff do not always identify gaps in pupils' knowledge as well as they might.

Leaders have ensured that there is a considerable amount of help for the weakest readers. These are having a significant impact on pupils' ability to read.

Developing a love of reading across the school is also a priority for leaders. A range of reading rewards, events in the library and 'Buddy Reading' all contribute towards this.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well supported by staff.

These pupils have appropriate plans which match their individual needs. Staff meet these needs well in lessons. Pupils with SEND receive additional support and guidance when joining the school or moving on to the next stage of their education, including into the sixth form.

Attendance at the school has been poor in recent years. Leaders recognise this and are taking effective action to improve attendance, including for students in the sixth form. This work is having a positive impact on some pupils.

However, improvements among other groups of pupils have been too slow. Leaders make use of alternative provision for some pupils who have struggled to engage in their education. This work is having a positive impact on pupils' attitudes toward their education.

Pupils benefit from a wide range of personal development opportunities. These include a varied 'Life' curriculum which includes important messages about healthy relationships, different religions and fundamental British values. Outside of the classroom, pupils participate in clubs, including robotics and a 'maths murder mystery' as well as sports teams and the Duke of Edinburgh's Award.

Careers education is a strength throughout the school. Students in the sixth form receive effective guidance that supports their choice of either academic or vocational courses upon leaving school.

Staff are proud to work at the school.

Their well-being and workload are a priority for leaders. Staff benefit from regular training and development opportunities. Leaders have made many successful changes to the school over time.

However, the impact of leaders' work in some areas, for example improving pupils' behaviour, is less well understood. This means that the actions that leaders take do not always have as much impact as they might intend.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders provide regular training about the potential risks posed to pupils in the school and wider community. Staff understand these risks well. They report all concerns so that leaders can act quickly to safeguard pupils.

Leaders' records show how their actions help to keep pupils safe, including those who attend alternative provision.

Pupils understand how to keep themselves safe. They receive important messages about risks in school and online.

They are confident to speak to an adult if they are worried. Leaders ensure that pupils can report their concerns in several ways. There is an effective culture of safeguarding across the school.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• A minority of pupils are not meeting the behaviour expectations at the school. This means that some lessons are disrupted by poor behaviour and learning time is lost. Leaders should review which strategies are having the most impact on improving behaviour and implement these consistently and at pace across the school so that the behaviour of pupils who continue to misbehave improves over time.

• The attendance of some groups of pupils is improving too slowly. These pupils do not benefit from a good quality of education because they are not attending school often enough. Leaders should further strengthen their approach to improving attendance, ensuring all pupils come to school regularly.

• Some leaders do not have a clear strategic understanding of the impact of their work, for example around behaviour. This means that some actions being taken are not as effective as they might be. Leaders should ensure they have a strong, shared understanding of which strategies are most effective to address school improvement priorities, particularly pupils' behaviour and attitudes.