Outwood Academy Bishopsgarth

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are well cared for, and they are safe at Outwood Academy Bishopsgarth. The school puts pupils' best interests first, and staff know pupils well. The school often goes to great lengths to support pupils and their families, especially at times of great need.

The school has raised its expectations of pupils' behaviour, and most pupils conduct themselves well. The school is routinely calm and orderly. At social times, pupils mix cooperatively.

They move sensibly through the school between lessons. Although bullying is a concern for some pupils, incidents are reducing, and the school takes effective action to resolve issues.

The school is committed to pupil...s' wider development.

Pupils enjoy the opportunities to develop their interests in a range of clubs such as music, drama and photography, as well as in a wide range of sports.

Some of the school's work to secure a high-quality education has been impacted by the disruption caused by the pandemic. Improving the curriculum is a priority that the school has begun to address, and there are some early signs that this work is having a positive impact.

However, there is more to do. Some pupils do not consistently achieve as well as they should.

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

The school has made positive changes to the curriculum to ensure that there is greater breadth and ambition.

Leaders have introduced subjects in the arts and made ambitious changes to the curriculum in some subjects. This work is ongoing. Due to the recent nature of these curriculum changes, they have not yet had a full impact.

While there was an improvement in examination results in 2024, some pupils do not routinely achieve as well as they should by the end of key stage 4.

Teachers have secure subject knowledge. The school's approach to teaching, known in school as the 'five pillars', is used inconsistently.

Pupils' understanding is not always well checked. In some cases, this means that misconceptions are not identified. This limits pupils' achievement.

The school quickly identifies the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff are provided with detailed information about pupils' needs and the strategies to support them. They ensure that pupils can access the curriculum.

However, these pupils are subject to the same inconsistencies in the curriculum as their peers, so they do not always achieve as well as they should.

Pupils engage with high-quality books in regular 'immersive read' sessions at key stage 3. The school's approach to supporting older pupils with reading for pleasure is less developed.

The school quickly identifies individual pupils who struggle with reading and who require specific support. More widely, the school has clear strategies to support pupils with their reading in lessons. There is some variation in how well these strategies are used to help pupils develop their reading skills.

The school's behaviour policy is clear. It is used consistently. Pupils are regularly rewarded for their achievements.

This is especially motivating for younger pupils. At times, some pupils do not have the skills or resilience to work independently. At times, this leads to some distractions in lessons.

Where this is the case, pupils do not make the progress through the curriculum that they could.

Leaders work well with those pupils whose conduct does not meet their high expectations. Following the disruption to routines caused by the pandemic, there was a rise in the number of exclusions and suspensions at the school.

Since then, the number of behaviour incidents and suspensions has reduced.

The school prioritises pupils' attendance. It works effectively to identify the barriers that some families face so it can take effective action to overcome them.

As a result, recent rates of attendance have improved, and fewer pupils are persistently absent.

The school's 'Life' programme covers important themes such as healthy relationships and online safety. It provides pupils with opportunities to be active citizens in the local community.

They visit residents at a local care home, litter pick and the choir performs in the local community. Pupils are proud that everyone is equal in their school.

The careers programme is carefully planned.

Starting in Year 7, pupils receive detailed information and guidance to help them make informed choices about their next steps.

Leaders, including trustees and members of the local academy council, are skilled. Although the local academy council should have a more thorough understanding of the pupil premium strategy and associated funding, they do know the school well.

Teachers feel well supported by the principal and other leaders with their workload and well-being. They are proud to work at the school. The principal and wider senior leadership team are united in their determination to further improve the school.

They are aware that more time is needed to ensure all pupils benefit from their vision.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The teaching of the curriculum is not consistently strong across all subjects.

This is often because teachers do not consistently check for pupils' understanding and check for misconceptions. As a result, pupils have significant gaps in their knowledge and do not achieve as well as they should. The school should ensure that the curriculum is implemented consistently well, including checking pupils' understanding and adapting the curriculum where necessary, so all pupils' needs are met and they make the progress through the curriculum that they are capable of.

• Some aspects of the curriculum, including in some subjects and in reading, are new or are being developed. They are not fully embedded or yet having the impact they might. The school should embed recent curriculum changes, such as with the reading curriculum and subject curriculums, ensuring that leaders, including governors, evaluate these developments thoroughly so they have a positive impact on pupils' achievement.

• Some pupils' resilience and skills to learn independently are not as developed as they could be. To an extent, this is limiting these pupils' academic and social development. The school should further develop ways to build pupils' resilience and skills to learn independently, ensuring this positively impacts pupils' academic and social development.