Outwood Academy Haydock

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Older pupils told us that the range of subjects on offer for key stage 4 study is too limited. They said that leaders insist that pupils have to do some subjects that they do not like or feel will help them in the future. We found this to be the case.

Pupils behave well. They get on well together and say that they feel safe. The school is calm and orderly.

Pupils move around the buildings sensibly. They are polite and friendly.

In lessons, pupils get on with their work and do what teachers ask of them.

Pupils say that since the new headteacher has arrived, behaviour has improved a lot. This is because teachers have higher expectations. They no longer... accept bad behaviour.

Pupils like the rewards that they get when they behave well.

Pupils say that bullying is rare. If it does happen, they say that adults will deal with it.

Adults work hard to ensure that pupils are well cared for.

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

Leaders have introduced a curriculum that does not meet the needs of pupils well enough. In Year 9, pupils start their GCSE and vocational courses.

This reduces the number of academic subjects that they study. Teachers teach a broad range of topics to pupils in key stage 3. However, there are some gaps in pupils' knowledge and understanding in some subject areas.

The choice of academic GCSE courses available to pupils in key stage 4 is too narrow. The curriculum offer for pupils from Year 9 is not ambitious enough. It does not give pupils the opportunity to develop the depth and breadth of knowledge and skills that they need to be successful in life.

This is particularly the case for disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). For example, more than half of pupils are not able to study a language at GCSE. Neither are they able to study both history and geography.

All pupils study English, mathematics and science. Beyond this, more than half of pupils can only choose from a maximum of two GCSEs. Pupils in Years 9, 10 and 11 have to study vocational courses, regardless of their needs, interests or aspirations.

For example, leaders make all pupils in Year 11 study a vocational course in animal care. All pupils in Year 10 have to study a vocational sports science course. Pupils are prevented from gaining qualifications that may be useful to them in the future.

Leaders' poor decisions to make all pupils study these courses are not in pupils' educational best interest.

Most curriculum plans make it clear to teachers what they should teach and in what order. For example, in history, leaders have chosen topics so that pupils gain a broad knowledge of how British society and values have developed over time.

In science, leaders are developing new curriculum plans to improve the way that pupils build their knowledge over time.

In many subjects, pupils are learning more and remembering more. This is helping some pupils to make better progress in subjects such as history and English.

In mathematics, leaders have improved the way that learning is sequenced. Pupils now have more opportunities to revisit prior learning. However, despite this, pupils still do not achieve well enough in this subject.

Leaders have successfully improved pupils' behaviour. Pupils now behave well. This helps everyone's learning.

Leaders want pupils to develop their wider skills, such as resilience and cooperation. Staff provide pupils with lots of opportunities to do this. In assemblies, pupils learn about the school's values of respect, tolerance, trust and honesty.

Pupils' attendance is improving, but some pupils are away from school too often. Disadvantaged pupils and those pupils with SEND miss too much school.

Staff who work with pupils in the specially resourced provision have built a curriculum that helps each individual pupil to be successful.

Pupils with SEND in the rest of the school have more of a mixed experience. Some pupils learn well. Others do not because teachers do not adapt their plans to meet pupils' needs.

In the past, leaders removed a significant number of pupils from the school roll when it was not in pupils' best interests. This constitutes off-rolling by Ofsted's definition. As a result, information about these pupils was not included in the published data about how well pupils are doing in the school.

Removing pupils from the register in this way meant that those pupils were less likely to be safe and successful. This practice has now stopped.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders ensure that all the required checks are carried out when new staff are appointed. Leaders are well trained in safeguarding. They work hard to make sure that pupils are as safe as possible.

Staff work with support agencies outside the school to provide help to pupils as soon as they need it and to support pupils at risk of harm. Staff are vigilant. They know what to do if they have any concerns about a pupil.

Staff keep careful records of these concerns and incidents. Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe. They know how to pass on any worries that they have about themselves or others.

Leaders ensure that those pupils who attend alternative provision are safe.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

Leaders have not made sure that the curriculum is ambitious enough for all pupils. At key stage 4, academic GCSE subject choices for more than half of pupils are too limited.

Leaders should ensure that all pupils are able to study a wider range of subjects, including more GCSE qualifications. They must ensure that all pupils are able to study a language if they wish. .

Leaders are systematically entering pupils for courses at key stage 4 that do not match pupils' interests and aspirations. Leaders must ensure that pupils are not entered for courses which are not in their educational best interest. .

Pupils do not achieve well enough across a number of subjects. This is particularly the case in mathematics. Leaders need to evaluate the impact of their curriculum planning on pupils' progress.

Curriculum leaders must ensure that the way that teachers sequence learning helps pupils to know more and remember more. . Some teachers do not use the school's accurate and detailed information about pupils with SEND as well as they should.

Leaders and teachers should use information about pupils with SEND to ensure that these pupils can access the curriculum successfully. . Pupils' attendance has improved.

However, the attendance of disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND remains low. Persistent absence is also still too high. Leaders should continue to work to improve attendance, with a particular focus on improving the attendance of these groups.