Outwood Academy Haydock

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

This is a school that is built on a strong foundation of mutual respect. Pupils benefit from high-quality pastoral support. There are strong relationships between staff and pupils.

For example, around the school, staff greet pupils warmly and offer words of encouragement. This helps pupils to understand that staff care for them.

The school has high expectations of all pupils' academic achievement.

With a strengthened curriculum, pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are now learning more successfully, in most subjects, than they did in the past.

Pupils' wider development is carefully considered through a r...aft of exciting opportunities such as workshops with visiting poets, trips to outward bound centres and involvement in local community projects. Pupils spoke excitedly about the upcoming whole-school production.

There is a consistent approach across the school to how behaviour is managed. Staff model the positive behaviour that they expect of pupils. Pupils behave politely and courteously.

Most follow the school's routines appropriately. There is a real culture of praise in this school. 'Proud Thursday' is just one of the ways that pupils' work and effort is celebrated.

Over time, pupils' aspirations are rising. They are happy in school.

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

The school, trust and governors, share a strong moral purpose which guides them to make decisions in the best interests of pupils.

Each decision that the school makes is well considered to ensure that all pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, have the same chances of success.

The curriculum is ambitious and logically ordered. It builds on what pupils have learned in primary school.

Pupils study a broad range of subjects. Pupils in the specially resourced provision for pupils with SEND (specially resourced provision) have an appropriately adapted curriculum. This helps to ease their transition back into mainstream lessons.

Teachers know what to teach and when to teach it. They are experts in their subjects. The school has invested heavily in training for staff around the delivery of the curriculum.

This has led to firmly embedded routines and a consistent approach across the school. Pupils with SEND have their needs identified and are well catered for. Learning is broken down and adapted for them so that they learn successfully.

While most pupils respond when asked a question in class, they lack confidence to share their reasoning. In lessons, there are limited opportunities for pupils to discuss their learning. This hinders them from deepening their understanding and connecting their ideas as well as they could.

At times, staff do not check whether pupils have understood what has been taught before moving on to new learning. This results in some pupils developing misconceptions that are not addressed.The published outcomes for pupils at the end of Year 11 are lagging behind the strides that have been made in the quality of education that pupils receive.

They do not reflect how well pupils are learning currently. This is due to legacy weaknesses in the curriculum. Pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND, take pride in their work.

They build a secure body of knowledge over time.

The school has prioritised reading. Pupils who struggle with reading are given support that helps them to become fluent and confident readers.

Furthermore, pupils are encouraged to read regularly. Pupils are developing a love of reading.

Pupils behave well in lessons.

Raising attendance remains one of the school's priorities as too many pupils still do not attend school regularly. The school has approached this with vigour. There is increased capacity within the attendance team which has allowed more interactions with parents and carers.

The school's actions have led to some improvements in attendance rates.

The school is motivated by preparing pupils to thrive in modern Britain. This includes raising pupils' aspirations through a carefully constructed careers programme.

Pupils learn to appreciate difference and to understand different religions. They are proud of the ways in which they can serve the school community in roles such as 'prime minister' or as mental health ambassadors.

Under the guidance and support from the trust, staff flourish.

They report how changes to the marking policy have reduced workload. Knowledgeable governors hold the school to account well.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The curriculum does not provide enough opportunities for pupils to discuss their learning and express the reasoning behind their ideas. This means that pupils do not always get the chance to deepen their thinking as well as they could. The school should ensure that pupils develop their oracy skills effectively and are helped to deepen their learning across the curriculum.

• In some subjects, teachers do not use assessment information effectively to check how well pupils have learned the curriculum. At times, some teachers move on to new learning before pupils are ready or pupils' misconceptions go unaddressed. The school should ensure that teachers are supported to use assessment information to shape future learning effectively.