Outwood Grange Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Very many pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are positive about their education and achieve well.

Their performance in national assessments echoes the good quality of education they receive.

The vast majority of pupils in this very large school behave well. They learn the 'academy conduct and expectations' and understand the importance of settling down to their studies.

Pupils behave well as they move around the large, well-maintained school site. At times, corridors can become busy. Supportive staff ensure that very many pupils move in an orderly manner.

A small proportion of pupils take longer to emb...race the school's ethos. At times, their conduct is not reflective of leaders' high expectations.

Pupils and staff establish positive relationships.

Pupils know who to turn to if they have concerns. Most pupils report that staff resolve any issues, including bullying.

The school provides pupils with excellent provision to support their personal development.

Pupils develop their leadership, sporting, creative and academic skills through the school's exceptional enrichment, leadership and life programmes.

Students do well in the supportive, improving sixth form. They are determined learners with high aspirations for the next stages of their education or employment.

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

Throughout each key stage, the school's curriculum has academic rigour. In line with the school's 'entitlement', pupils study a wide range of subjects. This prepares pupils well for the next stages of their education or employment.

Including in the sixth form, the school has an established approach to building up pupils' knowledge over time. This informs subjects' well-thought-out 'learning journeys'. In many subjects, pupils attain highly and achieve well, including in the end of key stage 4 assessments.

Leaders are taking effective steps to increase the number of pupils who study the full range of subjects in the English Baccalaureate.

Staff benefit from the trust's extensive programme of training to lead and teach the curriculum in their subjects. Teachers deliver the curriculum in line with the school's five pillars of learning.

They routinely help pupils to consolidate previous learning through short, sharp recap and recall sessions. Teachers present new learning with clarity. They show pupils what is expected of them and break down new learning into manageable pieces.

Teachers give pupils time for purposeful practice of new concepts. Typically, teachers make very effective use of assessment and are quick to pick up and correct misconceptions pupils may have. These are strong features in subjects sampled as part of this inspection.

The impact of staffing changes has affected how consistently well the curriculum is delivered in a small number of subjects. Where this is the case, some pupils' attitudes and learning are not so secure.

The school has a very effective system for supporting struggling readers.

Staff identify pupils' needs precisely. A well-established phonics programme and plenty of reading practice help pupils become more fluent, confident readers. A school-wide focus on developing pupils' subject-specific vocabulary is relatively new.

Where it is better established, pupils make accurate use of academic vocabulary.

Leaders have a detailed oversight of the needs of pupils with SEND. They use this information to create each pupil's individual profile.

Teachers and support staff use these profiles to shape teaching to the needs of pupils. Many pupils with SEND achieve well.

Pupils attend well.

Many go about their learning with good-humoured determination. They adapt admirably to the school's routines and high expectations of their behaviour. A small proportion of pupils' attitudes are sometimes not so positive.

At times, they do not behave as well as they should in lessons and around the school site. Leaders continue to review and adapt the systems in place to support these pupils.

The school's passion to support pupils' personal development is evident in the excellent provision across all key stages.

High numbers of pupils attend the wide range of high-quality enrichment activities. The school's 'Life' programme equips pupils with the knowledge they need to understand risk and make safe choices. Pupils learn, and value, important messages from additional sessions provided by uniformed services and external agencies.

There is an impressive careers programme. Pupils, including those in the sixth form, get the support they need to make well-informed decisions about their futures. Nearly all pupils move into education or employment when they leave school.

Determined, cohesive leadership has navigated the school through a period of change. The school invests a great deal in its many avenues for engaging with parents. However, some parents express frustration about several aspects of the school's work, including how it responds to concerns that they raise.

The school has effective systems in place for staff to air their views. Staff are supported to manage their workload. For example, departmental staff share and compare their approach to teaching and assessment.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• A small proportion of pupils take longer to embrace the school's ethos and high expectations. At times, these pupils do not behave as well as they should.

The school should continue to monitor and adapt the systems in place to support these pupils to make positive behaviour choices. ? Some parents express unhappiness with aspects of the school's work, including how the school responds to concerns that they may have. The school should review and make appropriate amendments to its system for communicating with parents and in responding to concerns that they may have.