Northumberland Pupil Referral Unit

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 13 May 2025

Pupils grow and feel safe in this welcoming school. Staff strive and succeed in putting pupils back on the path to engaging with education. Pupils settle quickly into the positive atmosphere that exists in classrooms. They are supported well by staff to do so. Strong relationships between staff and pupils mean pupils feel understood and supported. Pupils know adults are available to help them. Staff have regular check-ins with pupils, which contributes to their engagement with the ambitious learning on offer, so they achieve well. The school has very high expectations of pupils' behaviour. Pupils rise to meet these. They actively contribute to the open and respectful culture that exists throughout. This is despite the past disruption that almost all pupils have experienced in their education. Pupils establish and display positive attitudes to their learning, particularly through their written work. Pupils benefit from a range of opportunities, which broaden their horizons. They are helped to consider a wide range of careers, including apprenticeships. Pupils' talents and interests are nurtured well. They benefit from the school's 'experience passport' and the rewards they receive, which enhance each week for them. Pupils particularly enjoy the cooking and sporting activities they get to participate in.

What the school should improve

• Although the school has recently introduced support for pupils at the early stages of reading, some pupils have not yet received this help. This means those pupils are not learning to read with confidence and fluidity as well as they should, and this poses a barrier to their successful learning across the subjects. The school should ensure that all pupils with gaps in their reading ability are supported effectively to become fluent readers, which will enable them to succeed more in their future learning.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)