Outwood Academy Freeston

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 20 May 2025

This is a school with high ambitions, aspirations and expectations for all. Pupils take a great deal of pride in all that they do. They achieve well in examinations and assessments. The vast majority of pupils behave well in lessons. Teachers deal with occasional low-level disruption consistently when it arises. Pupils behave in a calm and respectful manner around the school site. They are polite to adults and visitors. Pupils learn about the importance of valuing others. They take a pledge to demonstrate their commitment to tolerance and respect of people from different backgrounds. The school celebrates 'random acts of kindness', which are then celebrated and displayed on a 'kindness tree'. However, a small number of pupils report that bullying and racist or homophobic language still occurs. The school deals with this effectively, but some pupils are uncertain of the actions taken. Pupils enjoy a huge range of enrichment clubs and activities, such as the debating society, role playing games and a culture club. Some pupils participate in drama productions at local theatres that emphasise the importance of diversity. Pupils proudly work towards achieving various 'Honours' badges that demonstrate their developing talents and personal achievements.

What the school should improve

• Occasionally, some staff do not check pupils' learning consistently and effectively. This means that, at times, pupils have gaps in their knowledge or misunderstandings that go unnoticed, and so they are unaddressed. The school should ensure that staff check pupils' understanding consistently well so that gaps in learning or misconceptions are identified and then remedied.
• A small minority of pupils report concerns about bullying and derogatory language. Although the school has robust procedures for reporting and tackling these issues, some pupils are uncertain of the actions taken. This makes them feel uncomfortable. The school should ensure that its effective work to tackle bullying and derogatory language is commonly understood and trusted by pupils.
• The school's work to engage with parents and carers has had a mixed impact. This means that some parents continue to feel dissatisfied with aspects of the school's provision. The school should strengthen its work to engage with parents and carers so that relationships help the community to share in the school's successes.

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