Outwood Academy Riverside

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 17 May 2023

Leaders and staff at Outwood Academy Riverside are united in their commitment to the diverse range of pupils who attend their school. Leaders have high expectations of pupils' conduct. They have created strong routines that help the majority of pupils to meet these expectations. Staff provide excellent pastoral support. They support pupils well and encourage them to become polite and resilient young adults. Relationships between pupils and staff are warm and respectful. Bullying is rare. When it does occur, staff take effective action to ensure issues are resolved. There are clear rewards and sanctions in place as part of a school-wide behaviour policy. However, behaviour in lessons and in corridors does not always meet the high standards set by leaders. All staff do not use the rewards and behaviour policies consistently. Some low-level disruption impacts upon pupils' learning. Pupils benefit from a wide variety of opportunities that enrich their education. Regular health and well-being sessions are provided for all pupils by local sports professionals. Pupils learn about the importance of mental health, staying safe and eating a balanced diet. Speech and language classes help pupils to present themselves confidently and communicate their ideas clearly. This prepares them well for the next stage of their education, employment or training.

What the school should improve

• Pupils' learning experience in lessons is inconsistent across several subjects. The way in which the curriculum is implemented, including teachers' pedagogical choices, approaches to assessment and expectations of what pupils can, and do, produce, is too variable. As a result, pupils do not learn the intended curriculum as well as they might. Some pupils do not have a strong understanding of what they have learned or what they need to do to improve. Curriculum leaders should ensure quality assurance processes precisely identify teachers that would benefit from further training to ensure pupils' learning experiences are as positive as they can be.
• Pupils' behaviour, both inside and outside of the classroom, does not always meet leaders' high expectations. In some lessons, staff do not use the school's approach to rewards and sanctions consistently. This sometimes leads to low-level disruption that impacts negatively on pupils' education. Leaders should ensure that all staff understand how to use the school's behaviour policy effectively. Leaders should closely monitor the impact of this work to ensure a positive behaviour culture is embedded across the school.

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