Reach School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 23 January 2024

Reach School is a respectful and caring community. Pupils' best interests are at the heart of everything that happens. Pupils join the school having previously experienced difficulties in their education, so when pupils start, staff make sure that they get to know them quickly. They find out what pupils do well and the help that they need. As a result, pupils settle in fast and learn to meet the high expectations of the school. Behaviour in lessons and around the school is well managed. Pupils try hard in lessons and they do well. The school is ambitious for pupils and they are prepared well for their next steps. Pupils value the active citizenship programme that allows them to experience a wide range of community activities, including group walks in the area, meals in restaurants, day trips and activities, such as skating and skiing. 'Pathways' lessons teach pupils how to be independent. They learn how to budget and cook as well as about employability skills. Pupils benefit from a very well-considered careers programme. The school provides a 'three-year guarantee' to pupils, providing them with careers support and information for three years after they leave. As a result of this work, pupils secure and maintain positive destinations after they leave the school.

What the school should improve

• In some subjects, the school has not carefully identified the precise knowledge that they want pupils to know and remember. This means that pupils, especially those who join the school late, or who are absent, do not gain the essential knowledge they need to succeed, which hinders their progress. The school should make sure that they have clearly identified the subject and disciplinary knowledge that pupils need to be successful in all subjects and use this to make sure that all pupils, especially those who are absent or who join the school late, are able to succeed.
• The school has not made sure that they identify the gaps in pupils' reading carefully enough. This means that reading interventions are not always as focused as they could be and pupils who may struggle with their reading do not learn to read fluently as quickly as they could. The school should make sure that they precisely identify the gaps in individual pupils' reading knowledge and skills and put in place highly focused interventions to make sure that all pupils are able to read well.
• The school does not analyse the data they produce about some areas of their work closely enough. This means that in areas such as behaviour and attendance, the school is unable to identify emerging issues and take the right actions quickly enough. Leaders should review how they evaluate areas of their work, particularly for behaviour and attendance, to make sure that they have the right information to act on concerns or emerging trends quickly and effectively.

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