Ridgeway School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 1 April 2025

Pupils receive excellent levels of personalised care and attention from dedicated staff. The school celebrates and champions each pupil's unique qualities and abilities. Pupils can express their wishes and feelings due to the bespoke communication methods in place. These adaptations also mean pupils fully access the learning. Pupils are heard, valued and safe. Pupils achieve well from their starting points to meet their education, health and care plan (EHC plan) outcomes. All pupils in sixth form go on to sustained post-19 education or training. Pupils who are ready complete formal qualifications. Pupils are prepared well for adulthood due to a carefully designed work and life skills curriculum. The use of the onsite 'bungalow' supports this. Pupils like how everyone gets along. They make friends. Staff and pupils show high levels of mutual respect. There are rarely instances of unkind behaviour, but if so, these are addressed swiftly. As a result, the school is a calm and good-humoured learning environment. Pupils develop their confidence and independence in the community through visits to local amenities, swimming and a residential trip. There are clubs offered in school for art, technology and sport. The summer music festival is popular. Pupils take an active role in school council and in fundraising, including for the sixth-form prom.

What the school should improve

• In some instances, the work set for pupils at the very earliest stages of reading does not match precisely to their ability. Pupils' gaps in knowledge are filled, but staff do not move pupils on to new learning quickly enough. This limits how soon pupils move onto the more formal phonics programme. The school needs to check that pupils have well- matched early reading activities that allow them to progress their reading knowledge in a more timely manner so they maximise what they are capable of.
• There are inconsistencies in how well the school ensures pupils recall or apply their learning successfully during independent learning time. Activities are, at times, not designed well enough to ensure pupils consolidate their knowledge. The school should ensure staff are supported in designing and delivering activities that help pupils recall and demonstrate their knowledge.
• The school has been through a period of change during which governors have had a more operational focus. This has limited their strategic oversight of some school priorities. Governors need to ensure they have a clearer strategic approach to how they oversee the quality of education in school going forward.

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