Ripon Grammar School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 25 January 2023

Leaders, staff, pupils and parents are proud of Ripon Grammar School - its history, its traditions and its achievements. Leaders are ambitious for pupils, both academically and for their wider personal development as young people and future citizens. Pupils rise to this challenge. They achieve very highly in their GCSE and A level examinations. Across the school, and particularly in the sixth form, teachers challenge pupils and students to stretch themselves academically and to take risks in their learning. A small number of pupils do not receive the same encouragement from staff to achieve their best. Pupils benefit from the broad range of provision offered by clubs and societies, for example, in science, the arts, humanities and sport. Pupils are eager to seize the extensive opportunities presented to them. Pupils' behaviour around school and in classrooms is for the most part very good. It reflects very strong relationships in the school community. Visitors are greeted with politeness and courtesy. The very large majority of pupils feel safe in school. Bullying is not an issue. Pupils are confident that if bullying does happen, staff will deal with it effectively. The majority of pupils are happy at school.

What the school should improve

• Leaders and staff are taking steps to strengthen the provision for pupils with SEND. However, the teaching and wider strategies used to support pupils with SEND vary across the school. This means that pupils with SEND experience more personalised support in some lessons compared to others. Leaders and staff should build on the work already achieved to ensure that appropriate teaching strategies to support pupils with SEND are consistently implemented and that key decisions and actions linked to SEND are revisited, refined and revised, providing a growing understanding of the needs of each pupil with SEND.
• Although infrequent, a very small minority of staff do not speak to pupils in an appropriately encouraging manner. As a result, some pupils lose confidence in their abilities. In the past, when leaders have been aware that this is the case, they have taken appropriate action. Leaders should continue to ensure that all staff are crystal clear about the responsibility on them to always speak appropriately to all pupils, irrespective of ability, and take robust action where any staff fall below the expected standards of teacher-to-pupil communication.
• The behaviour policy is not always consistently applied. Behaviour is weaker in a small minority of classrooms, particularly where a substitute teacher is leading the lesson. Leaders should ensure that all staff and pupils have a clear understanding of their high expectations for the implementation of the behaviour policy, so that behaviour is consistently positive in all classes.

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