Ramsden Hall Academy

Overview

Ramsden Hall Academy is a special school for boys with social, emotional and mental health needs, rated as ‘Good’ across all inspection categories. The report highlights that staff effectively support pupils who have experienced significant educational disruption, helping them to settle and address learning gaps. Leaders have created a supportive environment where pupils feel safe and are well prepared for their next steps in life.

Strengths

• The ‘ready to learn’ curriculum is well designed, allowing staff to quickly identify and bridge gaps in pupils’ knowledge.
• Staff use therapeutic techniques effectively to manage behaviour, ensuring derogatory language is not tolerated and negative situations do not escalate.
• Reading is a clear priority, with well-planned systems and phonics support helping pupils build confidence and a ‘growing love of reading’.
• The ‘life skills’ curriculum provides careful careers advice, ensuring pupils are well prepared for college, apprenticeships, or the workplace.
• Attendance has ‘vastly improved’ for many pupils, with leaders actively encouraging regular school participation.

Areas to improve

• Leaders must work more closely with the local authority and parents to ensure the remaining pupils who are ‘not attending regularly enough’ attend school consistently.
• In a small number of subjects, curriculum plans focus on activities rather than key knowledge; leaders need to review these to ensure knowledge is ‘clearly identified and sequenced’.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective, with a ‘robust safeguarding culture’ where staff are well trained to spot risks and leaders act quickly to ensure pupils receive necessary help.