Outwood Academy Ripon

Outwood Academy Ripon is performing well overall, with key strengths in its academic curriculum and personal development. The school has shifted from its previous 'Outstanding' status to a 'Good' rating under the current inspection framework due to several improvements and changes in context. Although many aspects of the school's operations have been effective, there are areas of concern regarding the support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and specific issues related to attendance among disadvantaged pupils. The leadership team, which includes both a new principal and representatives from the broader Outwood Grange Academies Trust, is actively working to address these areas as it seeks to enhance educational outcomes further.

Strengths

• Strong academic curriculum that enhances pupil education.
• Effective behaviour management with calm teaching environments.
• Outstanding personal development opportunities for pupils.
• High-quality teacher training leading to effective teaching strategies.
• High attendance rates compared to local and national averages.

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent use of information to support pupils with SEND in some lessons.
• Regular absences among some disadvantaged pupils affecting their learning.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Outwood Academy Ripon attended 92.6% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 19.9% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 10.3% of pupils at Outwood Academy Ripon were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). One pupil was permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Outwood Academy Ripon had 17.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 18.2% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 16.9% of pupils at Outwood Academy Ripon were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 3.4% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Outwood Academy Ripon received £8,243 and spent £8,564 for each of its 662 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £935,000 (£1,412 per pupil).

Across all 40 schools of Outwood Grange Academies Trust, income was £8,313 and spending £8,200 per pupil.

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Ripon · North Yorkshire local authority: places and applications

Outwood Academy Ripon is part of Outwood Grange Academies Trust, which runs 40 schools. The nearest others:

• Outwood Primary Academy Greystone Ripon
• Outwood Primary Academy Alne York
• Outwood Academy Easingwold York
• Outwood Primary Academy Lofthouse Gate Wakefield
• Outwood Primary Academy Ledger Lane Wakefield
• Outwood Grange Academy Wakefield
• Outwood Primary Academy Kirkhamgate Wakefield
• Outwood Academy Acklam Middlesbrough
• Outwood Academy Freeston Normanton
• Outwood Academy City Fields Wakefield

What is Outwood Academy Ripon's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Outwood Academy Ripon is Good, from an inspection in September 2024.

When was Outwood Academy Ripon last inspected by Ofsted?

Outwood Academy Ripon was last inspected in September 2024.

How many pupils does Outwood Academy Ripon have?

Outwood Academy Ripon has 609 pupils on roll.

What age range does Outwood Academy Ripon cover?

Outwood Academy Ripon for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are Outwood Academy Ripon's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 49.0, and 53% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Outwood Academy Ripon?

Outwood Academy Ripon is at Clotherholme Road, Ripon, North Yorkshire, HG4 2DE.