Ridgewood School

Ridgewood School demonstrates a good quality of education and is making significant strides since its previous inspection, which found the school requiring improvement. Pupils are engaged and show positive attitudes towards their learning, and attendance rates are commendable. However, leaders acknowledge that there is still work to be done in supporting pupils who struggle with reading fluency and in consistently gathering feedback about the effectiveness of their personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education curriculum. Overall, the school is well-prepared for future success with a competent leadership team and a strong curriculum framework.

Strengths

• Good behaviour and positive attitudes among students
• Improved curriculum leading to enhanced educational experiences
• Effective support for students with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)
• Well-led sixth form with diverse subject offerings
• Strong extracurricular opportunities for pupil engagement

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent support for pupils struggling with reading fluency
• Lack of regular checks on the effectiveness of the PSHE curriculum
• Trustees' oversight and accountability measures need strengthening

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 Ridgewood School attended 93.2% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 18.6% 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, 5.4% of pupils at Ridgewood School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). No pupils were 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 Ridgewood School had 17.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 14.1% 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, 11.6% of pupils at Ridgewood School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 1.7% 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 Ridgewood School received £7,821 and spent £7,703 for each of its 1,496 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £940,000 (£628 per pupil).

Across all 8 schools of Leger Education Trust, income was £7,997 and spending £7,894 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 Doncaster · Doncaster local authority: places and applications

Ridgewood School is part of Leger Education Trust, which runs 8 schools. The nearest others:

• Scawthorpe Castle Hills Primary Academy Doncaster
• Barnburgh Primary Academy Doncaster
• Spa Academy Askern Doncaster
• Askern Littlemoor Infant Academy Doncaster
• Askern Moss Road Infant Academy Doncaster
• Campsmount Academy Doncaster
• Tornedale Infant Academy Doncaster

What is Ridgewood School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Ridgewood School is Good, from an inspection in February 2023.

When was Ridgewood School last inspected by Ofsted?

Ridgewood School was last inspected in February 2023.

How many pupils does Ridgewood School have?

Ridgewood School has 1,425 pupils on roll.

What age range does Ridgewood School cover?

Ridgewood School for pupils aged 11 to 19.

What are Ridgewood School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 47.8, and 51% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Ridgewood School?

Ridgewood School is at Barnsley Road, Scawsby, Doncaster, South Yorkshire, DN5 7UB.