Outwood Academy Riverside

About Outwood Academy Riverside

Outwood Academy Riverside is a secondary school in Middlesbrough that currently serves 690 pupils against a capacity of 1,050, meaning it is operating well below its maximum intake. The school’s free school meal rate stands at 62.9%, which is significantly above the national average and reflects the high levels of deprivation in the local area. Despite this, demand for places is strong: for the 2025/26 admissions cycle, the school received 273 applications for 183 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.49. Of those, 126 were first-preference applications, and all 126 first-preference families were offered a place. This suggests that while the school is popular, it is not yet at the point where it turns away a large number of first-choice applicants. The school is mixed, non-denominational, and caters for pupils aged 11 to 16, with no sixth form or nursery provision. Its headteacher is Melissa Brant-Smith.

Academically, Outwood Academy Riverside was rated Good in its most recent Ofsted inspection in May 2023, with all five key areas — quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and overall effectiveness — all judged to be Good. This is a solid outcome, particularly given that the local authority has no secondary schools rated Outstanding among its ten state secondaries. The school’s Progress 8 score is not listed in the available data, but the local authority average for Progress 8 is -0.45, which is below the national average of zero. This context matters: Outwood Academy Riverside is performing well relative to the challenging local benchmark. The Ofsted report noted that behaviour and attitudes are Good, which is a meaningful signal for parents concerned about school culture in a high-FSM context. The school does not have a sixth form, so all pupils leave at 16, typically moving on to local colleges or sixth forms.

The school offers a wide range of facilities, including a swimming pool, astro turf, tennis courts, science labs, music rooms, and a library. Sports provision is broad, with rowing, rugby, gymnastics, and athletics among the options, and there are clubs such as Model UN, orchestra, debate, and a newspaper club. For families with children who have special educational needs, the school lists provisions for dyslexia, moderate and severe learning difficulties, social and emotional mental health needs, speech and language communication needs, hearing impairment, physical disability, and autistic spectrum disorder. This breadth of SEND support is notable and suggests the school is equipped to handle a diverse range of needs. Given its oversubscription but not extreme competition, it is a realistic option for families in Middlesbrough who want a Good-rated school with strong facilities and a clear focus on inclusion, particularly for children who may benefit from additional support.

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