Ormiston Maritime Academy

Ormiston Maritime Academy Westward Ho, Grimsby, Lincolnshire, DN34 5AH

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Inadequate 4 This inspection: Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  This is a rapidly improving academy. All groups of students make good progress during their time in the school. The drive, determination and high expectations of the headteacher have brought about these improvements.  All leaders and governors are relentless in their drive to bring about further improvements, particularly in the quality of teaching and students’ progress.  Through well-thought-out spending of the extra funding provided, the academy is now gradually closing the gap that existed between the achievement of students eligible for support through the pupil premium and that of other students. These students make similar rates of progress to their peers, which are well above average, but their overall starting points are well below other students.  Students’ behaviour is good. The large majority have good attitudes to learning but the small proportion who find this difficult are managed

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

well through the consistent use of the behaviour policy. Students are polite, friendly and treat adults and each other with respect.  Students feel safe in school and have a good awareness of e-safety.  The strong focus on professional development of staff has been a key factor in developing better quality teaching.  Governors and the Academy Trust support and hold the academy to account very effectively and have an excellent understanding of the academy’s strengths and areas for development.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 The gap between the achievement of students who are eligible for support through the pupil premium and that of other students, while narrowing, is still wider than that found nationally.  Some teaching needs to improve to good.  The attendance of a small minority of students is not as good as it should be.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 39 part lessons, including several jointly with senior leaders.  Inspectors met with four groups of students of different abilities and talked informally with others in lessons and around the school. An inspector also listened to a group of Year 7 and 8 students read.  Inspectors met with representatives of the governing body and the National Director of partnerships and performance from the Ormiston Academy Trust. They also met with senior and middle leaders and spoke informally with many teachers.  Inspectors took account of the 56 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) and 41 inspection questionnaires completed by staff. They also investigated a parental complaint made by telephone.  Inspectors scrutinised a wide range of documents including the academy’s view of its own performance and action plan, the school’s data on current students’ progress and predictions for

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Information about this inspection

future cohorts, planning and monitoring documentation, evidence of the work of the governing body, records relating to behaviour and attendance and documents pertaining to safeguarding.

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Inspection team

Sally Lane, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Andrew Williams Additional Inspector Christine Kennedy Additional Inspector Lesley Clark Additional Inspector

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Full report

In accordance with section 13 (5) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that the school no longer requires significant improvement.

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Information about this school

 Ormiston Maritime Academy is smaller than the average-size secondary school.  The proportion of students known to be eligible for support through the pupil premium is well above the national average. The pupil premium is additional government funding to support students known to be eligible for free school meals and those looked after by the local authority.  The majority of students are White British, with a very small number from a range of minority ethnic backgrounds. Very few students speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of students supported through school action is above average.  The proportion of students supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is well above average.  A small number of students attend alternative provision. The academy currently uses two training providers; A4E and DKM, and the local authority Young People’s Support Centre (YPSC).

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Information about this school

 A small number of students who are in danger of being excluded or who find school difficult attend the Success Centre, which is situated close to the academy. Here, they are subject to a 12-week programme, the purpose of which is to reintegrate them into mainstream school.  The academy meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for students’ attainment and progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Further improve the quality of teaching by: – eradicating any teaching that is less than good – narrowing the gap still further in the performance between students supported by the pupil premium and other students in the academy – ensuring tasks set for some low ability students enables them to make the best possible progress.  Continue to improve attendance so that it is at least in line with the national average.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Students enter the academy with overall attainment that is well below the national average and it is just below the national average when they leave Year 11. However, all groups of students are now making better than average rates of progress in English. Although good overall, progress in mathematics is not quite as good as English. The upward trend in attainment in all subjects has continued over the last three years due to students’ sometimes good and better than average rates of progress from their starting points.  Students’ good attitudes to learning are a contributing factor in them making good progress over time.  The most able students at the academy now make better progress than similar students nationally, in both English and mathematics. They make good progress in the majority of lessons because they are encouraged to choose the challenging tasks.  The academy closely tracks the progress of students and makes effective use of a wide range of

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The achievement of pupils is good

strategies to provide support for students who are falling behind.  Students who enter the academy at age 11 with below average literacy and numeracy skills receive effective support, including that funded through the Year 7 catch-up funding. This enables these students to make rapid progress and make up a great deal of lost ground.  Reading is promoted well. Those who find reading difficult read to adults every week who help these students to develop the skills to tackle unfamiliar words and so make good progress in their reading.  Students who find school difficult or who are at risk of exclusion make good progress in gaining the confidence to be able to access learning. They do this through programmes in the Success Centre where they learn how to reintegrate into the main school.  Disabled students and those with special educational needs make very good progress relative to their starting points. Their progress is more rapid than similar students nationally, in both

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The achievement of pupils is good

English and mathematics, but overall their achievement is good compared to nationally. This is due to effective support, together with rigorous and systematic tracking and evaluation which regularly checks the impact of teaching and students’ progress. These students are making better progress year-on-year.  The academy does not use early entry to GCSE in any subject.  The small proportion of students who attend off-site learning with DKM and A4E training providers and in the Young People’s Support Centre make good progress. The academy has strategies in place to ensure the provision for the students is relevant and staff maintain a strong contact with the providers to support students’ continued progress.  Three-quarters of parents who responded to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View) believe that their children are making good progress.  Pupil premium funding is used effectively to support the large numbers of students known to be

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The achievement of pupils is good

eligible. As a result, most students are making similarly good progress to their peers and considerably better than students nationally who are eligible to be supported through this funding. However, because students eligible for the pupil premium enter the school with attainment that is much lower in both English and mathematics, approximately 27% fewer students achieve an A* to C grade in English and mathematics at GCSE. While this gap is narrowing over time, it is still wider than that found nationally.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Much teaching is good and there are examples of outstanding practice across different subjects. This has a significant impact on most students’ progress over time. A concerted effort by school leaders has resulted in strengthening the overall quality of teaching. Past weaknesses in some subjects have been addressed and, while some teaching still needs to improve to good, overall, all groups of students benefit from better teaching than previously.  Activities interest students and challenge them appropriately at all levels through the ‘bronze, silver, gold’ task approach. Teachers have high expectations and encourage students to attempt harder work if possible, with noticeable impact on their progress. Students know that teachers expect them to do their best and in most cases, they accept this challenge.  Students show good gains in knowledge both in their books and. when contributing orally, for

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The quality of teaching is good

example through well-structured discussions with teachers. Teachers correct spelling when marking students’ work and identify and emphasise key words in subjects.  Teachers know their students as individuals and monitor their progress within lessons and over time appropriately. This enables them to plan work and to fine-tune tasks in lessons that help students to make at least good progress.  Effective and planned questioning encourages students to answer at length and think deeply about their work.  Teachers have a wealth of data available from assessments, which they use to plan effective lessons. The impact of this is the continuing increased progress in all subjects and in all year groups.  Teaching assistants are well trained and work cooperatively with teachers and are effectively deployed to help accelerate individual student’s progress.  Teachers are very conscientious and highly committed. They create good respectful relationships

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The quality of teaching is good

in all lessons so that the vast majority of students enjoy and take an active part in their learning.  All teachers mark books according to the academy policy and students respond to teachers’ comments, which are then acknowledged and form an on-going dialogue. However, the quality of this is variable. Leaders continue to check on this aspect of teaching in their drive to continue improvement.  Students say that on the whole they learn well, feel that teachers are supportive and they are able to talk to them about their progress. They were, however, with some justification, concerned about the number of supply staff taking lessons where they feel they do not make as much progress as normally. This has been acknowledged by senior leaders and is being addressed with rigour.  Overall, all groups of students are challenged appropriately, however, there are some examples of teaching that is pitched too high for the less able students who then struggled with their

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of students is good. The academy is a pleasant place to be, where students are friendly courteous and helpful. It is clean, mostly litter free and free from graffiti. Students wear their uniform with pride, boys’ ties are neatly tied and girls wear cravats smartly.  Around the academy, behaviour is calm and orderly and the large majority show respect and good manners. Break times are pleasant and sociable, students use the shared spaces well, talking in groups and using their iPads.  In lessons, the vast majority of students demonstrate a good attitude to learning and are keen to do well.  The academy’s work to keep students safe and secure is good. Students say they feel safe at school. Their awareness of how to remain safe is raised through assembly, tutor time and the personal, social and health education programme. They learn about keeping themselves safe when using the internet and have a detailed understanding of different types of bullying,

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

including prejudice based and cyber-bullying. Most students say that bullying, including homophobic and racist incidents, are infrequent, but that any incidents are dealt with swiftly and that they know who to go to with any issues.  The academy analyses the behaviour of different groups of students and individuals closely and records show improvements over time. The house system is used well to reinforce good behaviour and learning.  Exclusions have reduced substantially and are now below the national average but when the usual behaviour sanctions fail, they are still used. There were no permanent exclusions last year.  The Success Centre is used very effectively to keep students in school and to build their confidence and social skills so that they can reintegrate into the main school when they are ready. The parents of students in the Success Centre are wholly positive about its impact on their children’s progress, both academically and personally.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The academy ensures that students are safe when attending the alternative provision. Their attendance is monitored daily and monthly reviews with providers, parents and students ensure they are making good progress. The academy is working as a lead school on a project to monitor and review the quality of providers of alternative provision.  There is no evidence of any extremist behaviour.  Attendance is improving and the number of students who are persistently absent has reduced considerably due to working closely with families and the use of rewards. However, attendance is still below average and more needs to be done to improve attendance.  Most parents who responded to the Parent View questionnaire agreed that the school makes sure its students are well behaved and that their child feels safe at school. Most staff that responded to the questionnaire felt that behaviour was good at the school and was consistently

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The leadership and management are good

 Other leaders, staff and governors share the drive and enthusiasm of the headteacher to ensure at least good progress and positive outcomes for students. The headteacher has been the driving force behind the vast improvements that have taken place. There is a sense of purpose and commitment, which gives confidence that the current rapid upward trend in progress and attainment will be sustainable in the future.  The academy’s view of its own performance is accurate and honest. It leads to successful actions to bring about improvements. The vast majority of teachers say they know what they are trying to achieve as a team. Leaders are fully aware of the need to continue to improve the outcomes for students in receipt of the pupil premium and to improve attendance.  The Academy Trust representative believes that the systems and policies in place mean that all staff now know what is expected of them. She feels the headteacher had managed the

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The leadership and management are good

transformation of the academy exceptionally well, tackling underperformance and raising standards, rigorously addressing the issues, which resulted in the academy moving into serious weaknesses at the last inspection. The support from the Academy Trust has helped to transform departments such as technology, but this support is no longer needed.  Heads of subjects make robust analyses of their departments, and through clear structures and procedures are held to account regarding the progress of their action planning. This means that these middle leaders are constantly improving and sharing their successes.  Teaching is improving strongly due to rigorous management of staff performance, which is rapidly reducing weaker teaching and raising standards. A comprehensive professional development programme, which is regularly reviewed and reshaped to take account of individual and whole-school needs, underpins this. The support for newly qualified teachers is a model of

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The leadership and management are good

good practice that is shared between other Ormiston academies and the academy will be a lead school for developing the training of newly qualified teachers for Humberside next year.  The academy has had difficulty in recruiting teachers due to its locality, but it now has a strong programme for the development of future leaders. It gives opportunities, for example, to be involved in Masters level degree and leadership qualifications to encourage teachers to stay where they are highly valued.  An appropriate amount of time is given to core subjects and there are good strategies in place for providing additional literacy support, especially for students in Years 7 and 8, including a special curriculum, which integrates literacy, numeracy and humanities for those who need extra help to catch up. There is a strong focus on literacy and numeracy within all subjects, contributing to students’ increased progress. Careers education is taught through a specialist

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The leadership and management are good

team of personal, social, health and careers education teachers, as well as through individual interviews. This means that students are well prepared for the next stage in their education or for employment with training.  Participation in extra-curricular activities is strong. These include sporting, musical, artistic, International and educational visits to enhance students’ social, moral and spiritual development. However, there are very few other cultures represented in the local community so their cultural awareness is not as strong.  The academy has many innovative strategies to communicate with parents, including someone with sole responsibility for parental support and advice. While the majority of parents are committed and interested, there are some who are not. The academy recognises the need for further work to engage with these parents.  All safeguarding procedures are adhered to and statutory requirements are met.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  Governors are well qualified and highly committed to supporting the Academy. The Chair was previously the Director of Education for the Ormiston Trust and brings much expertise to support the school. Governors have an excellent understanding of the strengths and areas of development in the academy, because they are given honest and accurate information by the headteacher and senior leaders. This enables them to support and hold to account in equal measure. Evidence of this is seen in the thorough minutes of meetings of the different committees, particularly the progress board, which focuses on students’ progress. This board has been instrumental in helping the academy improve from the serious weaknesses designation given at the last inspection. Governors visit the academy regularly and their involvement is linked to the academy’s priorities.  The financial director is very clear about what needs to be done to maintain financial health

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The leadership and management are good

with a very clear focus on what is best for students. Governors know about the management of teachers’ performance and how the school rewards good teachers and tackles any underperformance. They have a good understanding of the issues regarding the safeguarding of students and ensure that all requirements are met. Governors question the impact of the use of the pupil premium funding and also that the gap is still greater than that found nationally. Governors are fully aware of the rapid improvements being made, while still continuing to hold leaders to account for the quality of teaching and the achievement of all students.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding An outstanding school is highly effective in delivering outcomes that provide exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. This ensures that pupils are very well equipped for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 2 Good A good school is effective in delivering outcomes that provide well for all its pupils’ needs. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 3 Requires improvement A school that requires improvement is not yet a good school, but it is not inadequate. This school will receive a full inspection within 24 months from the date of this inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate A school that has serious weaknesses is inadequate overall and requires significant improvement but leadership and management are judged to be Grade 3 or better. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors. A school that requires special measures is one where the school is

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Grade Judgement Description

failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the school’s leaders, managers or governors have not demonstrated that they have the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors.

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School details

Unique reference number 137196 Local authority North East Lincolnshire Inspection number 430626

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School details

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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School details

Type of school Secondary School category Non-maintained Age range of pupils 11–16 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 906 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Angela Preston Principal Elaine Davies Date of previous school inspection 11 December 2012 Telephone number 01472 310015 Fax number Not applicable Email address office@omacademy.co.uk guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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School details

You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when and as part of the inspection.

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School details

You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk, or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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School details

achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please

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School details

telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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School details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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