Ormiston Six Villages Academy

Ormiston Six Villages Academy Lime Avenue, Westergate, Chichester, West Sussex PO20 3UE

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate

Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Not previously inspected

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This is an inadequate school

 Since the opening of the academy, students have underachieved in mathematics.  The use of additional government funding to help disadvantaged pupils has been ineffective. The achievement of these pupils is inadequate.  The quality of teaching is inadequate, and teachers’ expectations are too low, especially for the most-able pupils.  Too often, pupils are not provided with sufficient challenge in lessons and this limits their ambition and progress.  Teachers take too little account of the particular learning needs of pupils. They do not use the information they gather about pupils’ learning precisely enough.  Too many pupils who are eligible for the pupil premium, and some who have special educational needs or disability, do not attend regularly. There are signs of improvements in their attendance.  Plans for school improvement do not always enable leaders to determine clearly enough whether the impact of actions taken has been

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This is an inadequate school

successful in improving the quality of teaching and pupils’ progress.  Changes made by leaders since October 2015 have had too little time to have full impact on the quality of teaching and learning and on the outcomes for pupils.

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The school has the following strengths

 Decisive action taken since October by Ormiston Academies Trust has strengthened the leadership of the school.  The new governing body (the interim executive board) has a better understanding of the weaknesses in the school. They now hold the school’s leadership to account. The Executive Principal has brought clarity and a clear vision for improvement.  Action taken has resulted in better tracking of pupils’ progress and stronger arrangements to manage teachers’ performance.  Pupils behave appropriately and show positive attitudes to learning.  Arrangements for safeguarding are effective and pupils are well cared for and feel safe.

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Full report

In accordance with the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires significant improvement, because it is performing significantly less well than it might in all the circumstances reasonably be expected to perform.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Rapidly improve the standards and progress of pupils, especially in mathematics, by: – raising the expectations of all staff as to what pupils should achieve – ensuring teachers use assessment information effectively to plan for pupils’ different needs and starting points – challenging the most able pupils so that work is sufficiently demanding and enables them to make good or better progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Make rapid and secure improvements to the progress of disadvantaged pupils (those who are eligible for government funding known as the pupil premium) by: – prioritising their achievement in planning at all levels – monitoring the impact of the pupil premium expenditure closely and frequently – making sure that their attendance at least matches the average attendance of other pupils nationally – ensuring that leaders and governors check that necessary improvements have been made at appropriate points throughout the year.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the effectiveness of leadership and management by: – setting out in development plans clear targets and descriptions of what will be achieved at key points in the year to enable senior leaders and governors to monitor the impact of actions throughout the year – ensuring that leaders’ judgements of the quality of teaching take account of its impact on pupils’ learning over time.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

An external review of the school’s use of the pupil premium should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

 Following a decline in GCSE results in 2015 and concerns about leadership, Ormiston Academies Trust acted rapidly to strengthen governance by replacing the governing body with an interim executive board (IEB), under the leadership of an experienced chair. A locally based national leader of education was appointed as Executive Principal early in the autumn term.  Since the beginning of the academic year, significant changes to the leadership of the school have started to address pupils’ underachievement and previous concerns about leadership. The Executive Principal quickly identified significant failings, which led to a change of Principal. Subsequently, the Executive and Interim Principals stabilised the school and started to change its culture to a more open, honest and aspirational vision. A new Principal joined the school in January 2016, and she has been well received.  Staff welcome the recent changes which have taken place at the school and show confidence in the new

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

leadership.  Leaders’ evaluations of the quality of teaching have historically been overgenerous. School leaders have not used systematic performance management to improve the quality of teaching in the school. They do not routinely check that the steps they have taken to improve the school have made a positive difference to pupils’ achievement. Recent changes to the performance management process have introduced more rigorous targets based on pupils’ outcomes.  The leadership of teaching is improving because the quality of teaching is now checked more thoroughly, including by looking at pupils’ work. Senior leaders accurately evaluate strengths and weaknesses in teaching, although judgements do not take full account of the impact of teaching on the rates of progress of different groups of pupils. As a result, professional development for teachers has not always focused sharply on improving pupils’ outcomes. However, staff report that recent training has been more

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

purposeful and the change in culture is enabling them to try new strategies to motivate pupils.  Additional government funding to support disadvantaged pupils has not been used effectively to close the gap by the end of Key Stage 4. Leaders have introduced a range of steps to accelerate these pupils’ progress, but leaders do not evaluate the impact of their actions properly.  With support from the sponsor, leaders have strengthened the school’s systems for measuring how well pupils are learning. There is a much more robust system for regularly gathering accurate and reliable assessment information. As a result, underachievement is being identified more swiftly. This is helping leaders to target extra help for subjects and groups of pupils more quickly than in the past.  Leaders are now checking whether all pupils make good progress from their different starting points. This has identified some underachievement by boys, the most able, and disadvantaged pupils. However,

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

leaders’ plans for improvement lack precision about groups of pupils and subjects where improvement is required.  Middle leaders know their roles should be focused on improving teaching and learning and outcomes for pupils, and they have good intentions to do this. However, their understanding of how their work leads to clear improvement is not clear enough.  The school’s curriculum is broad and balanced but has not been fully adjusted to take account of changes to the National Curriculum. In Key Stage 3 English and mathematics, pupils are not routinely tackling activities designed to deepen and develop their understanding. Steps are under way to address this, including the introduction of a new method of assessing pupils’ work in Key Stage 3. In Key Stage 4, the school has been slow to adjust the subjects pupils study to closely match the expectations of the government’s new performance measures.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

 Provision for pupils’ social, cultural, moral and spiritual development is good. The wide range of extra- curricular activities engages pupils well and makes a strong contribution to their well-being. British values are being promoted effectively in citizenship lessons and through assemblies.  The school provides impartial information, advice and guidance to help pupils choose appropriate courses when they move on to the next stage of their education. However, the school does not follow up and check pupils’ destinations in order to evaluate the impact of this advice. There are limited opportunities for pupils to carry out work experience.  Although the large majority of parents support the leadership of the school, a small number who responded to Parent View (Ofsted’s online questionnaire) had concerns about a range of issues in the school.  The governance of the school – Over time, governors have not held the school to account sufficiently well to ensure good teaching and

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

achievement. Changes in governance since the beginning of the academic year have led to greater challenge of school leaders. The newly formed IEB shows a much sharper focus on improving the performance of all aspects of the school. The chair shows considerable insight and a detailed knowledge of the school’s strengths and shortcomings. – Members of the IEB know how the pupil premium funding is used but, over time, governors have failed to ensure that it is used effectively to prevent disadvantaged pupils from underachieving. – Members of the IEB have strengthened arrangements for performance management so that pay progression is now linked to performance, including impact on pupils’ outcomes.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Successful work to improve systems and practice has been a priority for school leaders. Training is up to date and staff in the school respond to concerns promptly and effectively. Pupils and parents agree that pupils feel safe at the school.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is inadequate

 Teaching has been too variable in quality, leading to pupils underachieving and making poor progress over time, especially in mathematics. Significant changes in staffing have occurred, including some new subject leaders, and this is supporting some improvements. However, the quality of teaching is still too inconsistent.  Teachers do not have high enough ambitions for what pupils can achieve. Pupils’ starting points are not used well enough to ensure that work is challenging and meets their learning needs. Too often, work set is too easy and does not enable pupils to progress well, or pupils who struggle are not provided with the support they need. The most-able pupils are rarely given activities to stretch them. Teachers’ failure to routinely plan lessons which build on pupils’ past achievements is limiting their progress.  Where teaching is strongest, teachers have high expectations and are clear about what skills and

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is inadequate

knowledge they want pupils to learn. For example, in a Year 9 religious studies lesson on Pentecost, pupils were writing their ideas in depth to explain the significance of the Holy Spirit in Christian teachings. In physical education, the teacher adjusted exercises appropriately to enable all pupils to tackle activities to develop their fitness. In music, the teacher skilfully enabled all pupils to perform with increasing confidence and fluency, as they learned about African music. In history, precise planning enabled pupils to build on prior knowledge to develop an understanding of the work of William Harvey.  Generally, teachers give pupils feedback in line with the school’s assessment policy. However, across subjects and year groups, pupils do not always make enough use of teachers’ advice to improve their work.  Although willing to learn, pupils show little drive to improve their work. They are content to complete

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is inadequate

tasks set, but few show a desire to extend their learning. However, pupils are not always expected to apply their knowledge and stretch their thinking. For example, in English, pupils have few opportunities to redraft work and write at length. The library is underused as pupils are not encouraged to read widely.  Pupils value the good working relationships they have with some teachers. A few pupils expressed concern about frequent changes of teachers. Three quarters of parents who expressed an opinion on Parent View said that their child is taught well in the school.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare requires improvement.  Adults are well trained to support pupils’ safety. Where concerns arise, staff act promptly and work effectively with other agencies to ensure pupils receive appropriate support.  Pupils told inspectors they feel safe in school and know who to turn to if they have a concern. They are very clear about how to avoid danger when using the internet. There are no problems with racism, derogatory language is rarely used and if bullying does occur, it is always dealt with promptly by staff.  Relationships between staff and pupils, and between pupils, are generally strong. This creates a positive atmosphere around the school. Pupils show respect for each other’s differences.  Attendance is improving but remains just below the national average. The percentage of those persistently absent, while reducing, is still too high, particularly among disadvantaged pupils.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils requires improvement.  Pupils demonstrate real willingness to learn when teachers challenge them well. Although inspectors noted no disruption to learning within lessons, some students lose their focus when not enough is expected of them.  Conduct around the school is generally good. Pupils are courteous and polite to visitors. However, small minorities of staff who completed the staff survey, and parents who responded to Parent View, had concerns about behaviour in the school. Pupils felt that, typically, behaviour in some lessons was not good, particularly in those taught by supply teachers.  Since the beginning of this academic year, staff have applied the school’s behaviour policy more rigorously than previously. This has led to an increase in sanctions applied to pupils. Most pupils and staff agree that this has led to improved behaviour, especially in lessons.

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Outcomes for pupils are inadequate

 Within the first year of the academy opening, achievement at the end of Key Stage 4 was broadly in line with national figures, although achievement in mathematics was lower. One year later, the results declined in many subjects, including English and science, and were much lower than predicted.  In 2015, too few pupils attained five good GCSE examination results, including English and mathematics, compared to similar pupils nationally, this despite arriving at the school with broadly average attainment at the end of Key Stage 2. Attainment by the end of Key Stage 4 was below average in the majority of subjects taken at GCSE. Outcomes in science and mathematics were particularly low.  Disadvantaged pupils underachieve significantly. For example, gaps in GCSE English in 2015 were equivalent to a grade lower and in GCSE mathematics to a grade and a half lower compared to other pupils nationally. The school’s information shows that the current gaps between the performance of

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Outcomes for pupils are inadequate

disadvantaged pupils and others are not narrowing fast enough.  Systems for gathering accurate and reliable information about pupils’ progress are now in place. This information shows that pupils currently in Year 11 are on track to achieve better at the end of Key Stage 4 than their peers last year.  In mathematics, the standard of work of current pupils throughout the school is below that expected given their starting points. The level of challenge in lessons is frequently too low and, as a result, pupils are not developing their skills well enough. In some years, boys and the most-able pupils are making progress well below that expected for their age.  Performance in other subjects is a mixed picture. In English and science overall, pupils are making the expected progress from their starting points, and good progress in reading. However, in some year groups, boys are not progressing well enough in English, and in science the most-able pupils are not

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Outcomes for pupils are inadequate

always making enough progress.  The most-able pupils are often not sufficiently challenged as many teachers do not have high enough expectations of what they can achieve. In mathematics lessons, for example, pupils who are aiming for the highest grades were working on an activity that would not enable them to achieve at this level. In 2015, only two subjects enabled more than the national average proportion of pupils to gain an A*/A grade.  Pupils who have special educational needs or disability make rates of progress which are similar to that of others in the school. The school’s work to support these pupils has recently been reorganised. There is not yet enough evidence of its impact on pupils’ progress.  Pupils who join the school with attainment below that expected for their ages and needing to catch up make good progress in English, especially in improving their reading. This is because their needs are

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Outcomes for pupils are inadequate

carefully targeted and the right support is put in place. However, pupils who need to catch up in mathematics do not make the same rate of progress.

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School details

Unique reference number 140199 Local authority West Sussex Inspection number 10009995 This inspection was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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School details

Type of school Secondary School category Academy sponsor-led Age range of pupils 11–16 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 594 Appropriate authority Interim executive board Chair Ken Lloyd Principal Umbar Sharif Telephone number 01243 546800 Website www.ormistonsixvillagesacademy.co.uk Email address office@ormistonsixvillagesacademy.co.uk

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Information about this school

 Ormiston Six Villages Academy opened in November 2013 and is sponsored by the Ormiston Academies Trust.  It is a smaller than average-sized secondary school.  The number of pupils eligible for support from the pupil premium (additional government funding) is in line with the national average.  The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs support or disability is above average.  The school serves a community with relatively little ethnic or cultural diversity.  The school does not use alternative provision for its pupils.  There have been several changes to leadership posts recently. New heads of department in mathematics and science started last term. A new Principal took up post in January 2016.  The governing body was replaced with an interim executive board in October 2015.  The school is supported by the headteacher of St Paul’s Catholic College, Burgess Hill, who is a national

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Information about this school

leader of education. He joined the school as Executive Principal in October 2015 for two days a week.  The school does not meet the government’s current floor standard which sets minimum expectations for attainment and progress.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 36 lessons, 31 jointly with school leaders.  Meetings were held with pupils, the Executive Principal and Principal, senior leader and middle leaders, newly appointed staff, two members of the IEB, including the chair, and representatives of Ormiston Academies Trust.  Inspectors looked at a range of pupils’ work, heard pupils read, observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons, around the school and at lunchtime and talked informally with staff and pupils.  Inspectors considered the views of parents, taking into account the 141 responses to the online parent questionnaire Parent View. Inspectors also considered the 101 freetext question responses submitted by parents. Responses to the 56 questionnaires completed by staff were also taken into account.  Inspectors scrutinised a range of documents, including those to do with safeguarding, behaviour and attendance, progress information of current pupils, minutes of meetings of the IEB, the school’s

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Information about this inspection

evaluation of its own performance and improvement plans.

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Inspection team

Theresa Phillips, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Elizabeth Bowes Ofsted Inspector Carol Grant Ofsted Inspector Mark Bagust Ofsted Inspector guidance 'Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-ofsted . 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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Inspection team

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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Inspection team

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.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted .

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Inspection team

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, further education and skills, 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. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

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Inspection team

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Inspection team

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

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Inspection team

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

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