Ormiston South Parade Academy

Ormiston South Parade Academy South Parade, Grimsby, North East Lincolnshire DN31 1TU

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Overall effectiveness Good

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Not previously inspected

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This is a good school

 The principal provides very strong and effective leadership. She has addressed the historic weaknesses in the quality of teaching, especially in mathematics, and established a culture of high expectations.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted very well. The academy’s values of equality of opportunity and fair play underpin all aspects of its work.  Pupils make strong and sustained progress. The progress of disadvantaged pupils and of those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is similar to that of other pupils.  Teaching is good. Staff, including teaching assistants, show high levels of knowledge, commitment and skill.  The way that the academy promotes pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding.  Pupils’ behaviour is good. They want to do well and are keenly aware of the needs of others.  Support for vulnerable pupils is strong. There are

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This is a good school

strong partnerships between home and academy that help ensure that children get what they need.  Children in the early years get off to a good start because they concentrate well on the wide range of activities provided for them. They are well prepared for Year 1.  Governors are well informed about the academy and hold leaders to account effectively for its service to the community.  Ormiston Academies Trust provides effective challenge and support to the academy and its governing body.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Some of the teaching at the academy does not provide sufficient challenge or opportunities for the most able pupils to fully develop their potential.  The broader curriculum beyond English, mathematics and science is not yet as developed as it could be. Pupils are not being given sufficient opportunities to develop their skills and knowledge beyond these ‘core’ subjects.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Continue to strengthen the quality of teaching by ensuring that the most able pupils are consistently challenged, particularly in mathematics, through tasks that test their ability to use, apply and deepen their subject knowledge and skills.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 The principal provides very strong and effective leadership. She has addressed the historic weaknesses in the quality of teaching with tenacity and clarity of purpose, particularly in mathematics. She has established a culture of high expectations of both staff and pupils, by her insistence on the highest quality in all aspects of the academy’s work.  The principal has built a strong senior leadership team and developed leadership capacity across the academy. She has encouraged ‘shadow’ leaders to work alongside established leaders so that they gain insights into effective leadership. This helps ensure continuity of effective leadership into the future.  Parents support the principal’s work at the academy. The vast majority of parents who responded to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, said that their children are happy and safe at the academy and that they are well behaved and make good progress. Evidence from inspectors’ conversations with

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

parents during the inspection supports this view. Parents particularly welcome the accessibility of staff at the academy and the range of ways that staff challenge and support their children to succeed. The staff survey is also very positive about the academy and the way it is led. Staff feel supported and say that the academy has improved significantly.  Leaders acted promptly and effectively in response to disappointing mathematics outcomes in 2015 at the end of key stage 2. Supported by representatives of the Ormiston Academies Trust and after detailed training for all staff, leaders introduced a whole-school approach to mathematics in October 2015. The academy’s own monitoring of its impact, supported by evidence from this inspection, shows that for almost all pupils there have been significant improvements in outcomes in mathematics. In addition, pupils report that they now really enjoy mathematics and take real pleasure in the new approach.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 The principal and her team have put in place very effective systems for checking the quality and impact of teaching. Drawing on a range of evidence and information, senior leaders and, increasingly, middle leaders have an accurate judgement of the quality of teaching at the academy. These judgements are checked for their accuracy through regular external moderation by the Regional Director of the Ormiston Academies Trust and through the academy’s strong working links with local good schools. Leaders use these insights to further develop staff skills through rigorous management of staff performance and targeted support and training.  The leadership of the provision for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is good. Leaders have established a culture that places the responsibility for the success and progress of these pupils with the classroom teachers and staff. Staff, including teaching assistants, are supported in this

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

work by targeted training and access to additional support both from within the academy and from outside agencies. As a result of this work, pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities make good progress.  The academy’s curriculum is broad and balanced. It is supplemented by a rich and varied range of extra-curricular activities and clubs that take place each week and are open to all. These include clubs for debating, cooking, arts and crafts and film. There is also a science club aimed particularly at the most able pupils. This club is run by one of the academy’s teaching assistants. There are also annual residential trips open to pupils from Year 3 onwards. Leaders keep careful records of patterns of attendance at these activities; disadvantaged pupils are particularly encouraged to take full advantage of these opportunities.  The more formal curriculum focuses on ensuring that pupils develop a love of learning and are equipped

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

for the next stage of their education and for life in modern Britain. Healthy lifestyles and eating are encouraged through science and physical education; understanding of the British democratic processes through citizenship and history.  Leaders promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well. Pupils have opportunities to develop an understanding of the diversity of life and human experience beyond their immediate community through a range of activities. These include targeted charity fundraising and ‘raising aspiration’ visits to assemblies by a wide range of guest speakers. Pupils also have opportunities to serve the academy community in a range of elected and voluntary roles.  Science is now a strength at the academy. Leaders identified weaknesses and inconsistencies in teachers’ knowledge and confidence in the teaching of science and moved quickly and effectively to address them.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

A detailed training programme, underpinned by an application for the silver Primary Science Quality Mark, has resulted in significant improvements in the teaching of science.  Leaders target the pupil premium funding carefully and effectively. This contributes directly to the increasingly good progress disadvantaged pupils make as well as to their improving attendance.  The primary school physical education and sports funding is also used effectively. The academy’s own records show that pupils’ participation levels are up in voluntary sports activities in and out of school. The funding has also been used effectively to develop the academy staff’s skills and confidence in sports coaching.  The governance of the school – The local governing body has been in place since October 2015. Supported effectively by the Ormiston Academies Trust, it has developed the range of skills necessary promptly and effectively, in order to

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

understand the academy and its work and increasingly challenge its leaders. – Governors, ably led by the chair of governors, and supported effectively by the regional director of the Ormiston Academies Trust, draw on a range of evidence to ensure that they have a clear picture of the progress pupils at the academy are making. As well as information from the principal and her team, governors gain first-hand insights into the work and effectiveness of the academy through regular visits, learning walks and links with specific areas of the academy’s work.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. All statutory safeguarding and welfare requirements are met. Child protection policies and procedures are up to date. All staff are appropriately trained to ensure that children are safe and their welfare needs are met. A culture of safeguarding and vigilance underpins all aspects of the academy.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 The quality of teaching, learning and assessment has improved significantly, particularly in mathematics, as a result of leaders’ actions. Pupils’ progress is assessed regularly and very robust checks are made to ensure that teachers’ judgements are accurate. Teachers use the information they gather to focus their teaching and to help them identify gaps in pupils’ learning. They then act promptly to ensure that no pupil is left behind.  Staff display good subject knowledge and they use this imaginatively to ensure that, generally, pupils make good progress.  Leaders have established effective and engaging classroom routines across the academy. Many of these are associated with the new, whole-school approach to the teaching of mathematics. Pupils are eager to learn and respond very promptly to the ‘1-2-3, eyes on me’ exhortation from their teacher with ‘1-2, eyes on you’. They listen attentively and are engaged with their learning.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 Staff, including support staff, use questioning effectively to deepen and extend pupils’ skills and knowledge. Staff have high expectations. In a Year 2 religious education lesson, for example, the teacher deftly drew out a range of pupils’ views on the nature of religious leadership through careful yet insistent questioning. This kept pupils on their toes and helped them to reflect and deepen their understanding.  Teaching assistants and other additional adults are well deployed across the academy and they have a positive impact on pupils’ progress. Often working with small groups, teaching assistants demonstrate high levels of skill in questioning and developing pupils’ learning. Teaching assistants report that they feel fully involved in the life of the academy and have access to training to develop their skills and impact on pupils’ progress.  Reading is taught well at the academy. A recently introduced whole-school approach to reading

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

encourages a range of activities which support and encourage reading for pleasure. They also improve pupils’ comprehension and stamina. Pupils report that they welcome the way reading is encouraged and rewarded at the academy. They say that it helps them to read widely. Pupils read with fluency and expression, including younger children and those of lower ability. Pupils apply their skills of inference and deduction well and have a good understanding of the texts they are reading.  The work in pupils’ books and folders is generally well presented. Most pupils take real pride in their work. Pupils follow the recently introduced academy-wide approach and use a cursive writing script. However, there is evidence that pupils, and particularly the most able, are not being given enough opportunities to write at sufficient length so that they can develop and deepen their ideas and understanding. This is particularly the case in subjects beyond the ‘core’ of English, mathematics and

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

science.  Staff follow the academy’s approach to marking and the assessment of pupils’ work in their books. In mathematics, English and science books, there is clear evidence that pupils are taking account of teachers’ comments and then acting to improve their work. In subjects beyond this ‘core’, however, marking and teachers’ comments focus on praise. There is less evidence of subject-specific comments that help pupils to improve their knowledge and skills, especially the most able.  Staff systematically check the progress that pupils are making during lessons. Effective records are kept that help inform teachers’ next steps in planning. However, it is not clear how systematically these assessments help shape work that extends and stretches the most able pupils.

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Personal development and welfare

 The academy’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding.  Pupils are enthusiastic about their learning and their school. They work hard and wear their uniforms with pride. They show by their attitudes, engagement and care for each other that they live out the academy’s ‘5 Rs for learning and life’. They are respectful, responsible, resilient, reflective and resourceful.  Pupils are polite, friendly and courteous. They are very welcoming to visitors and conduct themselves well. As one pupil, who is relatively new to the academy and speaks English as an additional language, told inspectors, ‘Every visitor is welcome in this school.’ This openness and understanding of diversity is encouraged through all aspects of the academy’s work, including high-quality assembly time.  Almost all pupils are self-confident and try hard. They work well together. When set a challenging task,

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Personal development and welfare

they approach it with determination and tenacity. In a Year 4 science lesson, for example, pupils had to work together, draw on previous learning and be resourceful and clear in their instructions when setting up an experiment to study rates of evaporation.  The academy’s tidy and attractive environment and lively displays encourage pupils to take pride in their school and reflect on the wider world. The displays remind pupils about the richness and diversity of humanity and the dangers of, for example, stereotyping and narrowness of view.  From their early years in the academy pupils are encouraged to take on responsibilities that give them opportunities to be of service to others. As well as contributing to a wide range of charities, pupils can take on roles as ‘special helpers’ in early years, members of the Academy Council, digital leaders and playtime ‘buddies’. Through these activities pupils gain a growing understanding of the importance of

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Personal development and welfare

cooperation and the qualities and skills they need to be productive, thoughtful and resourceful citizens.  Pupils have a clear understanding of the various forms that bullying can take. This is because they have a range of opportunities to discuss it and it is a regular topic for assemblies and in lessons. They say that there is very little bullying at the academy and that, when it does occur, they know that they can rely on staff to deal with it promptly and effectively.  Pupils say that they feel safe and know how to keep themselves safe, including when they are online. The vast majority of parents who responded to Parent View said that their children feel safe at the academy.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  Pupils’ behaviour in lessons is good. This ensures that pupils learn effectively without any distractions. Around the academy pupils behave with consideration for others and appropriate care. At breaks and lunchtimes, pupils play well together and line up in an orderly fashion when it is time to go back into class.  Routines, both in and outside the classroom, are clear and well established; pupils know what is expected of them. They are enthusiastic about the interactive aspects of their learning. For example, when classes are asked, ‘Are you ready?’, they respond with one voice, ‘We’ve always been ready!’ They learn in a well-ordered environment. They take pride in their work and look after the displays and school equipment very carefully.  Whole-academy attendance is 96%, which is in line with national expectations. The academy actively promotes regular attendance and punctuality and checks carefully on the reasons for absence. Any

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Behaviour

patterns of absence are quickly identified and leaders move promptly and effectively to support children and families who, from time to time, find attending school a struggle.

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Outcomes for pupils are good

 Standards of achievement have improved significantly over the last two years because expectations are higher and the quality and consistency of teaching have improved. Attainment overall is improving at a rapid and sustained rate. Progress for pupils currently in the academy is consistently good.  The introduction of a whole-school approach to the teaching of mathematics in October 2015 has led to significant improvements in progress and attainment in this subject for almost all pupils across the academy, particularly in key stage 2. It is clear that this approach is addressing the overall weaknesses in mathematics for the majority of pupils. However, it is still too early to judge whether it is stretching the most able pupils sufficiently; leaders at the academy are alert to this and moving promptly to address it.  The proportion of children reaching a good level of development at the end of the Reception Year has

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Outcomes for pupils are good

been rising steadily over the past two years and is now well above the national average.  At 84%, the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics screening check (letters and the sounds that they make) improved again in 2016 and is well above the 2015 national average. By the end of Year 2 almost all pupils have achieved the expected standard.  Provisional results for 2016 and inspection evidence show that by the end of key stage 1, the proportion of pupils reaching above average standards in mathematics and reading is good. For writing, it is in line with the national expectations for 2015. This is an improvement on the previous year’s results.  The academy’s own information and inspection evidence shows that attainment in key stage 2 is improving, particularly in mathematics and grammar, punctuation and spelling, and is now close to national expectations for 2015. In mathematics, almost all pupils made expected progress and a good

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Outcomes for pupils are good

proportion made more than expected progress. This is a significant improvement on 2015.  In reading and writing across key stage 2, inspection evidence and the academy’s own information show that overall pupils made good progress. However, there is still some variation between years, with Year 4 pupils not making as much progress as other years.  Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities make good progress because of high expectations, the good-quality classroom teaching and effective individual support they receive. Parents of children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities report that the academy is very effective in working with their children. They say that the academy communicates with them regularly and that there are opportunities to meet together with staff on a very regular basis  In Year 1 phonics and end of key stage 1 attainment outcomes, the gap between the performance of

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Outcomes for pupils are good

disadvantaged pupils and other pupils in the academy has been closed. At the end of key stage 1, in some cases disadvantaged pupils are attaining standards above those of other pupils at the academy. There is a similar trend by the end of key stage 2, where the gaps between disadvantaged pupils and other pupils in the academy are closing rapidly.

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Early years provision is good

 The leadership of early years is strong, reflective and analytical. The leader has a clear understanding of the strengths and areas that need further development. The leader ensures that there is effective support for all children’s needs and she has developed effective links with outside agencies.  The proportion of children reaching a good level of development at the end of Reception Year has been rising steadily over the past two years and is now well above that seen nationally. Additional funding is used well to ensure that disadvantaged children receive effective additional support. As a result, they make rapid progress and catch up with other children. Overall, from their starting points, children make good progress through Nursery and Reception and are well prepared for Year 1.  Teaching is good. The way in which staff use questions to develop and deepen children’s understanding and confidence is a particular strength. Relationships between staff and children are good. Staff know the

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Early years provision is good

children very well. They plan work carefully so that children’s interest are engaged and there is an appropriate balance between child and adult-led activities. Adults have high expectations of the children in their care and the children rise to these expectations. Independence is encouraged and children enjoy being special helpers and earning ‘froggy green’ awards.  Staff monitor children’s progress and well-being carefully. Leaders have put in place highly effective recording systems that monitor children’s progress and help make sure that staff plan next steps for each child that extend and develop their learning. Rigorous internal and external moderation helps ensure that these assessments of children’s progress are accurate. This information is shared with parents very regularly.  There is a strong emphasis on literacy activities both indoors and outdoors in early years. There is less emphasis on mathematics. This is particularly the case for the most able children, where activities that

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Early years provision is good

challenge these children to develop and deepen their understanding and pleasure in mathematics are less evident.  Children’s behaviour is good. Adults’ expectations of how children should behave are high and consistently applied. Children learn how to take turns, listen well and cooperate with each other.  There are good systems in place to aid transition from nursery to early years and from early years into Year 1. Parents are fully involved in this process. Parents report that they particularly welcome the high quality and regularity of the information they receive about their children’s progress. They say that staff are friendly, professional and readily available to discuss their children.  The outdoor provision is developing well with a range of activities that engage and encourage children to work together and explore new things. This aspect of the early years provision is particularly attractive to

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Early years provision is good

boys and encourages them to work cooperatively.  Provision for two-year-olds has been taken on by the academy during this year and is developing well. Good care and support is provided so that children feel safe and well cared for. The leader of early years understands clearly that further work is needed to bring this provision up to the high standard of the rest of early years. More needs to be done to ensure that there is consistency in the ways adults model language for these younger children. In addition, outdoor learning is not yet effective enough in encouraging cooperative and imaginative play.  Safeguarding in early years is very effective. All statutory safeguarding and welfare requirements are met. Child protection policies and procedures are up to date. All staff are appropriately trained to ensure that children are safe and their welfare needs are met. A culture of safeguarding and vigilance underpins all

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School details

Unique reference number 138846 Local authority North East Lincolnshire Inspection number 10000568

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School details

This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act.

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Academy converter Age range of pupils 2–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 551 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Liz Talmadge Principal Jane Nolan Telephone number 01472 231657 Website www.osparade.co.uk Email address office@osparade.co.uk Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Ormiston South Parade Academy is larger than the average-sized primary school.  Most pupils are White British.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for support through the pupil premium is well above average. The pupil premium is additional government funding provided for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals or who are looked after.  The proportion who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is above average.  The academy meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress at the end of key stage 2.  In the early years, Nursery children attend full or part time and Reception children attend full time. There is provision for two-year-olds.  The academy’s website meets statutory requirements.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed learning in all years. Several observations were undertaken jointly with the principal and members of the senior leadership team.  Inspectors scrutinised a broad selection of pupils’ books and folders in a broad range of subject areas.  Inspectors listened to pupils read.  Inspectors held meetings with the principal and other leaders, a representative of the Ormiston Academies Trust and the chair, vice-chair and one other member of the local governing body. Inspectors also met with a group of Year 4 and a group of Year 6 pupils and a number of parents.  Inspectors observed pupils at the start and end of school and during breaks and lunchtime. They also attended two assemblies.  A broad range of documents was scrutinised, including the academy’s self-evaluation summary, the academy development plan, assessment information, safeguarding information and attendance and other related behaviour records.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors took account of the 484 responses that had been submitted to Parent View, and the 29 responses to the staff survey.

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Inspection team

Mark Evans, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Phil Riozzi Her Majesty’s Inspector Marianne Young Ofsted Inspector Susan Twait Michelle Ravey Ofsted Inspector 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

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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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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