Setting

Sashi Siva Interim Principal Edward Worlledge Ormiston Academy Suffolk Road Great Yarmouth Norfolk NR31 0ER

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Academy

Following my remote inspection with Hannah Stoten, Her Majesty’s Inspector (HMI), of your school on 2 March 2021, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to confirm the findings. Thank you for the help you gave during the inspection and for the time you made available to discuss the actions that have been taken to provide education to all pupils during the current circumstances.

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Academy

This monitoring inspection was conducted under section 8 (2) of the Education Act 2005 (as amended) and in accordance with Ofsted’s published procedures for visiting schools while routine inspections remain temporarily suspended. It was additional to the usual monitoring process for schools that are judged to have serious weaknesses.

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Academy

Following changes to government guidance and the imposition of COVID-19 (coronavirus) lockdown restrictions, this monitoring inspection was carried out remotely. As such, the range of evidence available to inspectors was narrower than would normally be the case during an on-site inspection. As a result, this letter provides a more limited level of assurance than our usual monitoring reports.

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Academy

The inspection took place because the school was judged to have serious weaknesses at its previous section 5 inspection. The school’s most recent section 5 inspection took place in January 2020.

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Academy

Having considered all the evidence and taking into account the impact of COVID-19 on the school, I am of the opinion that at this time:

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Leaders and those responsible for governance are taking effective action

to provide education in the current circumstances. Ofsted

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Leaders and those responsible for governance are taking effective action

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T 0300 123 1231 www.gov.uk/ofsted Leaders and those responsible for governance should take further action to:

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Leaders and those responsible for governance are taking effective action

 continue to improve and develop the school’s curriculum and ensure that changes are fully in place throughout the school.

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Context

 The previous principal left the school in July 2020. You took up your post as interim principal in September 2020. The new chair of the local governing body took up her post in September 2020.

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Context

 Around a third of pupils were educated remotely at some point during the autumn term 2020. This was mainly as a result of class ‘bubbles’ having to close. Five of the school’s 15 classes were affected, and no class bubble was closed more than once.

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Context

 Currently, about a third of pupils are being educated on the school site. Around half of these pupils are children of critical workers and the remainder are pupils who are vulnerable. Just under half of pupils who have an education, health and care (EHC) plan are being educated on the school site. All the pupils you have identified as being otherwise vulnerable are attending school each day.

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Main findings

 Leaders and governors took appropriate action to address the areas for improvement identified by the full inspection in January 2020. Since you took up your post in September 2020, leaders have audited the school’s curriculum and identified that some subjects, such as computing, art and history, were not being given enough curriculum time. A new curriculum has been devised and this issue has been rectified. Leaders and staff have gone a long way to ensure that the right content is taught at the right time in each subject, so that pupils learn about each subject step by step. The new curriculum has recently been introduced and is being developed and improved further.

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Main findings

 Leaders have successfully ensured that this new curriculum continues to be taught as intended, as far as possible, in the current circumstances. You have also ensured that a suitable system is in place for pupils to access online learning. Laptops have been loaned to pupils who would not otherwise have access to a suitable device and paper work packs are available on request. The curriculum is largely being delivered as planned but there have been some minor changes. For example, in personal, social and health education, a unit on bereavement has been moved to this term from the summer term because leaders felt that pupils have greatest need for this learning now.

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Main findings

 Leaders have been effective in making suitable arrangements to provide education for vulnerable pupils and the children of critical workers. All of the pupils you have identified as vulnerable have been offered a place in school and all of the most vulnerable pupils are attending school daily. Pupils in school are taught by their class teachers, following the usual curriculum and timetable. Where appropriate, pupils receive additional support from teaching assistants, based on their individual needs.

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Main findings

 Leaders have put effective measures in place to support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Around half of pupils with an EHC plan are currently being educated in school, although all have been offered a place. Where pupils with SEND are learning at home, staff make sure that they are provided with the resources they need to be able to do so successfully. Support staff are continuing to work with pupils with SEND as they usually would, and this is helping pupils to learn. The special educational needs coordinator has regular contact with families, to monitor pupils’ learning and to provide any necessary support. As a result of these measures, pupils with SEND are making progress. For example, pupils are using the new subject-specific vocabulary and the new concepts that they have been taught.

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Main findings

 Governors are holding leaders to account much better than they did at the time of the previous inspection. For example, a ‘progress board’ is now in place. This group is chaired by the multi-academy trust’s primary director and is focused on school improvement. As well as providing better challenge, governors are also supporting leaders well in the current circumstances.

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Main findings

 The multi-academy trust has provided a great deal of support to the school since the previous inspection. For example, newly appointed curriculum leaders have been provided with subject-specific support as they develop the curriculum and their individual roles. Support and challenge have also been provided for leaders responsible for the early years, SEND and whole-school leadership. Leaders feel well supported by the central trust team and by the other schools within the multi-academy trust that they work with closely. This support is helping the school to improve.

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Evidence

This inspection was conducted remotely. We spoke to you, other senior leaders, the chair of the local governing body, pupils and the multi-academy trust’s director of primary education to discuss leaders’ actions to provide education to all pupils during a national lockdown.

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Evidence

We also listened to pupils reading to staff, looked at examples of pupils’ work and reviewed documents related to the curriculum. We looked at responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, including 43 free-text responses, and 45 staff questionnaires.

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Evidence

I am copying this letter to the chair of the local governing body, the chair of the board of trustees and the chief executive officer of the Ormiston Academies multi- academy trust, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Norfolk. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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