Ormiston Six Villages Academy

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

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Inspection dates: 29 and 30 November 2022

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Previous inspection grade Good 29 and 30 November 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

There is a strong sense of community in this friendly and inclusive school. Most pupils enjoy school life. Relationships between staff and pupils are based on mutual respect. This means that the majority of pupils are kind and courteous. If incidents of bullying or discrimination do happen, leaders act quickly to address these. Pupils are safe because staff care for them well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and staff set high expectations for pupils’ learning, including those pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The school is a calm, orderly place. In lessons, most pupils focus on their work and try their best. They appreciate the support they get from staff, which helps them to learn well. However, there is a small minority of pupils who repeatedly show negative attitudes toward their education.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn to become responsible, respectful citizens. For instance, they are setting up a relaxing ‘community garden’ for their friends and local residents to appreciate and enjoy. Pupils relish taking on leadership roles, such as being a member of the school council or as a ‘well-being ambassador’. They benefit from the wide range of interesting clubs on offer. As one pupil said, ‘There is something for everyone here.’

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better?

Leaders and governors are ambitious for staff and pupils. Leaders are working resolutely to ensure that the school continues to go from strength to strength. The school is becoming increasingly popular with parents within, and beyond, the local area. As a result, the number of pupils on roll continues to grow.

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better?

Leaders have made significant improvements to the curriculum, which is now broad and balanced. Teachers are clear about the small steps of knowledge that pupils should learn and remember well. This means that pupils are introduced to new learning in a logical way. Leaders and teachers identify the needs of pupils with SEND accurately, but these are not met in some classes. Developing pupils’ vocabulary and reading runs through the curriculum. Weaker readers’ needs are identified quickly and accurately. Suitable additional reading support is provided to help them improve. This has a positive impact on these pupils’ reading and learning.

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better?

Leaders, supported by the trust, provide staff with effective training. As a result, the teaching of the curriculum is becoming progressively more expert. Most teachers use their strong subject knowledge to spark pupils’ curiosity about the concepts taught. They efficiently use the clear routines that are in place to help pupils recall and deepen their knowledge. Teachers use questions skilfully to spot and address any gaps in pupils’ learning. However, at times, the quality of curriculum delivery by a small number of staff is still variable. When this happens, pupils do not learn as well as they could. The trust is continuing to provide support to address this. 29 and 30 November 2022

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Leaders take every opportunity to promote good attendance. Despite their efforts, there remains a small number of pupils who do not attend regularly. Therefore, these pupils do not benefit fully from all that the school has to offer. Leaders are taking firm and decisive action to address this.

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Leaders carefully consider pupils’ personal development. For example, pupils learn about different cultures and religions. Staff give pupils opportunities to develop strength of character. Pupils learn how to take care of their mental health and well- being, including age-appropriate relationships and consent. They are knowledgeable about the impact their actions can have on the environment. For instance, pupils are working hard to reduce the use of single-use plastic within school. Pupils receive regular, useful, unbiased careers advice. This means that pupils are well informed about different career pathways and future study options.

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Those responsible for governance are experienced and knowledgeable. They monitor and evaluate the impact of leaders’ actions effectively. Governors make sure that the processes for managing staff’s well-being and workload are in place and working effectively. They recognise that although the majority of parents and carers are supportive of the school, some parents feel that communication from the school is not effective enough.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff are well trained and understand their responsibilities to keep pupils safe. They take prompt action should they have concerns, no matter how small. Leaders act swiftly to ensure that the right help and support are put in place for pupils and their families. Records are thorough and detailed and show prompt actions. Leaders make the right checks on adults before they begin working at the school. Pupils are knowledgeable about how to keep themselves safe. Leaders are aware of risks in the local community and make sure that pupils know how to protect themselves from those risks.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 A small number of teachers’ implementation of the curriculum is variable. This sometimes limits how well pupils develop their knowledge and understanding. Leaders need to continue to develop staff’s teaching expertise so that all pupils learn well across the different subjects in the curriculum.  A minority of pupils do not have positive attitudes toward their learning so they do not achieve as well as they could. Leaders should continue their work to support these pupils to understand how to modify and regulate their behaviour.  Some pupils do not attend school regularly enough. They regularly miss out on essential learning. Leaders should ensure that the strategies they have introduced 29 and 30 November 2022

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are implemented consistently to improve the attendance of all pupils, particularly those who are persistently absent.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. 29 and 30 November 2022

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School details

Website www.ormistonsixvillagesacademy.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 13 and 14 September 2017, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is sponsored by Ormiston Academies Trust. The trust delegates some responsibilities to a local governing body.  The principal was appointed in September 2018. A new chair of the local governing body was appointed in May 2022.  The school meets the requirements of the Baker Clause, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 13 with information about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.  The school is currently using one alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 29 and 30 November 2022

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 Inspectors met with the principal, school leaders, staff and pupils.  The inspection team met with leaders from Ormiston Academies Trust. The lead inspector also met with members of the local governing body.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, mathematics, art, history and physical education. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  To inspect safeguarding, inspectors checked the single central record of recruitment checks and talked to leaders responsible for safeguarding. Inspectors also talked to a range of staff and pupils informally.  The inspection team considered the responses to the confidential staff questionnaire and spoke to a range of staff about their views of the school.  Inspectors took account of the responses to the Ofsted Parent View questionnaire

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and the additional free-text responses.  The inspection team met with a range of pupils to discuss their views about the school and talked to pupils informally during social times and in lessons.  Inspectors reviewed a range of documentation, including the school development plan and pupil premium funding plan.

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Inspection team

Louise Walker, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Peter Fry Ofsted Inspector 29 and 30 November 2022

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regulates and inspects to 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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