Park Academy

Inspection of Ormiston Park Academy Belhus Park Lane, Aveley, South Ockendon, Essex RM15 4RU

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Requires improvement Leadership and management Requires improvement Previous inspection grade Good

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The joint interim principals of this school are Munira Said and Angelina Chapman. This school is part of Ormiston Academies Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Tom Rees, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Julius Weinberg. There is also an interim executive principal, Jodie Hassan, who is responsible for this school and one other. 21 and 22 May 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are beginning to benefit from a new, positive culture in the school. New leadership has injected a sense of ambition for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Historically, pupils have not achieved well. However, a new curriculum and targeted staff development are helping most pupils begin to learn better.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most pupils have responded positively to raised expectations of their behaviour. Pupils now enjoy a learning environment that is mostly free from disruption. They move around the school site calmly and purposefully. However, some pupils struggle to maintain these standards. As a result, other pupils’ learning gets interrupted from time to time.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Some pupils have not yet developed a positive attitude to school. Demotivated by their past experiences, they are sometimes passive and disengaged. Some pupils do not attend school regularly. This results in gaps in their learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils in the ASCEND centre, the school’s specially resourced provision for pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs (specially resourced provision), are well catered for. Pupils’ individual needs are clearly understood, and adults adapt their approaches accordingly. Consequently, pupils’ learning is beginning to improve. Weekly enrichment activities, such as kayaking, contribute towards helping pupils to develop important skills such as teamwork.

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better?

The trust has established a new leadership and governance structure. Within a short period of time, the new senior team has made a significant impact on the school. Aspiration has been raised for all. Pupils’ behaviour has improved. Leaders have taken substantial steps to ensure that pupils can access the quality of provision to which they are entitled.

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better?

Until recently, pupils’ learning was disjointed and weak. This was reflected in the school’s poor performance in GCSE examinations. To address this, the school has introduced a newly considered curriculum. The school has set out in detail the information pupils need to learn and when. The school has ordered learning logically so that pupils can build up knowledge over time. However, the plans do not always clearly link what pupils should already know to current learning. This means that teaching does not always focus on the precise knowledge pupils need. While pupils are learning more than before, this is not consistent across all subjects.

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better?

Trust specialists are working closely with teachers. This has resulted in teachers increasing their knowledge about how pupils learn in their subject. Specialists in SEND have set out how to support individuals to overcome specific barriers to learning. However, this work is at an early stage. Therefore, some teachers have not 21 and 22 May 2024

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had time to develop the depth of their teaching knowledge. As a result, teaching is not yet consistently effective in fully achieving the school’s ambition for pupils.

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The school does not effectively check on how well pupils have remembered what they have been taught. This means that the school does not know where gaps in pupils’ knowledge have emerged. As a result, curriculum plans are not adapted to remedy these gaps. Interventions are not precise enough to address specific issues. Hence, sometimes, pupils struggle to recall important knowledge over time.

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The level of disruption to lessons by pupils’ behaviour has reduced. Pupils understand what is expected of them. They now learn in classrooms that are mostly calm and quiet. Where learning is disrupted, teachers generally are consistent in how they deal with it. However, some teachers escalate incidents too quickly.

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The school has employed a number of strategies to increase pupils’ attendance. There has been a small improvement, but some pupils still do not attend school often enough. In these cases, pupils miss important learning and fall behind their peers.

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The curriculum for personal social and health education (PSHE) has been strengthened. The important knowledge pupils need for life in modern Britain is mapped out clearly. The new careers programme is embedded in the curriculum. However, pupils’ learning in PSHE is not secure, due to the variability in its delivery.

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The interim academy board (IAB) brings significant experience and strength to the school. It has a wealth of expertise in securing school improvement. This helps leaders refine their actions and remain focused on key priorities. The IAB provides effective support to staff during this period of change. Staff value this. They see the positive impact already. They know they are valued and are an integral part of the school’s improvement.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Curriculum plans do not always make it clear how learning links to what pupils should already know. This means that teachers do not always use what pupils know effectively in order to support new learning. The school should ensure that curriculum plans make clear links to previous learning, and teachers understand how to use this information effectively so as to support pupils to learn what the school intends and achieve consistently well.  Some teachers have not had enough training to ensure that they are able to deliver the curriculum as intended. Some instructions are too long and vague. 21 and 22 May 2024

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Learning activities do not always help pupils secure the key information they have been taught. This means that pupils do not always learn what the school intends. The school should ensure that all teachers have the training and support that enables them to deliver the planned curriculum consistently.  The school’s assessment strategy does not inform teachers effectively about what pupils have learned. This means teachers do not know what key knowledge pupils have secured, or how to adapt future curriculum planning to address gaps. The school should ensure that there is a robust assessment strategy that checks what pupils remember over time.  Despite recent improvements, some pupils do not attend school regularly. As a result, these pupils have gaps in their learning. The school should continue to review its approaches to ensure that it uses the most effective strategies to improve pupils’ attendance.

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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 ‘ is used to mean pupils with SEND; pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 21 and 22 May 2024

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School details

Principal Jodie Hassan, Interim Executive Principal Munira Said, Interim Joint Principal Angelina Chapman, Interim Joint Principal Website www.ormistonpark.org.uk

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 25 and 26 April 2023, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The interim joint principals and interim executive principal joined the school in February 2024.  The trust has put an IAB in place to oversee the school.  The school is part of Ormiston Academies Trust.  There is a legal memorandum of agreement between Ormiston Academies Trust and Unity Schools Partnership.  The school has a specially resourced provision called ASCEND. The provision supports up to 30 pupils who have education, health and care plans relating to their social, emotional and mental health needs.  The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 13 with information and engagement about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.  The school uses seven providers of alternative provision. All are registered and inspected separately by Ofsted. 21 and 22 May 2024

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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

Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors held meetings with leaders, including the interim executive principal, interim principals, and the special educational needs coordinator. The lead inspector also met with the interim academy board, including the chair and representatives of the trust’s executive team.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, mathematics, computing, geography, drama and music. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to staff, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The lead inspector also reviewed the documentation for pupils with SEND and visited the specialist ASCEND provision.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single

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Information about this inspection

central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors considered the 51 responses to the online survey for parents, Ofsted Parent View, and the 38 free-text comments submitted. There were no responses to Ofsted’s questionnaire for pupils or staff. Inspectors spoke to groups of pupils about their experiences of school life and their learning in lessons to understand what it is like to be a pupil in their school.

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Inspection team

Dave Gibson, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Rob James Ofsted Inspector 21 and 22 May 2024

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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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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