Lift North Ormesby

Inspection of North Ormesby Primary Academy James Street, North Ormesby, Middlesbrough TS3 6LB

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Outstanding

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The principal of this school is Helen Charlton. This school is part of LIFT Schools multi- academy trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Rebecca Boomer Clark and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by David Hall.

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Until November 2020, the school was exempt from routine inspection because it was judged as outstanding for overall effectiveness at its previous inspection under section 5 of the Edu- cation Act 2005. The school has not been inspected under section 5 of the Act since June 2015. The school received monitoring inspections under section 8 of the Act on 10 October 2018 and 12 March 2019. Since September 2024, schools have not been awarded an overall effectiveness grade. 1 and 2 October 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

This school welcomes pupils of many different nationalities. A considerable number of pupils join the school part way through their education. Many are learning English for the first time. Staff are highly skilled in crafting relationships with new pupils and their families. Young interpreters help those who are new to the school feel at home. Pupils are happy here.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff use the school mascot ‘TIM’ to promote high expectations in behaviour, attendance and academic learning. Pupils respond very well to this. Pupils feel safe in school. They know that they can always talk to an adult if they are concerned about anything. The school is a calm place, where pupils behave well, showing courtesy and respect to each other. Lessons are a hive of learning as pupils engage in discussions and work through their tasks. Pupils achieve well and have solid foundations for their next stage of education.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy using the wide range of resources available to them in lessons and at breaktimes. The popular outdoor gym equipment helps pupils to develop their physical skills. The school allotment enhances the curriculum as pupils learn about growing their own food.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The school prioritises a love of reading. By Year 6, pupils develop effective comprehension and fluency skills. There are many inviting reading spaces, including outdoors in the early years. Staff are well trained in teaching pupils to read. This ensures that there is a consistent approach from the Reception Year onwards. Children in the Nursery Year learn to listen well so that they can identify sounds. Although the vast majority of pupils build their phonics knowledge well, a few pupils are less secure. The books that some pupils read are not matched sufficiently well to the sounds that they know. This hinders their reading fluency.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

This school takes the right actions to improve the quality of the curriculum. For example, the curriculum for mathematics has been redesigned. The changes in the way that multiplication is taught have increased pupil confidence and raised their achievement. Similarly, in history, there is now more of a focus on learning about chronology. Teachers have a clear understanding of what should be taught and when. They also have a bank of resources that reduces their workload.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders monitor the curriculum closely. They were recently aware that some older pupils had a limited understanding of aspects of major world faiths. As a result, a new curriculum for religious education (RE) has been introduced, which has clarified the key knowledge that pupils are expected to learn in this subject.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The school has correctly identified the development of oral language skills as a priority area for improvement. The programme has not yet started in earnest. In the early years, there are inconsistencies in the way that adults interact with children. Some adults model 1 and 2 October 2024

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language skilfully and enhance the learning activities with rich conversation. However, at times, other staff miss opportunities for high-quality interactions.

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Additional resources such as interventions and catch-up sessions for pupils are allocated well. Some pupils who transfer from other countries, quickly build their skills in English. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are swiftly identified and supported well. Teachers are confident in adapting lessons. This includes the use of apparatus in mathematics and prompts for writing. The school works in partnership with external agencies. This has helped the school, for example, to set up quieter spaces for pupils who need them.

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Staff know pupils and their families well. They use this knowledge to identify any barriers that may affect attendance. The school checks on the well-being of pupils who are absent. This includes making home visits. The school promotes several initiatives to encourage good attendance. These include both weekly and longer-term attendance rewards. Pupils rates of attendance are improving. The number of pupils who are persistently absent has reduced. Pupils show positive attitudes to learning. They understand the school behaviour system and are keen to earn TIM tokens, rewarded for upholding the school rules and values.

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There is an impressive personal development programme. Pupils have an excellent understanding of the different groups protected by law from discrimination and of fundamental British values. Staff ensure that pupils learn about cultures and different faith communities from one another to value the variety of backgrounds represented in the school. The careers programme is innovative and inspirational. Pupils develop a strong belief that they can succeed. This motivates them to learn even more.

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Staff are proud to work at North Ormesby Primary Academy. They feel valued and supported by leaders.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some pupils do not read books that accurately match their current phonics knowledge. As a result, these pupils lack suitable practise of independently decoding unfamiliar words. This hinders their progress towards becoming fluent readers. The school should ensure that pupils are assessed accurately in phonics and that this information is used to match reading books to their knowledge.  Leaders continually review the curriculum across the school. This has led to changes, such as a new curriculum being introduced in RE. Leaders should continue their work to quality assure the curriculum, and support staff to implement the changes identified. 1 and 2 October 2024

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 There are inconsistencies in the approach to supporting children’s language development in the early years. As a result, some children have a limited range of vocabulary and are less effective in communicating. The school should ensure that staff are clear on what vocabulary children should learn and that adults are well trained to model language and interact with children.

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How can I feed back my views?

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 special educational needs and/or disabilities (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). 1 and 2 October 2024

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 12 and 13 March 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This school is part of LIFT Schools multi-academy trust.  The school uses one registered alternative provision.  A new principal has been appointed since the last inspection.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. During a graded inspection, we grade the school for each of our key judgements (quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and management) and for early years provision. Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024, will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision. 1 and 2 October 2024

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 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with school leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, other senior leaders and staff.  The lead inspector met also with the regional education director and the CEO of LIFT Schools and members of the local academy council.  The inspectors carried out deep dives into reading, mathematics, art and design, and history. For each deep dive, the inspector looked at curriculum planning, conducted joint lesson visits with leaders, spoke to pupils about their work and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Prior to the inspection, the lead inspector reviewed documents on the school’s website, as well as published information about the school’s performance and previous Ofsted inspections.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in classrooms, around the school and at

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breaktimes. They spoke with pupils about their views of the school and their learning, behaviour and safety.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single 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.  As well as speaking to some parents at the school gate, inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including any free-text comments. The inspectors also considered the responses to Ofsted’s staff survey.

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Inspection team

Mary Cook, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Kathryn Fenwick Ofsted Inspector 1 and 2 October 2024

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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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