Brownhills Ormiston Academy

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Brownhills Ormiston Academy Deakin Avenue, Brownhills, Walsall, West Midlands WS8 7QG

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Outcome

Evidence gathered during this ungraded (section 8) inspection suggests that aspects of the school’s work may not be as strong as at the time of the previous inspection. The school’s next inspection will be a graded inspection.

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Outcome

The principal of this school is Ann Lloyd. 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 education director, Rod Hughes, who is responsible for this school and five others.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There is variability in the quality of education pupils receive in some areas. However, there are clear signs of increased ambition and support for pupils. The school has raised expectations for pupils’ achievement. Pupils speak positively about a range of recent improvements at Brownhills Ormiston Academy.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils know that they can talk to an adult if they have a concern, and this will be dealt with. Pupils also speak highly about the school’s high expectations for their behaviour which are clear and consistent. There is a calm and orderly atmosphere in the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has worked with external providers to ensure all pupils are well prepared for their next steps. Pupils are aware of a full range of ambitious destinations open to them. These include local sixth forms, as well as employers and apprenticeships. Pupils appreciate the many clubs and trips which the school organises for them. They speak especially highly of the many performing arts opportunities and the school choir. They also enjoy the trips abroad and to the theatre, as well as the many clubs the school organises for a wide range of interests. 8 and 9 October 2024

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

With the support of the trust, the school has recently reviewed its curriculum to raise the level of ambition for pupils and improve standards. The curriculum now more clearly identifies the key knowledge that pupils need to know, as well as the order in which they need to learn it. Thanks to training, leaders are now clear about how they lead their curriculum areas and have made necessary improvements in their curriculum design.

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

Up until recently, the school has not done enough to identify and address weaknesses in pupils’ reading. It now has a comprehensive plan in place to identify and support these pupils. This is beginning to have a positive impact on developing pupils’ reading skills. However, the school recognises that there is more to be done to ensure all pupils are supported to improve their literacy to enable them to access the new curriculum appropriately.

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

On some occasions, teachers ensure that learning activities build on pupils’ previous learning and use assessment well to identify gaps or misconceptions. This enables pupils to make good progress. For example, careful explanations and selections of tasks support pupils to understand key terms in music. However, this is not consistent across the school. Where the tasks selected do not build effectively on what pupils already know, or pupils’ understanding is not checked effectively, they find it harder to learn the new curriculum as gaps in their knowledge or misconceptions remain.

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

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) have their needs accurately identified. However, teachers do not use the available information about pupils’ special educational needs to adapt the delivery of the curriculum effectively. As a result, pupils with SEND often struggle with the tasks set and do not achieve as well as they should.

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

Pupils’ attendance has been too low for too long. The school now has a detailed strategy to improve attendance. This has had a positive impact on improving attendance to some extent. However, there is more to be done to ensure that all pupils attend school regularly, especially more vulnerable pupils.

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

The school has reviewed its expectations around pupils’ conduct and how they should engage in lessons. Staff and pupils clearly understand these expectations. Although there are occasions when pupils disengage with learning in class, they listen attentively and behave in a considerate way around the school. If pupils find it harder to meet the school’s expectations, carefully considered action is taken to support them to make improvements to their conduct.

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

The school is rightly proud of its provision to improve pupils’ personal development. There is a wide range of activities available. The school monitors pupils’ engagement carefully to ensure that all pupils benefit from the offer. The school has reviewed the information it gives pupils in relation to qualifications and opportunities for when they leave school. These include links with sixth-form providers, work experience, as well as information for apprenticeships. This means that pupils are increasingly accessing more ambitious 8 and 9 October 2024

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destinations and are better prepared for their next destination.

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The school is galvanised around the new principal’s energy and vision for improvement. There is evidence of the impact of the school’s improvement work, but other improvement strategies need longer to show sustained results. The trust is supporting the school effectively. Staff report very high levels of satisfaction with how the school consults and works with them. They appreciate the training opportunities they have. Governors are well informed about the school’s work and offer appropriate challenge and support.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 There remain too many pupils who are absent from school too often, especially more vulnerable pupils. This means these pupils miss too much school and learning. The school should embed its strategic approach to improve attendance, working closely with parents and external agencies, so pupils’ attendance improves.  The school has not ensured that pupils’ understanding is consistently checked. As a result, gaps in pupils’ knowledge or misconceptions persist. The school should ensure that all teachers use assessment effectively to identify and address any gaps in pupils’ knowledge.  The school has not ensured that all learning activities are appropriately adapted to enable pupils to build successfully on their previous knowledge, including pupils with SEND. This means that pupils do not always build securely on their existing knowledge and skills. The school should ensure that learning activities match the ambition of the

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

intended curriculum and are suitably adapted to enable pupils to build successfully on their knowledge over time .

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Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted’s website. From September 2024 graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade. This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

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Background

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school’s work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the 8 and 9 October 2024

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last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the predecessor school, Brownhills School, to be good for overall effectiveness in May 2017.

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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). 8 and 9 October 2024

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 This school is part of Ormiston Academies Trust.  The principal was appointed in September 2022. Several leaders are also new to their roles.  The school uses two registered alternative provisions.  The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 11 with information and engagement about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.  Brownhills Ormiston Academy converted to become an academy school in April 2020. When its predecessor school, Brownhills School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be good for overall effectiveness.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision. 8 and 9 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 the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  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 part of this inspection, the inspectors met with the chair of the governing board and other governors. They met with senior leaders, subject leaders, teaching staff and other employees in the school. Inspectors also talked informally to pupils to gather general information about school life. The lead inspector also scrutinised internal review documentation completed by the trust. The lead inspector also met the trust’s

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education director for this school.  Inspectors visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspectors discussed with leaders and pupils the school’s extra-curricular activities, enrichment programme and their careers and personal development programmes.  The inspectors reviewed the school’s behaviour and attendance records with school leaders.  A range of documentation was scrutinised, including plans to improve the school.  The inspectors met with members of staff and spoke to pupils, both formally and informally, at various points in the inspection. They took account of responses to Ofsted surveys for staff and pupils, Ofsted Parent View and the free-text responses, as well as other communication from parents.

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Inspection team

Andrew Madden, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Sultanat Yunus Ofsted Inspector 8 and 9 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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