Ormiston Victory Academy

Inspection of Ormiston Victory Academy Middleton Crescent, Costessey, Norwich Norfolk NR5 0PX

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Sixth-form provision Good Previous inspection grade Outstanding

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The principal of this school is Naomi Palmer. 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 (CEO), Tom Rees, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Julius Weinberg.

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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 Education Act 2005. The school has not been inspected under section 5 of the Act since May 2013. Since September 2024, schools have not been awarded an overall effectiveness grade. 5 and 6 November 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy attending Ormiston Victory. They study a broad range of subjects and make good progress through the curriculum. The school is committed to ensuring that not only do pupils achieve but that they enjoy their learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils can learn effectively because the school is calm. Pupils value the school’s rewards system. It motivates them to meet the school’s high expectations of their behaviour and conduct. Pupils’ good behaviour and efforts are encouraged and recognised by awarding ‘points’. This enables them to purchase items through the school shop. Pupils feel comfortable talking to adults about concerns that they have and are aware of the systems in place to report any worries. Bullying is rare. Where any unkind language or behaviour occurs, it is dealt with swiftly by the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are encouraged to be adventurous and independent. Sixth-form students move on to a wide range of apprenticeship and university courses and benefit from high-quality careers guidance. Many pupils are involved in the performing arts both inside and outside the curriculum. The school is committed to ensuring that any pupil who wants to learn to play a musical instrument can do so. Pupils actively contribute to the life of the school.

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

The design of the curriculum has a positive impact on pupils’ knowledge and understanding. The school has ensured that opportunities for staff’s professional development enable them to have strong subject knowledge and provide an environment in which pupils thrive. Recent and ongoing changes to the curriculum for older pupils enable them to access a broad and rigorous range of qualifications. Changes to the school’s key stage 4 options process enable a growing number of pupils to access the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) suite of qualifications. The EBacc is a group of GCSE subjects that keeps pupils’ options open for further study and future careers. In most subjects, the checking of pupils’ understanding is highly effective. However, where this is not the case, some pupils have gaps in their knowledge and their written work.

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

The school responds effectively to the increasingly complex needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities in its context. Information that relates to the needs of pupils is clearly signposted to staff, and appropriate adaptations are made in class to enable pupils to achieve well. Specific ‘nurture’ provision supports pupils with higher levels of need. This is achieved through small-group work and additional resourcing.

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

The school prioritises reading. Pupils that struggle with reading are identified quickly. Interventions are put in place that ensure that pupils make rapid progress towards becoming fluent and confident readers. This progress is accurately and effectively monitored. In the sixth form, students have established a book club to share their love of reading. 5 and 6 November 2024

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The overwhelming majority of pupils behave well. They are respectful and kind. This means that difference is celebrated. Sixth-form students act as role models and describe positive changes to the school community. Pupils typically attend school regularly.

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Pupils’ personal development is exemplary. The taught curriculum for personal, social, health and economic education provides highly effective opportunities for pupils to learn about protected characteristics and fundamental British values. Pupils talk meaningfully about these important areas, understanding their impact on themselves and others. The opportunities for pupils to participate in activities across the school are extensive. Pupils are actively encouraged and supported to be involved. This may be through working as cast or crew in one of the many popular school productions or joining the gardening club. Pupils talk with enthusiasm about the extent to which they value the opportunities provided for them. Careers provision for pupils is a strength of the school. It is well- planned and provides regular opportunities to engage in the world of work, for example through ‘breakfast buzz’.

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The school is an ambitious place. At the heart of this ambition is a deep sense of striving for the very best for pupils academically and more widely. Leaders at all levels instil a sense of community, having built strong relationships with, and between, staff and pupils. Staff feel valued because of the opportunities offered to them through training, and the consideration of their workload and well-being. The school recognises accurately where change can lead to improvement.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a small number of subjects, the way in which subject content is presented, and knowledge checked, is not consistent. As a result, some pupils have gaps in their understanding and written work. The school should ensure that teaching is adapted as necessary to meet the aims of the curriculum in all subjects.

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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. 5 and 6 November 2024

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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). 5 and 6 November 2024

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provision

Number of pupils on the school roll 1,414

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form

Website www.ormistonvictoryacademy.co.uk

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form

Dates of previous inspection 12 and 13 May 2013

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Information about this school

 The school makes use of one registered and one unregistered alternative provision.  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.

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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 any relevant provision judgement (early years and/or sixth form 5 and 6 November 2024

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provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

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 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  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.  The lead inspector met with the principal, the CEO, the chair of trustees and governors.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in English, physical education, science, art and design, business studies and mathematics. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  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

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the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspection team considered the views of parents through responses to Ofsted Parent View. Inspectors gathered the views of pupils and staff through Ofsted’s pupil and staff surveys, as well as interviews and discussions conducted throughout the inspection.

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Inspection team

Jonathan Rockey, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Marc White Ofsted Inspector 5 and 6 November 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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