Setting

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T 0300 123 1231 www.gov.uk/ofsted

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James Bridge Principal Outwood Academy Ormesby Tothill Avenue Netherfields Middlesbrough Cleveland TS3 0RH

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Serious weaknesses monitoring inspection of Outwood Academy Ormesby

This letter sets out the findings from the monitoring inspection that took place on 8 April 2025, on behalf of His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills. The monitoring inspection was carried out under section 8(2) of the Education Act 2005 and was the fourth monitoring inspection since the school was judged to have serious weaknesses following the graded (section 5) inspection that took place in July 2022.

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Serious weaknesses monitoring inspection of Outwood Academy Ormesby

The purpose of a monitoring inspection is not to grade the school’s key and (where applicable) provision judgements, but to identify and report on the school’s progress. It is to highlight to the school and parents any improvements that school leaders have made since the school’s previous graded inspection.

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Serious weaknesses monitoring inspection of Outwood Academy Ormesby

During the inspection, I discussed with you, other senior leaders of the school and multi- academy trust and members of the local governing body the actions that have been taken to improve the school since the most recent graded inspection. We discussed the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. I visited lessons, spoke with pupils and staff and scrutinised school documentation, including the school’s post-inspection action plan. I also looked at the school’s safeguarding records, including the single central record. I have considered all this in coming to my judgement.

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Leaders have made progress to improve the school, but more work is

necessary for the school to no longer be judged as having serious weaknesses.

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designation

As with previous monitoring inspections, the primary focus of this inspection was the school’s ongoing actions to improve pupils’ behaviour and attendance.

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designation

With regard to behaviour, the school has made some significant improvements. The school is calm and orderly and low-level disruption is not tolerated. When it does occur, the school deals with it effectively. Similarly, the school does not accept derogatory or discriminatory language. Incidents of the use of such language have declined. The school has continued to address internal truancy, which is now rare. It has also refined its approach to the removal of pupils from lessons. This has minimised the disruption to pupils’ learning further. However, while the number of suspensions has reduced more rapidly than before, suspensions remain high in particular for disadvantaged pupils.

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designation

The school takes a rigorous and intelligent approach to attendance, informed by a deep understanding of the community it serves. Since the previous monitoring inspection, it has appointed a family support worker, who works with parents and carers to address barriers to pupils’ attendance. The school has also established a ‘welcome hub’. Pupils who arrive at school without the correct uniform or equipment visit the hub to get what they need. Some pupils check in with staff and have breakfast with them. This ensures a positive start to the day for those pupils who are most vulnerable to poor attendance. The school is reducing levels of absence, although they remain stubbornly high.

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designation

During the monitoring inspection, I also considered the quality of education provided by the school. The school has maintained a central focus on developing the quality of teaching. It has provided teachers with high-quality professional development. Teachers use the trust’s pedagogical model to structure learning. They employ a range of effective strategies to check pupils’ knowledge and understanding. Pupils experience teaching that supports them to know and remember more.

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designation

The school is now benefiting from stable leadership. It has sustained the improvements evidenced at the previous monitoring inspection in October 2024. Staff are committed to their roles. The school prioritises staff well-being and ensures that staff workload is manageable. The school continues to take concerted action to reduce suspensions and improve attendance, particularly for disadvantaged pupils. This means that more pupils are now experiencing greater continuity with their learning.

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designation

The trust provides effective and sustained support for the school from members of its central team. The principal is supported by a community executive principal, who is on site four days each week. The school also benefits from additional leadership capacity for attendance and provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The trust’s director of mathematics is based in the school and supports the development of mathematics provision. Other subject leaders also benefit from the support of trust subject directors. This additional leadership capacity is helping to sustain and accelerate improvement. Those responsible for governance exercise appropriate strategic oversight and hold school leaders to account effectively. They play a vital role in monitoring and evaluating the impact of the school’s actions to improve provision.

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designation

School and trust leaders know that more fundamental change is needed to develop and sustain a positive and inclusive culture at the school. The school plans to develop a deeper and more comprehensive personal development programme for pupils. This is part of its strategy to develop the character and attributes that pupils need to become successful learners and active citizens.

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designation

I am copying this letter to the chair of the board of trustees, and the CEO or equivalent of the Outwood Grange Academies Trust, the Department for Education’s regional director and the director of children’s services for Middlesbrough. This letter will be published on the Ofsted reports website.

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