Outwood Academy Normanby

Outwood Academy Normanby Normanby Road, South Bank, Middlesbrough TS6 9AG

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report:

At the most recent graded inspection, the following areas were identified as needing to improve:

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report:

A significant minority of pupils show a lack of respect for adults and other pupils. They have negative attitudes to school and do not see the value of good conduct and good behaviour. This results in persistent poor behaviour from these pupils, which has a negative impact on the experiences of other pupils in the school. The school should ensure that it improves the consistency with which staff implement the school’s behaviour policy. More significantly, with support from the trust, it should ensure that it sustains a rigorous and central focus on improving the behaviour of those pupils who consistently fail to behave in an appropriate manner.

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report:

Many pupils do not attend lessons regularly, owing to persistent absence, suspension from school and time spent removed from lessons within school. This means that many pupils miss out on too much of their education, develop gaps in their knowledge and do not achieve well, not least in external examinations. The school should continue to reduce the time that many pupils spend out of lessons owing to their poor behaviour and/or persistent absence.

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report:

The school does not provide pupils with sufficient opportunity to visit places of cultural interest. This means that pupils’ learning is not enriched as fully as it could be. It also means that pupils do not gain new experiences that could raise aspirations for what they can achieve. The school should ensure that it provides all pupils with a wide range of enrichment opportunities that are integrated meaningfully into the school curriculum.

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continued work is needed to remove the requires significant improvement

During the monitoring inspection, the inspector focused on the following evaluation areas:  Leadership and governance Monitoring Inspection report: Outwood Academy Normanby, 12 February 2026 2  Inclusion  Attendance and behaviour  Curriculum and teaching

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Leadership and governance

Since the last monitoring inspection, leaders have continued to take deliberate action to bring greater stability and sharper focus to the school’s improvement work. The trust’s ongoing support provides structured monitoring, clear challenge and practical assistance across a wide set of priorities. This has helped leaders address long ‑ standing weaknesses in attendance, behaviour and culture, while strengthening areas, such as personal development, reading and community engagement. Leaders’ use of expertise from similar trust schools and wider support programmes is helping build greater consistency in practice.

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Leadership and governance

Leaders’ current priorities are well aligned to the school’s needs. Their focus on key stage 3, where attendance and behaviour concerns are most acute, and on embedding systematic approaches to curriculum, teaching and professional learning, reflects an accurate understanding of what needs improving. Leaders monitor impact closely and can point to early indicators of stabilisation, such as improved conduct in Year 11 and better attendance for some groups.

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Leadership and governance

Leaders recognise that overall absence and suspension rates remain too high and that progress varies across cohorts. Improvements are not yet sustained. Some stakeholder feedback from parents and staff highlights ongoing concerns about support, behaviour, communication and consistency. Addressing these issues, while ensuring that new systems are embedded well, remains essential for sustaining improvement and strengthening the school’s culture over time.

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Safeguarding

At the previous graded inspection, safeguarding was evaluated as being effective.

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Inclusion

Inclusion at the school is a clear priority. Staff support pupils who need extra help effectively. Calm and purposeful spaces, such as ‘the hub’ for pupils who feel anxious or who are returning to mainstream lessons, provide a safe place, where pupils can settle and learn. Skilled staff work closely with teachers to make sure pupils get the right support at the right time.

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Inclusion

Support plans continue to identify pupils’ needs accurately and set out the help they require. For pupils with an education, health and care plan, the outcomes are reflected clearly in their day ‑ to ‑ day support. Sampling of pupils’ experience during the inspection also showed that children in care receive appropriate guidance and provision. Monitoring Inspection report: Outwood Academy Normanby, 12 February 2026 3 The school is developing a range of interventions and strengthening staff expertise. These steps are increasingly helping more pupils feel they belong and can succeed in school.

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Attendance and behaviour

The school’s work to improve attendance continues to show some positive impact across several year groups and cohorts. Attendance in older year groups is rising, and persistent absence is reducing, including for disadvantaged pupils. Strengthened Year 6 transition work, regular home visits and close partnership with external agencies help to remove barriers and support families effectively. Reintegration plans for pupils with anxiety are also beginning to reduce emotionally based school avoidance. Recent challenges, such as a community safeguarding incident and increased illness, have slowed progress and contributed to higher persistent absence. Despite this, some groups such as boys, pupils eligible for free school meals and non-special educational needs and/or disabilities pupils, still show improving long-term trends. Leaders analyse data closely and work proactively with pastoral teams. Improving behaviour and fewer suspensions in key stage 4 is also

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Attendance and behaviour

supporting better attendance. Leaders recognise, however, that overall attendance remains below expectations and below national figures, and they understand that substantial further improvement is essential to ensure more pupils attend regularly and benefit fully from school.

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Attendance and behaviour

Behaviour across the school shows signs of improvement, with many pupils displaying settled attitudes, positive relationships with staff and confidence in seeking help when needed. Routines in lessons are typically calm and purposeful, and pupils engaged well with learning. Around the school, behaviour is mostly positive, and pupils move between lessons sensibly. When incidents of defiance arise, staff generally address these promptly and appropriately. Older pupils report mixed experiences over time. Several say that behaviour has improved, while others note inconsistencies between subjects or individual staff. Social times can be busy and energetic, but staff manage spaces effectively. Leaders have strengthened a wide range of behaviour and inclusion approaches. These actions continue to contribute to reductions in suspensions, permanent exclusions and behaviour incidents for vulnerable groups. Leaders know, however, that behaviour remains a concern

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Attendance and behaviour

for some families and staff, and they recognise the need for continued impact for some groups of pupils.

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Curriculum and teaching

Since the last monitoring visit, leaders maintain high expectations and continue to strengthen curriculum and teaching. Professional development remains a clear priority, reflected in the introduction of coaching models that align with whole ‑ school aims. This includes ‘active learning’ and improving the clarity and consistency of lesson expectations. Leaders recognise that the improving picture for disadvantaged pupils, shown in the summer’s results, indicates positive progress. However, they also note that overall outcomes are not yet where they intend them to be. In lessons visited, staff provide clear explanations, use effective praise and establish consistent routines, including structured task timers and clear feedback approaches. In English, there is evidence of pupils’ ambitious and high ‑ quality writing. However, variability remains. In the resourced Monitoring Inspection report: Outwood Academy Normanby, 12 February 2026 4

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Curriculum and teaching

provision, pupils are settled and attend consistently well but work set does not match their needs as well as it should. Leaders are aware that practice is not consistent across all areas. There is more to do to ensure gaps in prior learning and misconceptions are identified swiftly and proactively. Personal development sessions are thoughtfully planned and align well with statutory requirements and the wider curriculum, but some pupils need more individual support to access learning fully. Overall, leaders clearly invest in improving teaching, and there is emerging evidence of greater consistency in some areas. Further work is required to ensure that the quality of teaching is consistently high across subjects, phases and groups of pupils, including those with SEND and those who face other barriers to their learning.

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Additional next steps

Leaders and trustees should continue to work to address the priorities for improvement identified in the last graded inspection report.

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About this inspection

The inspector carried out this monitoring inspection under section 8(2) of the Education Act 2005, and it was the third monitoring inspection since the school was judged to require significant improvement following the graded inspection that took place in February 2024.

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About this inspection

The school’s previous inspection and the first and second monitoring inspections were carried out under the Education Inspection Framework (EIF) at that time. The renewed EIF took effect from 10 November 2025. The areas for improvement identified at the school’s graded inspection and subsequent monitoring inspections have been cross-referenced to the relevant evaluation areas in the inspection toolkit for consideration on this monitoring inspection.

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About this inspection

The purpose of this monitoring inspection was not to determine grades for any of the evaluation areas set out in the school inspection toolkit. The purpose was to identify and report on the school’s progress in addressing priorities for improvement since the school’s previous inspection.

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About this inspection

During this inspection, meetings were held with the principal and other senior leaders, the chief executive officer of the trust, executive trust leaders and a trustee to discuss the actions that have been taken to improve the school since the most recent graded inspection.

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Lead inspector

Hannah Millett His Majesty’s Inspector Monitoring Inspection report: Outwood Academy Normanby, 12 February 2026 5

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About this school

Type of specialist provision Cognition and learning Monitoring Inspection report: Outwood Academy Normanby, 12 February 2026 6 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- afterchildren, safeguarding and child protection.

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About this school

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About this school

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About this school

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About this school

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: http://www.gov.uk/ofsted

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