Cliff Park Ormiston Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school? '

Everyday excellent behaviour' is an expectation at this school.

Pupils rise to meet this expectation. They behave well in lessons and around the school. Pupils consistently show respect to their peers and adults.

Pupils enjoy coming to school and are highly positive about the changes in the school. They feel well supported by their trusted adults. Pupils are also positive about the school's 'CARE' values and are keen to win awards relating to these values.

Pupils benefit from helpful and timely careers advice, which supports and promotes their aspirations for the future. This extends to pupils attending engineering workshops and visiting local colleges.
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The school's four-part lesson structure helps promote high expectations of pupils' academic achievement.

Pupils state that they like the new lesson structure, as this supports their learning. However, some do not yet achieve as well as they could.

The number of opportunities for pupils to extend their talents and interests has increased over the last two years.

These include Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics club, boat building club, art and karaoke. These clubs are well attended.

Pupil leadership roles include prefects, school councillors and well-being ambassadors.

These roles help pupils prepare to take on responsibilities in their future lives.

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

The school has been through a significant period of turbulence. Now stabilised, the school has improved markedly.

This includes extensive revisions to the curriculum and its implementation.

The school's ambitious curriculum encourages pupils to 'discover, create, thrive and achieve'. To help achieve this, the school has threaded specific links to the context of the local maritime industry through curriculum subjects.

This helps pupils see the relevance of subjects to potential future careers. This includes boat building in engineering, plus links to marine science and renewable energies within science.

Each subject curriculum outlines the important knowledge and skills that pupils will learn.

Important subject content is carefully ordered to help pupils continue to build on this knowledge. The school regularly checks that pupils have remembered important knowledge.

The school prioritises reading to enable pupils to fully access the curriculum.

Regular testing identifies pupils at earlier stages of reading. These pupils receive appropriate support through phonics work and dedicated mentors. This helps pupils to become increasingly confident and fluent readers.

The school's intensive work to embed a revised lesson structure has had a notable impact on pupils' learning and behaviour. Pupils now receive a far more consistent approach to acquiring new knowledge as a result. Teachers provide regular opportunities for pupils to consolidate and reflect on new learning.

However, in some subjects, teachers do not address pupils' misconceptions rapidly enough. When this is the case, it is difficult for pupils to remember important content.

The school's support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is carefully considered.

The school quickly and accurately identifies pupils with barriers to learning. Well-trained staff support pupils' individual needs well. Regular reviews ensure individual pupil's support remains appropriate.

The school's previous results reflect the earlier period of instability and do not represent the quality of learning now in evidence. The school places the English Baccalaureate at the heart of the curriculum. It is proactive in making this qualification accessible to pupils.

The school works closely with families to support pupils to attend school regularly. As a result, pupils' attendance has improved significantly. However, some pupils do not yet attend well and miss valuable learning.

The school's personal development programme is meticulously planned. Through discussions in lessons and celebrations in assemblies, pupils learn about democracy and tolerance of differences, respect, healthy relationships, right and wrong. The school provides a comprehensive careers programme for all year groups.

Career fairs and initiatives with higher education providers supports pupils to develop high aspirations.

Staff have a very positive attitude towards the improvements driven by leaders. They say that leaders take considerable care to manage their workload and support their well-being.

Some families say the school does not communicate well with them. This means they do not yet see the wealth of life experiences that the school now offers.

The Trust provides strong support to the school to drive improvements.

They ensure that leaders are both challenged and supported to continue improvements.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some subjects, teachers do not address pupils' misconceptions rapidly enough.

When this is the case, it is difficult for pupils to remember important content. As a result, some pupils are not yet building the key knowledge they need to achieve more highly. The school must ensure that all staff are appropriately trained to identify and address pupils' misperceptions.

• Rates of persistent absence for some disadvantaged pupils, including those with SEND, continue to be high. These pupils are not fully benefiting from all that school has to offer. The school should further develop its strategies to enable pupils to attend school regularly.

• Some parents do not feel that the school communicates with them effectively. As a result, some parents do not yet have a positive view of the improvements within the school. The school must further develop ways in which to communicate effectively to parents so they are better informed about the day-to-day work of the school.