Ormiston Venture Academy Review 2026: An outstanding 11 to 16 academy with a highly structured, character-led culture

Purposeful lessons, strong routines, and a clear sense that students are expected to take learning seriously sit at the heart of this Great Yarmouth secondary. The most recent graded inspection in March 2025 judged all four key areas as Outstanding, a rare profile that is particularly meaningful under the current framework, where there is no single overall grade for state-funded schools.

This is an 11 to 16 school, so families should view it primarily as a GCSE and personal development journey, then a launchpad into local sixth forms, further education, or apprenticeships. Internally, the school emphasises a “college” structure (Achieve, Aspire, Create, Innovate) and a wider programme of leadership and enrichment that aims to give students responsibility early, not just at the end of Year 11.

On the data available for admissions demand, it is competitive. For the most recent year shown, there were 444 applications for 163 offers at the main entry point, which equates to 2.72 applications per place. This is a school where planning matters.

The tone here is intentionally ambitious, with a strong emphasis on students seeing themselves as capable of high achievement regardless of starting point. The March 2025 inspection report describes very high expectations, strong behaviour, and pupils taking pride in learning, alongside a pastoral culture that supports disadvantaged pupils and students with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) to thrive.

Leadership is settled. Simon Gilbert-Barnham is listed as Principal, and the March 2025 inspection report states he was appointed in 2013. Longevity at the top often shows up in consistent systems, and the school’s messaging is unusually direct about routines, personalised learning time, and structured support.

Student voice is positioned as a practical mechanism rather than a slogan. A notable feature is the Union of Venture Students, which the school frames as a route into leadership roles and student-led societies. The inspection report also references pupils contributing to clubs, charity work, and short “guild” courses that develop interests. The implication for families is that confident students are likely to find plenty of ways to lead, while quieter students may benefit from the clarity of defined roles and programmes that make participation easier.

This is a state school with no tuition fees. Value is therefore best judged through outcomes, progress, and the stability of the learning environment.

For GCSE performance, the school’s 2024 headline indicators show:

• Attainment 8 score of 47.6.

• Progress 8 score of 0.51, which indicates students make above-average progress from their starting points.

• EBacc average point score of 4.06.

• 9.6% of pupils achieving grades 5 or above across the EBacc measure shown.

In the FindMySchool rankings (based on official outcomes data), the school is ranked 2,104th in England for GCSE outcomes and 2nd in the Great Yarmouth local area. That positioning sits in line with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile), suggesting broadly solid outcomes overall, with relatively stronger performance locally.

For parents, the practical takeaway is that the strongest story here is progress. A Progress 8 figure above zero usually reflects consistent teaching, effective intervention, and behaviour systems that protect learning time, even when the cohort is mixed-ability.

Parents comparing nearby schools can use the FindMySchool Local Hub and Comparison Tool to view this ranking and the underlying measures side by side.

The school places heavy weight on curriculum structure and retrieval, and the inspection report describes a curriculum designed in detailed sequences, with teachers routinely checking understanding and building knowledge over time.

A useful way to interpret this for family fit is to think in terms of learning style. Students who like clarity, step-by-step mastery, and predictable classroom routines often do well in schools where questioning, modelling, and frequent checks for understanding are standard practice. Students who struggle with organisation can also benefit, provided they accept the expectation to engage consistently.

The school also highlights specialist themes in areas such as digital media and mathematics within its published materials. In practice, the value is less about narrowing options and more about signalling that quantitative and technology-related pathways are normalised, including for students who might not otherwise imagine themselves in those fields.

Because this school ends at 16, the key question is how well it prepares students for the transition into post-16 education and training. The school’s published careers guidance sets out the main routes after Year 11, including full-time study at sixth form or college, apprenticeships or traineeships, and employment with training.

The inspection report also references a broad range of wider opportunities, including trips abroad for some students, and a personal development offer that aims to build “Venture Virtues” such as resilience and character. For families, the implication is that post-16 readiness is treated as more than exam technique, with deliberate attention to confidence, leadership, and aspiration alongside GCSE preparation.

If you are choosing between several 11 to 16 schools locally, it can be worth asking each one the same set of practical questions: how destinations are tracked, what guidance looks like in Year 9 and Year 10, and how students are supported to secure appropriate courses, apprenticeships, or training places early in Year 11.

Admissions for Year 7 are coordinated through the local authority route. For September 2026 entry, the school states that applications open in September 2025, with the common application form deadline of 31 October. Offers are made via the local authority on national offer day, which is 1 March (or the next working day).

The school sets an admission number of 180 per year group. Where the school is oversubscribed, the published criteria prioritise students with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) naming the school, then looked-after and previously looked-after children, then other categories including siblings and distance. The published information also describes an allocation of up to 10% of places on aptitude in Information Technology, with a separate application window and testing process in September prior to transfer.

Demand indicators suggest competition. For the entry route captured in the admissions dataset, there were 444 applications and 163 offers, which equates to 2.72 applications per place, and a 1.31 ratio of first preferences to first-preference offers. For families, that usually means it is sensible to plan a realistic spread of preferences and to understand how oversubscription criteria will apply to your child’s circumstances.

No “last distance offered” figure is available provided for this school, so families who are distance-sensitive should rely on the local authority’s distance calculator and published admissions criteria rather than assumptions from previous years.

Parents considering a move for proximity should use the FindMySchool Map Search to check precise home-to-school distance, then cross-reference this with the local authority methodology for measurement.

The inspection report paints a picture of a school where behaviour and relationships are deliberately cultivated, and where students with SEND and disadvantaged students are not treated as peripheral to the academic mission. That matters, because schools with strong behaviour and consistent classroom routines often create more predictable days, which can reduce stress for many students.

Pastoral support is also linked to leadership opportunities. The inspection report references pupils with leadership roles, including supporting young carers and involvement in charity work, alongside the wider programme of “guilds”. For a child who gains confidence through responsibility, this kind of structured leadership pathway can be a real advantage.

Safeguarding is treated as a core operational priority in the inspection process, and the 2025 report explains the range of safeguarding checks carried out during inspection, including review of the single central record and the school’s safeguarding culture.

The enrichment model here is distinctive because it is not presented as a loose menu of clubs. It is framed as a structured extension of curriculum and personal development, including “guilds” in short blocks where students opt into a topic or interest that may not sit within normal lessons. The inspection report also references pupils planning and leading some of these guilds, which is a meaningful signal that leadership is expected to be practical and visible.

For students interested in media and communication, the school’s published materials describe a Media Cooperative within the Union of Venture Students, responsible for a radio station called Venture Vibe and an online student magazine. The implication is that confident communicators can build real-world skills such as deadlines, teamwork, and presenting, while quieter students can contribute through reporting and production roles rather than performance.

For students who engage through service and challenge, the school offers Combined Cadet Force and Duke of Edinburgh as established pathways, both of which tend to develop self-management and teamwork over time.

Facilities also broaden what is feasible after school. The school lists a sports hall, gymnasium, sports pitches and a lecture theatre, plus four floodlit tennis courts available outside academy hours. For families, the practical benefit is that sport can be accessible beyond traditional team games, and there is space for events and learning outside standard classrooms.

The school day is clearly defined. Breakfast club runs from 7.30am to 8.25am, students are expected on site by 8.20am, and the timetabled day runs from 8.25am to 2.55pm. After-school activities and support run until 3.45pm on Tuesday to Friday, with an enrichment period built into the day.

Admissions are handled through the local authority process for the main Year 7 intake, and the published admissions page sets out key timings for September 2026 entry, including the 31 October deadline and national offer day in March.

As with many secondary schools, travel patterns vary by family. If transport is a deciding factor, use the local authority journey planning tools alongside a realistic rehearsal at school start and finish times, since peak-time traffic and bus capacity can change the lived experience considerably.

• Competitive entry. The admissions dataset shows 444 applications for 163 offers at the captured entry point, which is 2.72 applications per place. Families should plan preferences carefully and read the oversubscription criteria in full.

• An aptitude route that may not suit everyone. The admissions information describes up to 10% of places offered on aptitude in Information Technology, with a separate September application window and testing process. This can be a good route for some students, but it adds an additional timeline and set of decisions for families to manage.

• Use of alternative provision. The March 2025 inspection report notes the school uses one unregistered alternative provision. Families may want to ask how placements are quality-assured and how progress, safeguarding, and attendance are monitored for students who use it.

• No sixth form on site. The school finishes at 16, so even highly settled students will need to plan a post-16 move. It is worth exploring local options early in Year 10 so that Year 11 decisions feel orderly rather than rushed.

Ormiston Venture Academy offers a structured, high-expectations secondary experience with outstanding inspection judgements across the board in March 2025, and a clear emphasis on progress, behaviour, and character development. It suits students who respond well to consistent routines, ambitious teaching, and an environment where leadership roles and enrichment are treated as integral rather than optional extras. The main constraint is admission competition, then the fact that every student transitions elsewhere at 16, which makes early post-16 planning an important part of the journey.