Outwood Academy Normanby Review 2026: An 11 to 16 academy in a high-accountability reset

Outwood Academy Normanby sits in South Bank, serving local families across the Redcar and Cleveland area and operating as an 11 to 16 academy within Outwood Grange Academies Trust. It is an organisation trying to combine curriculum improvement with a fast, practical focus on attendance, conduct, and classroom routines, because that is where the recent external judgements have landed.

The February 2024 Ofsted inspection judged the school Inadequate overall, with Behaviour and attitudes graded Inadequate and the remaining key areas graded Requires improvement.

Since then, the school has been through monitoring activity, including a May 2025 serious weaknesses monitoring inspection which reported progress but also stated that more work was needed before the serious weaknesses designation could be removed.

Leadership continuity matters in this context. Dr Mark Robinson is listed as Principal, and was appointed from September 2022.

This is a school where the experience can differ markedly depending on year group, friendship circle, and the extent to which a pupil buys into the behavioural expectations. The most recent graded inspection described a significant minority of pupils showing a lack of respect for adults and peers, with negative attitudes to behaviour and the value of good conduct, which in turn affected how much some pupils enjoyed school.

At the same time, the official picture is not one of a school without strengths. The curriculum was described as broad and ambitious, with subject leaders identifying essential knowledge and sequencing learning logically. That matters for parents, because it suggests the issue is not a lack of intent or structure, it is the day-to-day consistency that converts intent into outcomes.

The school also places considerable emphasis on personal development, including programmes that position pupils for modern Britain and next steps. The inspection view was that the personal development programme was age appropriate and covers relationships, equality and diversity, physical and mental health, and careers guidance, although enrichment participation and educational visits were flagged as areas needing improvement.

For families, the key implication is practical. If your child responds well to clear routines, predictable boundaries, and adults who keep expectations high, this environment can feel purposeful. If your child is sensitive to peer disruption or finds inconsistency in adult enforcement unsettling, you will want to scrutinise how behaviour systems are applied in the year group your child would join, not just what the policy says.

Performance data available for this school points to a challenging outcomes position relative to England, and the most important context is that this sits alongside attendance and behaviour improvement work.

In the FindMySchool GCSE outcomes ranking, the school is ranked 3,540th in England and 9th in Middlesbrough. This places it below England average, within the bottom 40% of secondary schools in England on this measure. (These are FindMySchool rankings based on official data.)

At GCSE level, the average Attainment 8 score is 34.7. The average EBacc APS is 2.88, and 5.9% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above across EBacc subjects. The Progress 8 score is -1.34, indicating pupils, on average, make substantially less progress than pupils with similar starting points nationally.

The implication for parents is that improvement needs to land in classrooms, in sustained attendance, and in successful learning habits across the whole cohort, not only among the most engaged pupils. The May 2025 monitoring letter supports that framing, describing a well-designed curriculum with many occasions where it is implemented well, but also noting inconsistency in delivery and in staff adherence to school policies.

Curriculum design is repeatedly positioned as a foundation for improvement. The graded inspection described a broad and ambitious curriculum that enables pupils to build knowledge and skills logically, plus training and identification processes that help staff understand and support pupils with special educational needs and disabilities.

What makes the difference, however, is implementation. The May 2025 monitoring letter is explicit that classroom practice varies, with some lessons not addressing misconceptions and pupils not consistently receiving clear guidance on how to improve or deepen understanding. For parents, that translates into two practical questions to explore during any visit or conversation:

1. how leaders monitor and coach classroom practice week to week, and

2. what happens when a pupil is in a class where learning is not yet consistently strong.

Reading is also identified as a priority area. The monitoring letter states that reading is assessed as soon as pupils join, with data used to put support programmes in place delivered by trained staff, and that this is helping close gaps in reading ability. It also notes that older pupils are not consistently positive about reading and that subject-specific reading strategies across the curriculum are at an early stage.

As an 11 to 16 academy, the key transition is post-16. The school’s public material highlights careers and personal development as central strands, and there is evidence of engagement with vocational and college-linked routes for some pupils. For example, the school published information connected to a Redcar and Cleveland College study programme application process, including transport consent arrangements for participating pupils.

For families, this signals that the school is not treating post-16 as a single pathway. Pupils are likely to move into a mix of sixth forms, further education colleges, apprenticeships, and training providers depending on grades, interests, and support needs. The school also signposts wider enrichment opportunities aimed at 13 to 16-year-olds, such as the National Saturday Club, which is framed as free Saturday study in specialist subject areas hosted by universities, colleges, or cultural institutions.

If you are assessing fit, it is worth asking specifically how Year 10 and Year 11 careers guidance is delivered, what employer encounters look like in practice, and how the school supports pupils who need a more vocational route, particularly where attendance has been fragile.

Admissions are coordinated through Redcar and Cleveland Local Authority, rather than direct application to the school. For September 2026 entry to Year 7 in the local authority area, the published timetable states that the online application system opened on 05 September 2025, with a closing date of 31 October 2025, and National Offer Day on 01 March 2026.

The school is oversubscribed in the available demand dataset, with 238 applications and 173 offers recorded, indicating that demand exceeds places. With no published last-distance figure available here, families should focus on oversubscription criteria and on realistic travel planning.

The trust’s published admissions policy for 2026 to 2027 sets the published admission number for the academy at 150 for Year 7, and explains allocation through oversubscription criteria when applications exceed available places.

Open events are typically staged early in the autumn term ahead of the application deadline. For the September 2026 transfer round, the academy published an open evening date of Tuesday 30 September 2025 at 5pm.

Parents shortlisting schools locally can use the FindMySchoolMap Search to check likely travel routes and compare realistic journey times to alternatives, then use the Local Hub Comparison Tool to view outcomes context side by side.

Pastoral capacity and attendance work are central to the current phase of the school’s development. The May 2025 monitoring letter notes an increase in pastoral capacity that term, and describes improvements in attendance and a reduction in persistent absence for most pupil groups, while also highlighting that persistent absence for pupils with SEND had not improved at the inspection point.

Behaviour improvement is also framed through measurable indicators. The same monitoring letter reports that repeat suspensions had reduced by two thirds compared with the same point in the prior year, while also acknowledging that suspensions remained too high and attendance still too low.

Safeguarding is a non-negotiable concern for families assessing any school under pressure. The graded inspection stated that safeguarding arrangements were effective.

Enrichment exists here in two forms, targeted academic intervention and broader clubs. The school’s enrichment programme is presented as after-school sessions typically running 3.00pm to 3.45pm, with some sessions longer, and open to all year groups, with some activities targeted by key stage.

The most useful detail for parents is what pupils can actually join. Examples published for weekly enrichment include:

• Axiom Maths for Year 8, positioned as preparation for national mathematics competitions and representing the community as a team.

• Youth Theatre for Years 7 and 8, combining scripted and devised work and culminating in showcase performances for families.

• Band practice and GCSE Music preparation sessions, which create a route for pupils who want structured rehearsal time and exam support.

• Library Time Reading and Homework Club, positioned as quiet study spaces with access to online learning platforms.

• Sporting options including football, table tennis, badminton, and a Year 7 girls club.

The graded inspection did, however, flag that attendance at clubs and activities was low at the time, and that educational visits were limited, meaning pupils were not yet getting enough cultural experiences to enrich learning. The implication is that the menu of activities is only part of the story. Parents may want to ask how the school is increasing participation, how it supports pupils who are reluctant to stay after school, and how enrichment is connected to rewards, attendance improvement, or personal development time.

This is a state school with no tuition fees. Families should, however, expect typical associated costs such as uniform, equipment, trips, and optional activities.

The published school-day timetable shows a start at 08:30 and a finish at 14:55, with a dedicated Personal Development and Growth slot from 10:30 to 11:00, plus a split lunch for different year groups. The school states this totals 32.5 hours in a typical week. Enrichment activities are typically scheduled after the school day, commonly from 3.00pm to 3.45pm.

For travel, rail users may find South Bank station a relevant local option, it sits on Normanby Road.

• Behaviour and peer culture variability. Behaviour and attitudes were graded Inadequate at the February 2024 inspection, and the report describes a significant minority whose behaviour negatively impacts others. This can be a deal-breaker for some children, and manageable for others, depending on resilience and the strength of routines in specific year groups.

• Outcomes are currently a weak point. Progress 8 is -1.34 and the FindMySchool GCSE ranking sits below England average. If your child needs a consistently calm learning environment to achieve, probe how teaching quality is monitored and stabilised across subjects.

• Attendance is part of the improvement story. The May 2025 monitoring letter reports improved attendance and sharply reduced repeat suspensions, but it also states attendance remains too low and suspensions remain too high. Families should explore what day-to-day support looks like for pupils at risk of absence.

• Enrichment exists, participation is the challenge. The programme includes clubs like Axiom Maths and Youth Theatre, but the inspection view was that activity participation was low and educational visits were limited at the time. If enrichment matters to your child’s motivation, ask how leaders are increasing take-up and broadening trips.

Outwood Academy Normanby is a local 11 to 16 academy working through a high-stakes improvement phase, with curriculum structure and reading support developing alongside a strong focus on attendance, conduct, and consistent classroom practice. The direction of travel described in monitoring activity suggests capacity and momentum, but the published outcomes and behaviour context mean families should do careful due diligence on day-to-day experience.

Who it suits: families seeking a nearby state secondary option who want clear routines, structured support, and a school that is actively focused on improvement, particularly where a child responds to firm boundaries and targeted intervention. The main question to resolve is whether the current peer culture and consistency of teaching will match your child’s needs.