Outwood Academy Ormesby Review 2026: A school in recovery, with tighter routines and a clearer focus on learning

This is a state-funded 11 to 16 academy serving the Netherfields area of Middlesbrough, and it sits within Outwood Grange Academies Trust. It is also a school in sustained improvement mode, with day-to-day systems designed to stabilise behaviour, rebuild attendance, and support learning consistency.

The graded Ofsted inspection in July 2022 judged the school Inadequate, and subsequent monitoring has tracked the work to address serious weaknesses. Families considering it should therefore focus on trajectory as well as current headline measures, and use visits and conversations to understand how routines feel for their child right now.

The strongest clue to the school’s current character is the emphasis on predictability. The latest monitoring letter describes a calmer, more orderly atmosphere, with low-level disruption challenged quickly, a sharper stance on derogatory language, and internal truancy described as rare. That combination matters because it is the baseline needed before teaching can become reliably effective.

Attendance is treated as a frontline priority rather than an add-on. The same monitoring letter describes a community-informed approach and the introduction of a family support worker to remove barriers to being in school. A practical example is the Welcome Hub, presented as a place where students can sort missing uniform or equipment, have breakfast, and check in with staff. The intended implication is straightforward, fewer reasons to miss school, fewer flashpoints at the gate, and a more settled start to Period 1.

Leadership stability is also flagged as part of the improvement story. James Bridge is the Principal, and the school’s governance information indicates his appointment date as 08 April 2024. Monitoring commentary links stable leadership and manageable workload to better continuity for students, which is particularly relevant for pupils who have previously experienced frequent staffing change.

Outcomes currently sit below England norms. On the FindMySchool GCSE measures, the academy ranks 3,673rd in England and 10th locally within Middlesbrough for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking, based on official data), placing it below England average and within the bottom 40% of schools in England on this measure.

The underlying indicators explain why. The school’s Attainment 8 score is 31.3, and the Progress 8 score is -1.12, which indicates that students, on average, make substantially less progress than similar students nationally from the end of primary school to GCSE. EBacc indicators are also low with 7.4% achieving grades 5 or above across the EBacc. These figures signal that improvement work needs to translate into stronger learning gains over time, especially for disadvantaged students, who are referenced in monitoring commentary as over-represented in suspensions.

For parents comparing local schools, the most useful next step is to use the FindMySchool local hub comparison tool to look at nearby secondaries side-by-side on Progress 8 and Attainment 8, then weigh that against practical factors such as travel time, pastoral fit, and subject access.

The improvement approach is highly structured. Monitoring commentary describes teachers using the trust’s pedagogical model to shape lessons and using frequent checks for understanding, with an explicit aim to help pupils know and remember more over time. For families, the implication is that consistency is a deliberate design choice, and students who benefit from clear routines, predictable lesson formats, and frequent feedback may find that reassuring.

Literacy is positioned as a whole-school priority, not confined to English. The school describes reading as a central thread in curriculum planning, with reading ages checked regularly in Years 7 to 9 and targeted support put in place for those who are behind. Specific interventions mentioned include Ruth Miskin Fresh Start phonics and Accelerated Reader, alongside structured reading within English lessons and regular “immersive reads” in Key Stage 3. The practical implication is that weaker readers should not be expected to sink or swim, but families should still ask how quickly support begins, how progress is tracked, and how it is communicated to parents.

Where Students Go Next

Because the school is 11 to 16 with no sixth form, next steps are shaped by local post-16 options rather than internal progression. The most important question for Year 10 and Year 11 families is the quality of guidance and preparedness for college, training, or apprenticeships. The school highlights careers as a curriculum area, and parents should ask how this translates into individual guidance, work experience access, and application support in Year 11.

Where destination numbers are not published, the best proxy is to look for practical evidence: structured guidance milestones, clear application timelines, and targeted support for those at risk of becoming not in education, employment, or training.

Applications for Year 7 are made through Middlesbrough Council’s coordinated admissions process, not directly to the academy. For September 2026 entry, the published timetable indicates applications open on 08 September 2025 and the national closing date is 31 October 2025. Offer day is listed as 02 March 2026 in the local authority’s admissions guide, reflecting that 01 March 2026 falls on a Sunday.

The academy’s published admission number for Year 7 is 180 for 2026 to 2027. Oversubscription is handled using the standard priority order, including looked-after and previously looked-after children, siblings, exceptional medical or social reasons, then distance measured in a straight line to the main gate using the local authority’s system.

Demand is meaningful. In the FindMySchool admissions dataset, there were 219 applications for 129 offers on the relevant entry route, with the school marked as oversubscribed, at a subscription proportion of 1.7 applications per place. Families should treat that as a sign that entry can be competitive, even when outcomes are still improving.

Open events are listed by the local authority. For the September 2026 intake, the council’s open events page lists an open event on Tuesday 16 September 2025, 4pm to 6:30pm.

Pastoral work is closely tied to attendance and behaviour routines. The monitoring letter describes targeted action to reduce suspensions and improve attendance, alongside steps intended to remove practical barriers, including the family support worker and Welcome Hub model. The implication for families is that the school is trying to prevent problems earlier in the day rather than responding once behaviour has escalated.

For students who need emotional support, the most informative questions are operational: how form time is used, how quickly issues are escalated to leaders, what early help looks like, and how parents are kept in the loop. The school also hosts a Wellbeing Club within its enrichment offer, which can be a useful option for students who benefit from structured reflection and emotional literacy activities.

Extracurricular provision here is framed as part of improvement, not an optional extra. The published enrichment booklet sets sessions after lessons, typically 2:30pm to 3:30pm, and explicitly links catch-up attendance with better academic success. The practical implication is that for students who have gaps, staying for structured support may be one of the most effective levers available.

The detail is where this feels more distinctive. Clubs listed include History Makers, a Lego-based history activity for Years 7 to 9; Newsround Club for students interested in presenting, filming, or editing; Computer Science Club covering coding and robotics; and an LGBTQ+ Club open to Years 7 to 11. There is also Duke of Edinburgh Award provision referenced in the enrichment schedule, alongside sport options such as trampolining and girls’ football.

A sensible way for parents to interpret this list is to separate two strands. First, targeted GCSE support sessions for Year 11 in subjects such as English, maths, science, and humanities. Second, belonging and identity activities that help students feel part of something, which can matter a great deal when attendance is fragile.

The school day is published clearly. The timetable runs from 08:35 to 15:00, with a dedicated Personal Development and Growth session at the start of the day and five teaching periods, plus break and lunch arrangements. Enrichment runs after the formal day on set days, commonly 2:30pm to 3:30pm in the current enrichment booklet.

As a secondary academy, this is not a wraparound-care setting in the primary sense; families needing supervised care beyond the end of the day should check what is currently available and whether it is targeted by year group or need. Transport patterns tend to be local, and parents should test the route at peak times to understand journey reliability.

• Recovery phase and accountability: The school remains in a serious weaknesses category, and while recent monitoring highlights progress, it also states more work is required before the designation is removed. This matters for families who prefer settled schools with long-standing consistency.

• Attendance and suspensions are central issues: Improvements are described, but absence is still characterised as stubbornly high, and suspensions, although reducing, are said to remain high for disadvantaged pupils. Parents should ask what thresholds and supports sit behind those numbers.

• Outcomes remain below England average: Current GCSE performance measures are weak, including a strongly negative Progress 8 score. Families should weigh the school’s improvement trajectory against the risk of a child needing stronger academic momentum immediately.

• Oversubscription can still apply: The school is marked as oversubscribed on the available admissions dataset, so a place is not guaranteed, especially if preferences are left late.

This is a school building stability through tighter routines, stronger behaviour expectations, and targeted attendance work, with signs of a calmer learning climate and clearer teaching structures. The challenge is that academic outcomes are still well below England averages, so families need to decide how much weight to place on trajectory versus current performance.

Best suited to students who benefit from clear boundaries, predictable routines, and structured catch-up support, particularly where a family is ready to engage closely with attendance expectations and pastoral systems. Entry remains the primary hurdle for some families, and long-term impact will depend on whether the current improvements continue to embed.