Ormiston Park Academy Review 2026: A rebuilding phase with clear priorities

This is a secondary school and the key academic reference point is GCSE outcomes. On FindMySchool’s proprietary ranking (based on official outcomes data), Ormiston Park Academy is ranked 3,536th in England and 2nd in the South Ockendon area for GCSE outcomes.

That England position places performance below England average, within the bottom 40% of schools in England on this measure (25th to 60th percentile is “middle”, this sits beyond that range). The underlying GCSE indicators reinforce that picture. The school’s Attainment 8 score is 36 and Progress 8 is -0.73, meaning students, on average, made less progress than peers nationally with similar starting points in that measurement year. (Progress 8 is designed so that 0 is broadly in line with the national average.)

The EBacc outcomes are also low, with 2.1% achieving grade 5 or above across the English Baccalaureate combination, and an EBacc average point score of 3.03, compared with an England reference point of 4.08.

A key implication for families is that this is not currently a “results-led” choice. The case for the school rests on trajectory, culture and support structures, rather than established headline outcomes. For some students, especially those who have not flourished in highly pressurised settings, that trade-off may be acceptable. For others, particularly those aiming for strongly academic pathways, it is an important factor to weigh carefully.

The school’s stated direction is curriculum re-design and improved teaching consistency. External review evidence describes a new curriculum that sets out what pupils should learn, and when, with learning organised more logically so knowledge can build over time.

The remaining challenge, as described in that same evidence base, is the precision of implementation, including how clearly curriculum plans connect new learning to what students already know, and how consistently teaching focuses on the key knowledge students need. Another explicit priority is assessment, ensuring checks on what pupils remember over time actually inform teaching and intervention.

A practical signal of the school’s approach is the structure of the day, built around five hour-long lessons. This supports longer instructional time per subject and can help with calmer transitions, which matters in a school working to reduce low-level disruption.

The school publishes qualitative information rather than hard destination statistics. It states that all Year 11 students have sixth form or college places, and it names a range of destinations that include a mix of school sixth forms and academies in neighbouring areas.

The implication for families considering post-16 is that conversations about subject availability, entry criteria, and how the school supports applications will matter more than headline percentages. A sensible approach is to ask how Year 11 is structured around careers guidance and application milestones, and what support is offered for students targeting more competitive routes.

This is a state-funded academy, so there are no tuition fees. Admissions for Year 7 entry follow the local authority coordinated route.

For September 2026 entry (Year 7), Thurrock’s timetable sets a clear sequence: the application window opens on 01 September 2025, on-time applications close on 31 October 2025, and offers are released on 02 March 2026. The school’s own admissions guidance directs families to the local authority process and notes that offers are made on the national offer day (01 March, or the next working day).

Oversubscription criteria and precise measurement rules sit within the determined admissions arrangements. A published example of how distance is defined in policy for comparable academy arrangements in the area is straight-line measurement to the main gate, with tie-breaks where distances are equal. Families should read the most current published policy for the entry year they need, because small drafting changes can matter at the margins in oversubscribed systems.

Open events are typically scheduled in early autumn. The school’s most recently published Year 6 open evening date was in early October, which is a common pattern for Year 7 recruitment. Dates change each year, so families should treat October as the typical month and check the current listing for the precise calendar details.

Pastoral work is clearly framed as part of the school improvement plan, not a separate layer. Behaviour expectations have been raised and the school day is structured to support calmer movement and fewer interruptions in lessons. Attendance is also a central focus, with targeted strategies in place and an acknowledgement that persistent absence remains a barrier for a subset of students.

One explicit reassurance for families is that safeguarding is treated as effective in the most recent formal assessment.

ASCEND also matters here. For pupils whose needs are rooted in social, emotional and mental health factors, the presence of a dedicated resourced provision can offer a more tailored bridge back to learning, including adult approaches adapted to individual needs and enrichment that builds engagement and teamwork.

Extracurricular life is positioned as a lever for belonging, engagement and aspiration, which is consistent with a school seeking to improve attendance and learning habits. The published structure includes a formal extra-curricular slot after the end of the main day, and the school describes around an hour for clubs after lessons.

A clear pillar is sport, with basketball highlighted as a signature strength. The school explicitly references its basketball profile and also describes links with Aveley Football Club, which can be valuable for students who are motivated by sport and benefit from a structured pathway and community connection.

Arts provision is another visible strand, with musical theatre productions described as offering multiple routes for participation, including set design, technical lighting, orchestra roles, leading roles, and directing. That matters because it gives students different ways to contribute, not just performance, and can appeal to students who prefer technical or behind-the-scenes roles.

The school also lists a set of established programmes under its enrichment umbrella, including Combined Cadet Force (CCF), Duke of Edinburgh, a Basketball Excellence Programme, and Jack Petchey Awards. These signal a deliberate attempt to offer structured achievement routes beyond exams, which can support motivation and personal development when embedded well.

The school day runs from 08:30, with students expected to arrive by 08:20, and it ends at 15:00, followed by extra-curricular clubs until 16:00. The timetable is built around five hour-long lessons, with a mid-morning break and a lunch period, which supports longer teaching blocks.

For travel planning, the practical reality is that this is a local-serve school, so families typically make decisions based on day-to-day commute reliability rather than occasional journey times. If you are comparing options, it is sensible to map the journey at school-run times rather than mid-day, and to check drop-off and parking guidance around open evenings, as arrangements can be different during events.

• A school in active improvement mode. The May 2024 judgement and the detailed improvement priorities point to real work still underway on curriculum precision, assessment, and consistency of teaching. This may suit students who benefit from clearer structures and reset expectations; families wanting a settled, consistently high-performing picture may prefer to wait for stronger evidence of sustained impact.

• Attendance is a key fault line. The school has strategies in place, but persistent non-attendance remains an issue for some students, and missed learning compounds quickly at GCSE level. Families should ask what the day-to-day approach is for early intervention when attendance begins to slip.

• Extracurricular is a major engagement lever. Basketball, arts productions, Duke of Edinburgh and CCF provide strong hooks for some students. If your child is not motivated by structured activities, it is worth exploring what else is available and how participation is encouraged.

• Trust and governance context may change. A published consultation described a proposed transfer from Ormiston Academies Trust to Unity Schools Partnership, with an intended timeframe in early 2026 if approved. That can bring shifts in branding, systems and local partnerships. Families should keep an eye on confirmed updates so they understand what will, and will not, change day to day.

Ormiston Park Academy is best understood as a school working to rebuild consistency after a period of weaker outcomes, with leadership changes in 2024, a clearer curriculum plan, and a stronger emphasis on behaviour, attendance and day-to-day routines. The extracurricular offer has some unusually defined strands for a mainstream school, especially around basketball and structured achievement programmes, and ASCEND adds capacity for tailored support for pupils with more complex SEMH needs.

Who it suits: students who respond well to clearer expectations, benefit from structured enrichment, and need a school that is explicitly focused on improving classroom consistency and engagement. Families should go in with open eyes about current academic performance indicators and treat the decision as a fit question, not a headline-results choice.