Ormiston Victory Academy

Ormiston Victory Academy (formerly Costessey High School) is a secondary school and sixth form located in Costessey, Norfolk, England. The Academy has specialisms in Science and Applied Learning.

Ormiston Victory Academy
Address
Ormiston Victory Academy
Middleton Crescent

Costessey
,
Norfolk
,
NR5 0PX

England
Coordinates52°39′00″N 1°12′42″E
Information
TypeAcademy
Established1952
Department for Education URN136186 Tables
OfstedReports
PrincipalNaomi Palmer
GenderCoeducational
Age11 to 19
Websitewww.ormistonvictoryacademy.co.uk

The Academy catchment areas of Easton, Marlingford, East Tuddenham, Bawburgh and the neighbouring suburb of Bowthorpe, as well as Costessey. The school students from Year 7 to Year 11 study GCSE's. The Academy sixth form (Lord Nelson Sixth Form) teaches it's Year 12 to Year 13 students A Levels. Which can then continue to further education at university level.

History

Costessey High School was renamed Ormiston Victory Academy in September 2010.[1]

A building designed by Nicholas Hare Architects has been built replacing the old school building, and can now cater for 1250 pupils. The academy received a £15 million to revamp the old site.[2] The new school building opened in November 2013.[3]

Ofsted inspections

In August 2014 The Observer newspaper alleged that the school was given two weeks' advance warning of a May 2013 inspection by Ofsted, the government body responsible for inspecting and regulating schools.[4] In England and Wales schools should not be informed of an inspection before noon on the day prior to the inspection.[5]

The newspaper cited whistleblowers who claimed that the advance notice enabled the school to "parachute" in extra teaching staff who had never taught at the school prior to the inspection, "to put in place high-quality lesson planning, get on top of marking and create "evidence files" presenting the day-to-day running of the school in as positive light as possible," and "to mitigate for known staff absence" by providing a supply teacher with "comprehensive lesson plan materials in an "Ofsted-friendly" format... including detailed information on each pupil's progress, especially for the inspection, before the school was notified officially by Ofsted of the visit."[4]

Ormiston Academies Trust denied that the school "received prior notification not allowed under Ofsted rules".[6] Ofsted initially stated that the school did not receive an early warning and that it "had not received any complaints about any of the inspections" but later admitted that it had received an official complaint from one parent in May 2013. The complainant said that his daughter, a pupil at the school, had been told by a teacher that an inspection would be taking place a week later.[7] A teacher who had worked at the school during the May inspection also claimed that "senior staff knew the exact inspection dates the previous week."[6]

Ofsted subsequently announced: "Ofsted regional director Sir Robin Bosher is reviewing the circumstances of specific inspections in Norfolk and the wider handling of the sharing of information about inspection schedules. He will report back shortly."[8]

Sir Michael Wilshaw, Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Education, Children's Services and Skills, said: "If any evidence comes to light that proves anyone within Ofsted or our contractors have shared information inappropriately, I will have no hesitation in taking the strongest possible action."[8]

Notable Alumni

Costessey High School
gollark: Why?
gollark: If you go through a doorway moving rapidly you will leave it still moving rapidly. Physics does not distinguish between this case and the doorway going toward you.
gollark: It doesn't. Relative to the portal the cube has substantial velocity.
gollark: It would come out on the other side with significant velocity relative to the top of the hole.
gollark: B. Physics doesn't distinguish between the cube moving relative to the portal and the portal moving relative to the cube.

References
  1. George, Martin. "Outstanding Ofsted judgement confirms transformation of school previously in special measures". Norwich Evening News. Norwich. Retrieved 8 June 2013.
  2. Downes, Steve (6 January 2011). "£15m boost for Ormiston Victory Academy, Costessey". Norwich Evening News. Norwich. Retrieved 8 June 2013.
  3. Leggett, Victoria (29 April 2013). "Costessey's Victory Academy appoints new principal from Gorleston school". Eastern Daily Press. Norwich. Retrieved 8 June 2013.
  4. Mansell, Warwick; Boffey, Daniel (17 August 2014). "Academies run by 'superhead' received advance notice of Ofsted checks". The Observer. London. Retrieved 12 September 2014.
  5. George, Martin (7 September 2014). "Parent complained last year about alleged Ofsted inspection date tip off for Norwich academy". Eastern Daily Press. Norwich. Retrieved 12 September 2014.
  6. "Ofsted chief inspector announces review of inspections of three Norfolk academies". Eastern Daily Press. Norwich. 19 August 2014. Retrieved 12 September 2014.
  7. Mansell, Warwick; Goddard, Louis (9 September 2014). "Ofsted admits complaint about school's prior knowledge of inspection". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 12 September 2014.
  8. Fox, Nikki (12 September 2014). "Father warned Ofsted of 'tip-off' a year before inquiry". BBC News. Retrieved 12 September 2014.
  9. Walsh, Peter (20 November 2010). "Former Costessey pupil lands major Manchester United film role". Norwich Evening News. Norwich. Retrieved 8 June 2013.
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