Ormiston Venture Academy

Ormiston Venture Academy is a highly effective secondary school where pupils achieve exceptionally well academically and personally. Inspectors found the curriculum to be carefully sequenced and taught with expertise, so pupils build deep knowledge and produce ambitious work. Pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils are supported particularly well and learn confidently alongside their peers. Behaviour is exemplary, pupils take pride in their learning and leadership roles, and personal development and careers education are exceptionally strong. The school benefits from sustained trust and governance oversight, and staff receive excellent professional development. Safeguarding arrangements are effective. This was the school’s first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic and its first section 5 inspection since 2013; under current arrangements it received no overall effectiveness grade, but it was judged outstanding in each key judgement. No significant weaknesses or areas for improvement were identified in the report.

Strengths

• Pupils achieve exceptionally well academically and personally.
• The curriculum is meticulously designed and expertly taught.
• Teachers routinely check understanding and build rich pupil knowledge.
• Pupils with SEND are identified accurately and supported skilfully.
• Disadvantaged pupils thrive in an aspirational and affirming ethos.
• Behaviour is superb and classrooms have a strong sense of purpose.
• Pupils have very supportive relationships with staff.
• Pupils take on many leadership roles and contribute to school improvement.
• The personal development programme is exceptionally well designed.
• Careers education is very strong and wide ranging.
• Staff benefit from excellent professional development and share the school’s vision.
• Trustees and governors provide robust oversight.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Ormiston Venture Academy attended 89.5% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 28.5% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 8.6% of pupils at Ormiston Venture Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 5 pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Ormiston Venture Academy had 17.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 4.1% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 23.4% of pupils at Ormiston Venture Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 6.9% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Ormiston Venture Academy received £8,442 and spent £8,362 for each of its 902 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £681,000 (£755 per pupil).

Across all 40 schools of Ormiston Academies Trust, income was £8,888 and spending £8,698 per pupil.

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Great Yarmouth · Norfolk local authority: places and applications

Ormiston Venture Academy is part of Ormiston Academies Trust, which runs 41 schools. The nearest others:

• Ormiston Herman Academy Great Yarmouth
• Cliff Park Ormiston Academy Great Yarmouth
• Ormiston Cliff Park Primary Academy Great Yarmouth
• Edward Worlledge Ormiston Academy Great Yarmouth
• Ormiston Denes Academy Lowestoft
• Flegg High Ormiston Academy Great Yarmouth
• Broadland High Ormiston Academy Norwich
• City of Norwich School, An Ormiston Academy Norwich
• Ormiston Victory Academy Norwich
• Ormiston Endeavour Academy Ipswich

What is Ormiston Venture Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Ormiston Venture Academy is Outstanding, from an inspection in May 2025.

When was Ormiston Venture Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Ormiston Venture Academy was last inspected in May 2025.

How many pupils does Ormiston Venture Academy have?

Ormiston Venture Academy has 889 pupils on roll.

What age range does Ormiston Venture Academy cover?

Ormiston Venture Academy for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Ormiston Venture Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 45.7, and 44% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Ormiston Venture Academy?

Ormiston Venture Academy is at Oriel Avenue, Great Yarmouth, Gorleston, Norfolk, NR31 7JJ.