Setting

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T 0300 123 1231 www.gov.uk/ofsted

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Janice Mitchell Principal The Boulevard Academy Massey Close Kingston-upon-Hull HU3 3QT

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Requires improvement monitoring inspection of The Boulevard Academy

This letter sets out the findings from the monitoring inspection that took place on 3 October 2023, on behalf of His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills. The monitoring inspection was carried out under section 8(2) of the Education Act 2005 and took place because the school has received two successive judgements of requires improvement at its previous graded (section 5) inspections.

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Requires improvement monitoring inspection of The Boulevard Academy

The purpose of a monitoring inspection is not to grade the school’s overall effectiveness, but to identify and report on the school’s progress. It is to highlight to the school and parents any improvements that school leaders have made since the school’s previous graded inspection.

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Requires improvement monitoring inspection of The Boulevard Academy

During the inspection, I discussed with you and other senior staff the actions that have been taken to improve the school since the most recent graded inspection. I also met with curriculum leaders in English and modern foreign languages to review curriculum plans, visited lessons and spoke to a selection of pupils. I reviewed the single central record and discussed the culture of safeguarding across the school. I have considered all this in coming to my judgement.

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Leaders have made progress to improve the school, but more work is

necessary for the school to become good.

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Leaders have made progress to improve the school, but more work is

The school should take further action as outlined below:

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Leaders have made progress to improve the school, but more work is

 A minority of pupils, who are new to the school, continue to use inappropriate and racist language at social times. This makes some pupils feel uncomfortable in school. Leaders need to intensify their efforts to create a culture of tolerance and respect and ensure perpetrators receive the support that they need to change their behaviour.

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Context

The principal was in post at the previous two inspections. The school has recently joined the Thrive Multi-Academy Trust. At the time of my visit, the chief executive officer (CEO) was meeting with the local governing body to elect a chair of governors. As a result, it was not possible to meet the CEO or those responsible for governance as part of this inspection.

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Main findings

Leaders are taking effective action to improve the school. School improvement plans are detailed and carefully monitored.

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Main findings

The school has prioritised improving the quality of education. In response to the previous inspection, leaders have strengthened curriculum plans across a range of subjects. For example, in English, the most important knowledge that leaders want pupils to know and remember is now clearly identified for pupils and staff.

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Main findings

Leaders have also made changes to how assessment is organised across the school. Individual subjects can now plan assessments to suit the curriculum rather than to fit with whole school data collection points. This means that assessment is being used to inform teachers about how well pupils are learning the important content identified in curriculum plans. However, some pupils continue to have gaps in their knowledge. Leaders are aware of this and are working to address this through the curriculum.

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Main findings

The school has introduced systems to track and analyse incidents of inappropriate and racist language. Leaders have implemented a range of interventions to try and reduce the number of incidents and to change the behaviour of pupils. The school teaches pupils about the importance of tolerance and respect through the personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) curriculum. However, by leaders' own admission, there is still a minority of pupils, who are new to the school, who continue to use inappropriate language around school. Leaders are working with external agencies to strengthen the way they induct new pupils into the school to ensure that they meet leaders' expectations.

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Main findings

I am copying this letter to the chair of the board of trustees and the chief executive officer of the Thrive Multi-Academy Trust, the Department for Education’s regional director and the director of children’s services for Hull. This letter will be published on the Ofsted reports website.

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