The Venn Boulevard Centre

Inspection of The Venn Boulevard Centre 172 Boulevard, Kingston upon Hull HU3 3EL

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Inspection dates: 26 and 27 November 2024

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The quality of education Outstanding Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding Previous inspection grade Outstanding

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The principal of this school is Sarah Sargieson. This school is part of the Venn Academy Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Dr Simon Witham, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Terry Johnson. There is also an executive principal, Claire Goodaire, who is responsible for the school. 26 and 27 November 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at this school receive high-quality nurture and skilled support from dedicated staff. There are high expectations for all. The school’s values of ‘confidence, resilience and perseverance’ shine through the school’s curriculum and positive attitudes of staff and pupils. The curriculum is aspirational. It is adapted and designed around the needs of individual pupils. Pupils benefit from and flourish because of carefully considered therapeutic support. They enjoy enrichment activities. These include horse riding, cooking, art and ice skating.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn to behave well. Staff quickly get to know pupils’ different needs and requirements. Pupils develop their resilience and learn how to manage their emotions and behave effectively. Highly successful routines in and around the school help pupils to understand and do what is expected of them.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Relationships between staff and pupils are extremely caring and positive. Pupils are kept safe. They develop skills to equip them well for life beyond school. They appreciate the support of ‘life coaches’. They have staff to turn to if they are worried or need help. Typically, parents and carers praise the way their children have thrived since attending this school. They appreciate that the school is ambitious for pupils as well as providing ‘fun and warmth’.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The school has changed since the last inspection. The number of pupils has increased. The school now admits pupils with a broader range of special educational needs and/or disabilities. Most pupils have an education, health and care (EHC) plan. All have additional social, emotional and mental health needs. The school plans with precision to meet each pupil’s needs very effectively.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The school offers a broad, rich and well-sequenced curriculum. Pupils build their knowledge and skills logically in different curriculum subjects. The way teachers assess and identify pupils’ individual needs is exemplary. Staff gain an in-depth knowledge of pupils. They tailor learning to pupils’ specific learning targets. Any gaps in pupils’ knowledge are identified quickly. Learning is revisited often to help pupils to remember. Pupils engage well in lessons. The school is remarkably successful in meeting pupils’ learning, behavioural and personal development requirements.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The school places a strong focus on the development of pupils’ English and mathematics skills. Staff are tenacious in their approach to supporting pupils’ learning. They use a range of resources to provide skilled and timely support for pupils. Pupils become competent mathematicians and write with increasing fluency and confidence. Pupils rise to the school’s high aspirations and achieve well.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Reading is the school’s highest priority. Leaders promote reading as the ‘gateway’ to pupils’ wider learning and life skills. The joy of reading is evident in the way pupils enjoy books as rewards from the school’s book vending machine. 26 and 27 November 2024

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Pupils receive highly effective support to develop their early reading skills. This includes extra phonics teaching and individual reading sessions.

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Attendance is a high priority for the school. Most pupils have missed considerable periods of education prior to starting at the school. Leaders are not complacent. They work proactively and successfully with families and external professionals to engage pupils in school life and improve their attendance.

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Pupils’ personal development is at the forefront of everything the school does. There is an almost palpable focus on preparing pupils for life beyond school. Pupils appreciate diversity. They develop leadership skills through their roles as school councillors. They visit places of worship and take part in local community events. Pupils are proud to exhibit some of their work in a local art gallery in Hull. They enjoy choosing their class reward trips. They learn about potential risks and how to stay safe, including online. They develop respect for religious beliefs and different types of relationships. Trips linked to the curriculum broaden pupils’ understanding of the world. These include a trip to a local wood to learn about ecosystems and visiting Hull City Hall to support their understanding of democracy.

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The trust works proactively with governors to ensure that all aspects of the school are focused on the best interests of pupils. Leaders are considerate of staff’s welfare and workload. Staff benefit from high-quality training. School leaders are proud to share their expertise with colleagues working in other schools.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, 26 and 27 November 2024

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looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 26 and 27 November 2024

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School details

Local authority Kingston upon Hull City Council

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School details

School category Academy alternative provision converter

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School details

Date of previous inspection 9 July 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is an alternative provision with special school designation.  A new principal was appointed in September 2021.  The school provides education for pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs, young parents and pupils with adverse childhood experiences. Most pupils have an EHC plan.  The school does not use alternative provision.  At the time of the inspection, there were three students in the sixth form.  The school is part of the Venn Academy Trust.  The school shares the same site as The Sullivan Centre, which provides education for pupils too ill to attend school, and The Venn Boulevard Nursery. 26 and 27 November 2024

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. During a graded inspection, we grade the school for each of our key judgements (quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and management) and for any relevant provision judgement (early years and/or sixth form provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors met with the principal, the executive principal, the assistant principal, several subject leaders, the school business manager, several leaders of the trust, including the director of safeguarding, attendance, risk and welfare, and members of the school’s safeguarding team.  The lead inspector met with the CEO, the deputy CEO and the chair of the trust board. The inspector also met with the chair of the local governing body.  Inspectors carried out deep dives into these subjects: English, including reading, mathematics and personal, social, health and economic education. For each group of

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Information about this inspection

subjects, the inspectors visited a sample of lessons, spoke with pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors spoke to leaders about the school’s approach to teaching history and science.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interest first.  The inspectors spoke to some parents informally at the start of the school day and spoke to some parents on the telephone. Inspectors met with some pupils and staff.  The inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, the online survey, and Ofsted’s surveys for pupils and staff.

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Inspection team

Stephanie Innes-Taylor, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Tan Ilyas Ofsted Inspector 26 and 27 November 2024

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achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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