Boston Endeavour Academy

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Boston Endeavour Academy Kitwood Road, Boston PE21 0PX

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Outcome

Boston Endeavour Academy has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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Outcome

The headteacher of this school is Aaron Bloodworth-Flatt. This school is part of Community Inclusive 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), Peter Bell, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Stephen Hopkins.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Boston Endeavour Academy is an inclusive, happy and welcoming school. All pupils at the school have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They face significant difficulties and challenges in their learning and development. Staff work hard to meet the health, education and care needs of pupils while also ensuring pupils enjoy their time at school. Staff make sure that all pupils receive the high-quality care and respect that they deserve. All pupils, including those with the most complex difficulties, have positive relationships with staff. Pupils are happy at school because the staff look after them so well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils work hard and achieve well because of the high expectations that the school sets. Across the curriculum, pupils’ achievement from their individual starting points is impressive.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn to regulate their emotions successfully. When they struggle with this, staff support them well. For example, staff know that some pupils need time to settle into the school day by spending time in the school’s hydrotherapy pool. Pupils learn the routines of school very well. As a result, the school is a harmonious learning environment. 3 and 4 December 2024

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

Over the last few years, the cohort of pupils attending the school has changed. Now, more pupils come to the school with very complex needs. In response, the school has further developed its ambitious curriculum. This has been carefully broken down into clearly identified steps of learning. From the early years right through to the sixth form, this curriculum provides well for pupils’ independence, sensory and communication needs.

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

Pupils are placed on one of four learning pathways. This helps to ensure that their individual needs are well catered for. These pathways offer flexibility so that staff can tailor the curriculum very effectively. Within each pathway, pupils’ learning is well organised. Staff have secure subject knowledge and explain new learning clearly. However, at times, their choice of learning activity is not as well matched to pupils’ needs and to the content of the curriculum as it could be. This limits pupils’ achievement.

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

Staff develop personalised targets for pupils that precisely match their individual education, health and care (EHC) plan targets. Pupils are supported extremely well to meet these targets. As a result, pupils’ outcomes are strong. All students who leave the school at the end of the sixth form attain meaningful qualifications. These help them to move on to their preferred next steps successfully.

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

Reading, writing and mathematics are given high priority. There are plentiful opportunities for pupils to develop their knowledge and skills in each of these areas, where this is appropriate. The school has systems in place to support pupils who are at the early stages of reading. Staff identify pupils’ needs accurately and deliver well-structured phonics sessions. As a result, pupils get better at reading.

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

Staff make good use of a wide range of communication aids and methods. Parents and carers receive training on how to use their child’s preferred methods at home. This reinforces pupils’ communication skills, which in turn helps them manage their emotions.

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

Behaviour is exemplary. Children in Reception and key stage 1 in the ‘spring wing’ enjoy snack time together at the table with staff. This develops their social and communication skills. They start to develop friendships with their peers and are polite to staff. Pupils delight in the ‘coins’ they receive as part of the reward system and gleefully exchange these for ‘treasures’ in the headteacher’s office, for example fidget toys and card games.

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

The school works effectively to ensure the highest possible attendance. Through personalised approaches, issues regarding attendance are swiftly addressed and attendance has improved since the last inspection.

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

Central to the work of the school is pupils’ personal development. The school offers a range of purposeful cultural and creative opportunities to increase pupils’ awareness and enjoyment of the world around them. Pupils visit the local church and mosque. They benefit from outdoor learning. They enjoy creative experiences, such as creating lanterns with artists from the Lincolnshire Arts Centre. The school council plays an important role 3 and 4 December 2024

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in improving the school. For example, it is involved in staff recruitment and has been integral in developing the catering offer in the school.

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In the sixth form, there are well-considered opportunities for work experience and preparation for adult social care, college or supported internships. These experiences develop students’ confidence and independence. Participation in sports at the local leisure centre and cultural experiences, including theatre visits and twinning with a school in Poland, enrich the curriculum further. As a result, students are well prepared for adulthood.

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Leaders work hard to sustain and improve the school’s performance in all areas. The school has been well led through its move into a new building and a rapid increase in the number of pupils with a wider range of complex needs. Despite these high levels of change, the majority of staff feel that their well-being, workload and professional development are prioritised by leaders. They appreciate the training they receive and the support and advice from their colleagues. Governors and trustees have a deep understanding of the school’s strengths and priorities. This enables them to offer support and challenge equally well.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Occasionally, the activities staff choose do not match pupils’ needs or the aims of the curriculum. This means that some pupils do not learn as well as they could. The school should ensure that the curriculum is implemented consistently well to enable pupils to make strong progress across all curriculum pathways and subjects.

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Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted’s website. From September 2024 graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade. This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

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Background

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school’s work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the 3 and 4 December 2024

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last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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This is the third ungraded inspection since we judged the predecessor school, The John Fielding Community Special School, to be good for overall effectiveness in March 2013.

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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, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 3 and 4 December 2024

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School details

School category Academy special converter

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form

Date of previous inspection 31 January 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This is a special school for pupils between the ages of two and 19 years. The school caters for pupils with autism, pupils with specific learning difficulties, severe learning difficulties, profound and multiple learning difficulties and moderate learning difficulties. All pupils have an EHC plan.  The school is part of the Community Inclusive Trust.  The school has changed its name since the last ungraded inspection from The John Fielding Special School to Boston Endeavour Academy. This coincided with moving into a new purpose-built school in September 2021. Since this new site opened, the number of pupils attending has increased significantly and the range of needs that pupils have has become more complex. 3 and 4 December 2024

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 The headteacher took up his post in September 2022.  The school does not currently use any alternative provision.  The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 13 with information and engagement about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.

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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.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, 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’ interests first.  Inspectors visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons and at social times.  Meetings were held with the headteacher and senior leaders. Inspectors also met with teachers and other staff.

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Information about this inspection

 The lead inspector met with the chair of governors, and the chair and the CEO of the trust.  Inspectors reviewed a range of documents and records linking to attendance and behaviour, as well as school improvement documentation and minutes of governing body meetings.  Inspectors considered responses to the Ofsted Parent View survey, including the free- text comments. They also considered the responses to Ofsted’s staff survey.

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Inspection team

Anne Maingay, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Matthew Rooney Ofsted Inspector 3 and 4 December 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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