Bridgeview Special School

Inspection of a school judged outstanding for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Bridgeview Special School Pickering Road, Kingston-upon-Hull and HU4 7AD

p.1

Inspection dates: 21 and 22 January 2025

p.1

Outcome

Bridgeview Special School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

p.1

Outcome

The co-principals of this school are Robert Abrahamsen and Maria Hope. This school is part of 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 headteacher, Nicola Witham, who is responsible for this school and two others.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Bridgeview is a school where children thrive. The pupils are full of energy and keen to learn. The staff has no ceiling on its aspirations for the pupils. The pupils achieve extremely well.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Staff and pupils unite in their positive approach to learning. The school recognises and celebrates pupils’ successes, whether large or small. Pupils are kind and considerate. They can collect rewards and convert them into tokens for the school shop. This is carefully linked to helping pupils to manage money.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Staff reinforce school routines and expectations, which the pupils meet without fail. The school offers a calm and purposeful place for the pupils to learn in. It helps them grow in confidence across the curriculum. Activities include science experiments, daily reading, and well-considered mathematics tasks in lessons.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

The school offers a wide variety of well-considered clubs, trips and leadership opportunities. Pupils enjoy taking responsibility for different aspects of the school. For example, the school council helps raise funds for local charities. The trips for pupils are 21 and 22 January 2025

p.1

2

educational. They also build confidence and character, such as interacting with the public at local art galleries.

p.2

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

The school offers a broad and flexible curriculum. This helps the staff to adapt and refine the subject content to the bespoke needs of the pupils. This is possible because the staff know the pupils and their learning barriers well. Pupils are proud of the work they produce in lessons. For example, they confidently describe artwork they complete in the school’s studio. Teachers have excellent subject knowledge. They receive training tailored to the pupils’ needs. This empowers staff to give exceptional, bespoke support. Displays and resources also help pupils access the high-quality curriculum. For example, using pictures, emojis, and physical resources enables non-verbal pupils share their views well with staff.

p.2

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

The school has a clear and determined approach to ensuring all pupils are readers. This is being realised. Pupils who need help with reading get daily support from skilled staff. This enables pupils to quickly gain the knowledge and skills they need to become confident, fluent readers. Dedicated reading areas engage, motivate, and excite the pupils.

p.2

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

Pupils’ attendance is high. The school works with families and pupils to embed school in their daily lives. For example, staff celebrate good behaviour with pupils at school and in the community. Teachers manage the behaviour of pupils in school exceptionally well. This helps to keep pupils calm and ready to learn. Staff and pupil relationships are superb. When emotional, pupils listen to staff and respond positively. The pupils reset without delay and re-engage with their learning quickly. Staff keep the time pupils are out of lessons to a minimum.

p.2

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

All curriculum areas identify subject enrichment opportunities. They are accessible to all, for example food technology clubs and the Bridgeview Café, which run once a term. Pupils use their mathematics knowledge to manage the café budget. The school’s extra- curricular activities enable pupils to experience a range of activities. These include residential visits in the Lincolnshire countryside, where pupils canoe and abseil, which helps develop their reliance. Also, there are sports clubs and skateboarding on the school site. Pupils engage positively with their friends in the clubs and activities.

p.2

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

Pupils enjoy a curriculum that weaves in beliefs from different faiths. This helps pupils appreciate the diverse society in which they live. Pupils learn about relationships and staying healthy in a sensitive and age-appropriate manner. The pupils know the importance of being safe online and in the real world. They can explain how to keep personal details private when accessing the internet.

p.2

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

The staff feel valued and encouraged to continue their professional development. They use research and best practice from other institutions to improve the school. 21 and 22 January 2025

p.2

3

The trustees and governors thoroughly understand the school’s unique nature. They work with school staff to remove pupils’ learning barriers. The trust, school, governors, and trustees have a clear vision to improve the school and never stand still as a provider.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

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 outstanding for its overall effectiveness.

p.3

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 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.

p.3

Background

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be outstanding for overall effectiveness in March 2019.

p.3

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.

p.3

How can I feed back my views?

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

p.3

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

p.3

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 21 and 22 January 2025

p.3

4

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). 21 and 22 January 2025

p.4

School details

Local authority Kingston Upon Hull City Council

p.5

School details

School category Academy special converter

p.5

School details

Principal Robert Abrahamsen and Maria Hope (Co- Principals) Headteacher Nicola Witham (Executive Headteacher)

p.5

School details

Dates of previous inspection 28 February and 1 March 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

p.5

Information about this school

 Bridgeview Special School is part of the Venn Academy Trust.  The school uses no alternative provision.

p.5

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. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  During the inspection, inspectors met with the principal and other senior leaders. They met with the trustees and the CEO. 21 and 22 January 2025

p.5

6

 Inspectors visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  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’ interest first.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for pupils and staff. They also reviewed the responses to the online survey for parents, Ofsted Parent View.  Inspectors considered the views of pupils from meetings with groups of pupils from across the school. Inspectors also spoke to pupils informally about the school.

p.6

Inspection team

Richard Jones, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

p.6

Inspection team

Christina Jones Ofsted Inspector 21 and 22 January 2025

p.6

7

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.

p.7

7

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.7

7

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open- government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

7

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

7

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7