Brompton Hall School

Inspection of Brompton Hall School High Street, Brompton-by-Sawdon, Scarborough, North Yorkshire YO13 9DB

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The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Good Leadership and management Good

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Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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The principal of this school is Josh Dudding. 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 this school. 11 and 12 March 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils value the positive environment at Brompton Hall. They say that teachers know them well and that this helps to make them feel safe. The school has high expectations of pupils and helps them to learn how to live up to these.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Across the school, pupils generally behave well. Pupils are helped over time to improve their behaviour. Staff provide careful pastoral support to pupils and help them to learn about their own emotions and choices. Pupils enjoy the praise and rewards they work towards together in their classes. However, some pupils do not display positive attitudes to their learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ attendance is improving but there is still much work to be done. Pupils appreciate that their experience of school has improved recently. However, pupils are not doing as well as they could.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school makes sure that pupils benefit from a range of trips and enrichment activities. Pupils take part in a range of clubs to support their development. Older pupils have access to high-quality support for their future careers, including information about apprenticeships and college visits. This supports their preparation for adulthood.

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

The school is highly ambitious for all its pupils, regardless of their past experiences or current challenges. Adaptations are made in line with pupils’ education, health and care plans (EHC plan). Staff carefully ensure that the correct provision is in place to meet pupils’ social and emotional needs. The personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) curriculum is central to pupils’ development. It supports those who are present in school to progress well towards their EHC plan targets.

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

Trustees, trust and school leaders have realised significant changes to the provision over the course of the last two years. There is an accurate and shared understanding of what needs to improve and the steps to achieve this. Significant improvements in pupil support and in the curriculum in a range of subjects, including PSHE, are evident. However, some work is still embedding. There is not sufficient impact on pupils’ attendance and other aspects of the curriculum.

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

The school recognises that attendance is currently not good enough. It analyses the reasons for pupils’ absence, which helps staff to identify the next actions to be taken. Several pupils have begun to attend better. The school has strategies in place that are beginning to develop impact, but too many pupils are regularly absent.

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

Pupils can learn well, and achievement at the end of key stage 4 shows some improvement. Staff give pupils opportunities to revisit their learning regularly across the curriculum. Teachers are clear on what they want pupils to learn. Pupils appreciate this. However, on some occasions, teachers move pupils on to new learning before their 11 and 12 March 2025

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knowledge has been checked. This means that gaps in pupils’ understanding go unaddressed.

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The school has raised the profile of reading and, more recently, writing. Pupils quickly gain the knowledge and skills they need to become confident, fluent readers. They begin to read for pleasure more often. Staff have the appropriate expertise to help pupils who are at the early stages of learning to read. This helps pupils who find reading difficult to catch up. Reading is being promoted well. However, pupils’ writing is not being developed well enough. The school has begun to address this but this in its very early stages.

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Pupils’ personal development is always considered throughout the school day. For example, lunchtime activities and clubs help pupils to improve their social skills. Pupils develop an appropriate understanding of key things that will affect their lives. For example, they learn about how to be more welcoming and tolerant of others. Pupils are listened to. They are helped to think regularly about their future. Pupils are consistently supported well to understand what is possible beyond Year 11.

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Overall, pupils feel safe in school. There is a growing culture in which positive relationships help pupils to engage with their learning. Behaviour has improved over the last academic year. Staff are increasingly able to be proactive in their support for pupils. However, older pupils’ engagement with learning is particularly inconsistent.

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There is a strong focus on staff development. This ensures staff are aware of exactly what to do next to help pupils stay safe. Staff appreciate the growing strength of communication and support in terms of their workload and well-being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Overall, pupils do not attend school regularly enough. Pupils continue to miss valuable time in school. The school should ensure that work to improve attendance continues and prioritises pupils’ learning.  Support for pupils’ writing has not been structured sufficiently well until recently. This means that pupils’ writing does not improve quickly enough. The school should ensure that staff implement and adapt the support that pupils receive to develop their writing effectively over time.  Pupils’ understanding is not always checked well enough before moving on to the next part of the curriculum. As a result, pupils have gaps in their knowledge. The school should ensure that staff check pupils’ understanding consistently well. This will enable pupils to build knowledge more effectively over time. 11 and 12 March 2025

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 The school’s actions to support pupils who struggle to engage in their learning are not as effective as they should be. This hinders pupils in developing positive attitudes to learning and re-engaging with their education. The school should ensure that appropriate support is in place to help pupils to engage well with their learning over time.

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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). 11 and 12 March 2025

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School details

School category Academy special sponsor-led

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 24 and 25 October 2023, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This school is part of Venn Academy Trust.  The school caters for children with complex special educational needs, including social, emotional and mental health difficulties that impact on their social, emotional and behavioural responses.  The school uses three alternative provisions for pupils. One is registered and the others are unregistered.  The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 11 with information and engagement about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.  The school is currently undergoing significant construction work to improve the site and main building.  Brompton Hall School converted to become an academy in March 2023. When its predecessor school, Brompton Hall School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be inadequate for overall effectiveness. 11 and 12 March 2025

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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.  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  During the inspection, inspectors held discussions with the principal, the executive principal, trust staff, and other senior and middle leaders.  Inspectors held discussions with trustees, including the chair of the trust.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in English, mathematics and PSHE. For each of these subjects, inspectors met with subject leaders, carried out visits to lessons, spoke to pupils and looked at some of their work.  Inspectors visited the breakfast provision and ‘basic skills’ time and reviewed the extra- curricular activities with leaders.  Inspectors met with members of staff and spoke to pupils at various points in the inspection.  Inspectors met with support staff and visited the areas used to support pupils during

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Information about this inspection

the school day.  Inspectors looked at records and spoke to staff in relation to behaviour, bullying, attendance and safeguarding.  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’ interests first.  The inspectors took account of responses to Ofsted’s staff survey and to Ofsted’s parent survey, Ofsted Parent View, including free-text responses.

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Inspection team

Richard Wakefield, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Dennis Ley Ofsted Inspector 11 and 12 March 2025

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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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