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

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Austin Sheppard Executive headteacher Haven High Academy Marian Road Boston Lincolnshire PE21 9HB

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Special measures monitoring inspection of Haven High Academy

This letter sets out the findings from the monitoring inspection that took place on 16 and 17 September 2025, on behalf of His Majesty’s Chief Inspector (HMCI) of Education, Children’s Services and Skills. The monitoring inspection was carried out under section 8(2) of the Education Act 2005 and was the first monitoring inspection since the school was judged to require special measures following the graded (section 5) inspection that took place in July 2024.

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Special measures monitoring inspection of Haven High Academy

The purpose of a monitoring inspection is not to grade the school’s key and (where applicable) provision judgements, 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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Special measures monitoring inspection of Haven High Academy

During the inspection, Dave Gilkerson, His Majesty’s Inspector (HMI), Nyree Parker, HMI, Paul Halcro, HMI, Bessie Owen, HMI, and I discussed with you, the head of school, the chief executive officer (CEO) and the chair of trustees from the multi-academy trust, as well as further representatives from the trust and school leaders, the actions that have been taken to improve the school since the most recent graded inspection. We visited lessons, looked at pupils’ work and met with pupils and staff. We also scrutinised documents relating to safeguarding, attendance, behaviour, the pupil premium strategy and special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). I have considered all of 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 no longer be judged as requiring special measures.

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

HMCI is of the opinion that the school may appoint early career teachers.

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The progress made towards the removal of special measures

The school has undertaken a careful evaluation of the curriculum across the full range of subjects. It is now in the process of strengthening the curriculum design to make sure that the important knowledge and vocabulary that pupils should learn is identified. However, in many subjects, this work is in the early stages. This means that teachers do not have a clear understanding of what pupils should learn and when they should learn it. As a result, pupils struggle to connect new knowledge to what they know already. Furthermore, because important knowledge is not clearly defined or sequenced in the curriculum, teachers cannot check accurately how well pupils are progressing.

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The progress made towards the removal of special measures

The school has introduced a range of teaching strategies across the curriculum. These have been designed to provide structures for teachers to identify where pupils have gaps and to reinforce important knowledge so that pupils remember what they have learned. Routines for checking what pupils know and can remember are becoming embedded across the full range of subjects. However, these routines are not used as effectively as they could be in many cases. This means that pupils’ gaps and misconceptions are not being corrected securely. Where pupils have significant knowledge gaps due to missed learning, the school provides targeted support that helps them to catch up.

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The progress made towards the removal of special measures

The school has improved the way that it identifies the needs of pupils with SEND. Staff who work closely with pupils with SEND have been trained to understand their specific needs and how to support them. Information about pupils with SEND is shared with relevant staff. However, this information is often not detailed enough to support teachers to meet the needs of these pupils. Furthermore, some staff lack expertise in adapting learning to meet the needs of all pupils in the classroom.

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The progress made towards the removal of special measures

The school has implemented a range of strategies to support pupils who need to improve their reading fluency and confidence. Staff routinely assess pupils’ reading abilities to identify when support is needed. However, this is not done precisely enough to make sure that pupils receive the most appropriate support at the right time. New arrivals to the school who are at the very early stages of learning English receive excellent support that helps them to access the curriculum.

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The progress made towards the removal of special measures

As a result of the curriculum development since the previous inspection, pupils’ achievements in external examinations have begun to improve. This includes the achievements of pupils with SEND and those who are disadvantaged. Nevertheless, too many pupils still leave the school without achieving the qualifications they need to progress to their next stages of education, training or employment.

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The progress made towards the removal of special measures

The school has prioritised making sure that pupils attend school often and demonstrate positive attitudes to learning. Leaders monitor attendance forensically. Staff work closely with pupils and their families to identify the barriers that lead to poor attendance. Pastoral teams provide targeted and individualised support for pupils who do not attend well. As a result, attendance has improved significantly. Behaviour has also improved significantly. Leaders have embedded consistent routines that support pupils to behave well and develop effective learning habits. Pupils say that staff now manage incidents of poor behaviour more fairly. As a result, relationships between staff and pupils are more positive and there are fewer disruptions to learning than was previously the case. Around school, most pupils are polite and happy. However, a minority of pupils display unkind behaviour towards their peers. This leaves some pupils

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The progress made towards the removal of special measures

feeling uncomfortable when moving around school and at social times.

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The progress made towards the removal of special measures

Leaders, along with trustees, have a clear vision for improving the school further so that it provides a high-quality education for all pupils. They have evaluated all aspects of the school’s provision to establish an accurate view of what improvements are needed and how these should be prioritised. The actions leaders have taken since the previous inspection have made a positive difference. In most areas, leaders monitor the impact of their work closely and identify their next steps accurately. However, in a small number of areas, there is a lack of clarity about what has been achieved and how to improve further.

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The progress made towards the removal of special measures

Staff are positive about the changes that have taken place since the previous inspection and recognise that the school is improving. They told inspectors that they have worked hard to implement the changes that have been needed. Staff value the support and training they have received to develop their expertise. Most staff feel that leaders have been mindful of their workload and their well-being. A small number of staff told inspectors that sometimes things are not communicated to them as effectively as they could be.

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The progress made towards the removal of special measures

The trust has acted decisively to significantly strengthen the school’s leadership team. It has supported the school with resources and expertise to make necessary improvements. The school has also worked with other schools and trusts since the previous inspection. Leaders have sought advice and visited a number of other schools in the area. This has influenced the actions they have taken to improve Haven High Academy positively.

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The progress made towards the removal of special measures

I am copying this letter to the chair of the board of trustees, and the CEO of the Voyage Education Partnership, the Department for Education’s regional director and the director of children’s services for Lincolnshire. This letter will be published on the Ofsted reports website.

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