Life Skills Hub Central

Inspection of Life Skills Hub Central 322-328 Endike Lane, Hull HU6 8AE

p.1

Inspection dates: 23 to 25 September 2025

p.1

Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Does the school meet the independent school standards?

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

The respectful and inclusive culture of this school fosters pupils’ personal development and academic success. Pupils feel safe and valued.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Most pupils have found their previous experiences of education difficult. Many have been without education for some time. Here, pupils are nurtured to re-engage with the broad and interesting curriculum that the school offers. Pupils are taught by staff who know them well. Pupils’ transition to the school is well considered. Pupils are able to confidently integrate into the school, enabling them to quickly flourish. Expert therapeutic interventions are in place to support pupils’ social and emotional needs and to develop their love of learning.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils show great respect to their peers and staff. They display maturity and kindness throughout school. Staff are highly trained. As such, they are adept at noticing when pupils experience distress and respond skilfully to pupils’ needs. They are successful in helping pupils to understand their own emotions and manage their behaviours and feelings.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils thrive and often their lives are transformed at this school. One parental comment, which represents the views of many was: ’For much of his life, my child found school attendance a challenge. Since joining Life Skills Hub Central, he attends well and is taking leaps in his confidence.’

p.2

better?

The school has established a broad curriculum for pupils to study. The proprietor and staff have established a vision for pupils to understand their own needs and behaviours and learn how to live successfully in modern Britain. This vision is increasingly realised in practice.

p.2

better?

The school has recently redesigned its approach to teaching English and mathematics. The essential knowledge and skills that pupils need to learn are carefully identified to provide pupils with solid foundations. When pupils join the school, staff quickly check pupils’ reading, writing and mathematical knowledge. This information is used to provide a curriculum that is increasingly matched to pupils’ needs. The school is in the early stages of introducing a systematic synthetic phonics programme. Staff have not yet received specific training to support the school’s earliest readers.

p.2

better?

Some aspects of the curriculum are well established and taught effectively. In subjects such as art and design, design technology and personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education, pupils receive a carefully considered experience, which is bespoke to their needs. Pupils are set aspirational goals. These goals are used to support their individual academic and interpersonal ambitions. 23 to 25 September 2025 Pupils often join the school with significant gaps in their learning. All have an education, health and care (EHC) plan to support their special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff respond well to pupils’ academic and wider needs. Pupils’ individual needs, as identified in their EHC plans, are responded to well. For example, in PSHE lessons, pupils learn about friendships and social skills, which they increasingly apply when managing their own relationships.

p.2

better?

Staff are expert role models, demonstrating positive and inclusive behaviours. Pupils are supported to manage themselves effectively. As a result, pupils show constructive attitudes and make positive contributions to school life. They improve their attitudes to learning swiftly after joining and many strengthen their attendance significantly over time.

p.3

better?

The school prioritises pupils’ personal development. Staff enrich the curriculum through trips and visiting speakers. For many, these represent the first opportunities to engage with such activity. Such experiences build pupils’ independence and broaden their horizons, preparing them well for the future.

p.3

better?

The school provides pupils with information about different jobs. The school has an appropriate impartial careers information, education, advice and guidance programme for pupils as they progress through secondary education.

p.3

better?

The proprietor has robust systems in place to ensure that all the requirements of the independent school standards are consistently met and sustained. The proprietor is fully involved in the life of the school and knows pupils, their families and staff well. Staff say that they are proud to work at the school, citing leaders’ strong commitment to their well-being. They value the supportive culture that has been developed. The proprietor has ensured that the school meets the independent school standards in full and the requirements of schedule 10 of the Equality Act 2010.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

(Information for the school and proprietor)

 Pupils at the early stages of learning to read do not benefit from consistent opportunities to understand the connection between letters and the sounds that these can make. This affects pupils’ ability to decode and read with fluency. The school should ensure pupils benefit from routine and well-considered approaches to develop their reading skills. 23 to 25 September 2025

p.3

How can I feed back my views?

or to 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.4

How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school. 23 to 25 September 2025

p.4

School details

Unique reference number 150542 DfE registration number 810/6008

p.5

School details

Local authority Kingston Upon Hull City Council

p.5

School details

Inspection number 10374867 Type of school Other Independent Special School

p.5

School details

Email address enquiries@lifeskillshub.co.uk

p.5

School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected 23 to 25 September 2025

p.5

Information about this school

 The school operates from a newly refurbished site on Endike Lane in Hull HU6 8AE. It teaches pupils for certain aspects of the curriculum at two additional sites. These are the University of Hull Sports Ground in Inglemire Lane, Hull HU6 7TS and Forest Skills at Hope allotment, Hull HU6 9ES.  The school provides bespoke meaningful educational and therapeutic support to pupils who need it.  The school caters for pupils with SEND. Many pupils have social, emotional and mental health needs and speech, language and communication needs. All pupils have EHC plans.  The school does not use alternative provision.

p.6

Information about this inspection

Inspectors carried out this inspection under section 109(1) and (2) of the Education and Skills Act 2008. The purpose of the inspection is to advise the Secretary of State for Education about the school’s suitability for continued registration as an independent school.

p.6

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 leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher and senior leaders, the chair of the proprietor body, the chair of the governing body, curriculum leaders and teachers and administrators.  Inspectors carried out deep dives into English, mathematics, art and design and PSHE. Inspectors looked at curriculum plans, visited lessons, spoke to teaching staff and spoke to pupils about their learning and experiences of the school. Inspectors also looked at samples of pupils’ work.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector/inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils;

p.6

Information about this inspection

and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors reviewed records relating to behaviour, attendance and safeguarding. Inspectors checked the implementation of risk assessment and health and safety policies, including the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s surveys for parents and staff. 23 to 25 September 2025

p.6

Inspection team

Marcus Newby, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

p.7

Inspection team

Chris Sergeant His Majesty’s Inspector 23 to 25 September 2025 to 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

Inspection team

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.8

Inspection team

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.8

Inspection team

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

p.8

Inspection team

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

p.8