The Boulevard Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are beginning to benefit from the school's efforts to improve the quality of their education. However, over time, pupils have not achieved as well as they should in public examinations. Most pupils increasingly enjoy attending this inclusive school.

Older pupils recognise the positive changes the school is making.

Many pupils say they are safe in the school. Expectations of how pupils should behave are increasing.

Pupils value the support that the school gives them to help improve their behaviour. Older pupils recognise that behaviour is improving. Most pupils say that, when bullying happens, the school acts to address it.

However, some pupils... feel less safe due to behaviour in unstructured times and in corridors. Despite improvements, instances of poor behaviour are not addressed consistently well.

Pupils respond positively to new strategies to improve their engagement in school life.

Many pupils' attendance is improving. This impacts positively on their achievement. Pupils value rewards for high attendance, such as a visit to the tuck shop.

Pupils enjoy attending a wide range of clubs, such as darts, choir and basketball. This helps them to feel part of the school community.

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

The school has redeveloped the curriculum in all subject areas.

It has identified the key knowledge that pupils should learn. In some subjects, the school checks what pupils have learned well. For example, in mathematics, teachers use 'check-ins' to see if pupils understand their work.

This helps avoid misconceptions developing. However, in some lessons, the school does not check pupils' understanding well enough. This means misconceptions in pupils' learning persist over time.

Pupils benefit from increasing consistency to teaching across the school. The school is implementing common approaches to learning across subjects. For example, pupils are given tasks that enable them to practise their skills independently.

However, in some lessons, the expectations of pupils are still not high enough. Pupils are given tasks that do not extend their learning sufficiently. When this happens, they do not deepen their learning as well as they should.

The school identifies pupils at the early stages of reading. Pupils who need extra help are provided with personalised support. For example, some pupils benefit from phonics support.

This helps pupils to develop their reading skills well. The school also encourages pupils to develop a love of reading through a range of approaches. For example, pupils in Year 7 and Year 8 enjoy their weekly reading for pleasure lesson in the library.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are benefiting from the recent improvements the school has made. The school now ensures that adults understand the support that pupils need. In lessons, where appropriate, learning is broken down into ways that often help pupils with SEND to access the curriculum.

However, some of these improvements are recent and pupils with SEND have not achieved well over time.

The school has made recent changes to improve behaviour and attendance. The attendance of pupils is improving.

The partnership work between the school and parents and carers is supporting this improvement. However, this work is not securely in place. There is inconsistency in how behaviour policies are applied.

Some pupils share concerns about the impact of poor behaviour in the school.

Pupils benefit from lessons in personal, social and health education and life skills. These lessons help pupils to understand a wide range of topics, such as health and careers.

Pupils have a range of ambitious careers they would like to pursue. These include being a doctor, dentist or chef. However, the school's work to promote respect for difference and the protected characteristics is not securely in place.

Some pupils do not show respect for each other or other diverse groups. Their understanding of these important concepts has not been fully developed by the school.

Leaders at all levels are ambitious for pupils.

They are making Boulevard Academy a better place for pupils. The trust and governing body provide improved support and challenge to help the school to improve. This is making a difference.

Staff know that their workload and well-being matter. They know that they are valued. Many changes are starting to have a positive impact.

However, the school does not evaluate this impact of improvement actions as well as it should.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• On occasion, the school does not check pupils' understanding well enough.

This means that some misconceptions are not identified and persist over time. The school should develop better ways to check pupils' understanding to improve their learning over time. ? In some lessons, the tasks that pupils are set do not enable them to demonstrate or apply their knowledge and skills in sufficient depth.

When this happens, it limits pupils' progress through the curriculum. The school should help staff to raise expectations and set tasks that enable pupils to learn in greater depth. ? The school's behaviour strategy is not applied with consistent effect.

This means that some incidents of poor behaviour, particularly in corridors and at social times, are not addressed well enough. This concerns some pupils. The school should ensure that the behaviour policy is implemented consistently well so that behaviour improves.

• The school's work to promote respect for difference and the protected characteristics is not developed to sufficient effect. Some pupils do not show the respect and tolerance needed in these important areas. The school should intensify its work to teach pupils about issues relating to equality and address instances where pupils' actions or words undermine this.

• The school's systems to check the impact of improvement actions are not fully developed. There is variation in how well leaders at different levels understand the impact of their strategies. The school should develop clearer systems to check the impact of improvement work to increase the pace and effectiveness of the school development journey.