The Boxing Academy AP Free School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Care and support for every pupil run through all aspects of life in the school. Leaders and staff nurture a sense of belonging, mutual trust and respect that pupils describe as feeling like a family. Pupils thrive, knowing that staff help them to do as well as they can.

Pupils learn well together in small groups, or pods. Interactions between pupils are positive and friendly in lessons and at social times. Accompanying the pod through the day, pod leaders soon spot if a pupil is having a difficult time, for example with their learning or in managing their behaviour.

Strong communications between staff and with pupils ensure that pupils receive the support they need to... resolve any concerns swiftly. Pupils are kept safe in school.

All pupils learn to box.

They recognise the distinctive qualities and skills they gain from working with professional coaches. As well as promoting pupils' physical fitness, the benefits to pupils' mental health and emotional well-being are substantial. Their growth in self-confidence and resilience boosts their focus on achieving their aspirations.

Pupils are successful in fulfilling leaders' high expectations that they gain qualifications and take up places in their chosen next steps in education or employment.

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

Pupils attend the school following wide ranging and challenging barriers to their engagement with learning. The school rapidly identifies the support that pupils need to embark successfully on their learning.

The school provides a carefully considered curriculum. Pupils develop knowledge and skills in a range of subjects that are readily applicable to their education and occupation pathways in the future. A comprehensive programme of professional development ensures that all staff are clear and uphold leaders' expectations for policy and practice in the school.

Staff value the training, support and guidance they receive to enable them to fulfil their roles and develop their careers.

Teachers' strong subject knowledge ensures that they provide clear explanations, adapting and responding to pupils' queries and misconceptions, extending pupils' learning as they do so. Frequent recap of knowledge and skills from previous lessons helps to consolidate learning.

Pupils become increasingly familiar with the meaning and use of technical vocabulary. References to links with other subjects and application of content to everyday scenarios motivate pupils. For example, when learning about plant growth in science, pupils discussed why some plants are damaging to buildings.

Clear and consistent routines ensure that pupils know what is expected of them. The atmosphere in lessons is typically calm and purposeful.

Staff closely check how well pupils are achieving and identify gaps in pupils' learning.

Strong and frequent communications between pod leaders and teachers inform where additional support is needed. Pupils receive bespoke programmes of support to enable them to catch up quickly. Staff know and use effective strategies to ensure that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities access the curriculum and achieve as well as others.

Pupils value highly the opportunities the school provides. Boxing makes a significant contribution to pupils' personal development. Pupils are inspired by the examples set by staff, promoting the strong culture in the school of commitment, ambition and consideration for each other's well-being.

Staff and pupils value accessing counselling in school to support their mental health. The school places a high priority on helping pupils to be prepared for adulthood, to enable them to recognise risks to their health and know how to stay safe. Trained staff and external specialists support the school's personal, social and health education and relationships and sex education programmes, skilfully facilitating open and mature dialogue about sensitive themes and issues.

Pupils benefit from personalised careers education and guidance to help them make informed decisions about their next stages of study. Staff support pupils with all aspects of communications. For example, pupils are helped to explore and articulate their future aspirations with staff on college visits to maximise pupils' opportunities for success.

Workplace visits provide pupils with valuable insight into the world of work and inspire them to pursue specific occupations.

Pupils have a wide range of opportunities to broaden their outlook beyond their home and school communities. The residential trip is especially popular, including activities such as kayaking, paddle boarding and hiking.

The school is relentless in its work to help pupils overcome barriers to their attendance. Staff carefully consider the optimum approaches to working effectively with pupils and their families and with outside agencies so that attendance improves.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.