Bridlington School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 19 April 2023

Bridlington School provides pupils with a well-rounded education. Leaders want all pupils to develop a 'passion for learning'. Pupils follow a broad curriculum. It allows them to develop knowledge and skills for their next steps in education and work. Reading is an important part of the school's curriculum. Pupils who need support to improve reading are supported effectively with regular interventions. This includes phonics lessons. Leaders have high expectations for pupils. The school has a specialist provision called Harland House. It is for key stage 3 pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils are taught in dedicated spaces on the school site. They are sensitively supported to develop their social skills and build resilience. The Harland House curriculum is ambitious. It meets pupils' needs well. Pupils are supportive of each other's well-being. They can learn to care for animals, including guinea pigs. Most pupils behave well. A new behaviour policy ensures that the school is calm and orderly. Not all pupils attend often and regularly enough. Despite leaders' actions to reduce absence, whole-school attendance is not high enough. Most pupils feel safe in school. They say bullying does happen, but staff deal with it effectively. Staff take pupils' concerns seriously. Most pupils feel there is someone there for them to talk to.

What the school should improve

• Not all pupils attend school regularly and often. This limits pupils' learning because they miss valuable lesson time. Leaders have developed systems to reduce absence, but progress is too slow. Leaders should further develop their systems of support for parents and carers to ensure their children attend school regularly.
• Transition from Year 11 to sixth form is not well structured. Leaders should further develop the support and guidance provided to Year 11 pupils to provide greater clarity. They should ensure that pupils are fully informed about their next steps, with precise information on application timeframes and qualification subjects.
• SMSC education is not fully prominent in the school's personal development offer. This includes the sixth form. It does not have the status required. Leaders should place more emphasis on SMSC in their curriculum design. They should ensure the 'life skills' curriculum prioritises SMSC education to a greater extent.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)