Bure Park Specialist Academy celebrates 'good' Ofsted report

Bure Park Specialist Academy on Keyes Avenue in Great Yarmouth has been rated 'good' by Ofsted for the second time in a row.

The school, which opened in 2021, is purpose-built for boys aged six to 16 who have special educational needs and/or disability (SEND) and is part of the Broad Horizons Education Trust. The school also has residential spaces for pupils.

Bure Park Specialist Academy on Keyes Avenue. Picture - Newsquest (Image: Newsquest)Inspectors visited in late November and described it as a place where the "relationships between children and staff are strong and are based on mutual regard and respect".

"Children receive good-quality education at school. Children who stay in residence substantially improve their educational engagement and school attendance from their starting points," inspectors said. 

"Staff from the residential provision work closely with school staff to provide a unified approach to children’s learning outcomes."

Inside one of the residential units at Bure Park Specialist Academy. Picture - Newsquest (Image: Newsquest)While the school was praised for conducting house meetings for pupils to "reflect on the school day and to plan activities" which help the children express their feelings, inspectors said staff should establish a more effective system to capture children’s wider views about their direct experiences in residence.

All pupils attending Bure Park have an Educational Health and Care Plan (ECHP) with Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) as their primary need.

Bure Park Specialist Academy headteacher Hayley Ross. Picture - Newsquest (Image: Newsquest)Headteacher Hayley Ross said: “We’re extremely proud to have received a Good Ofsted rating, which is a testament to our wonderful pupils, staff, parents, and wider school community and their incredible dedication and willingness to be the best that they can be.

"There is no greater reward for parents, staff and the pupils themselves than witnessing the progress made in class, in their relationships with staff and peers and in their general behaviour.”

Bure Park Specialist Academy was developed as part of the council’s five-year £120 million Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) transformation programme, which aims to improve support for inclusion in mainstream schools and create 500 new special education places.