Haven High Academy

Haven High Academy is a large secondary school in Boston within Voyage Education Partnership. It has moved on from a turbulent period: leadership has stabilised, safeguarding is effective, and the school no longer requires special measures. Inspectors found that leaders have a clear improvement agenda, backed by the trust, and that attendance, behaviour and the curriculum have improved. Pupils generally feel safe, are well cared for, and benefit from a broad personal development programme, including careers, enrichment and extra-curricular opportunities. However, the school is not yet delivering consistently well across the board. Achievement varies because teaching quality is uneven, gaps in prior learning and basic skills are not always addressed, and key stage 4 outcomes remain below national averages, including for disadvantaged pupils. Pupils with SEND or other barriers do not always get the support they need in class, and some staff do not apply planned strategies consistently. Although most pupils behave well, a minority disrupt learning, and attendance, while much improved, remains above national absence levels. Overall, this is a school with strong leadership intent and some effective practice, especially in personal development, attendance and targeted reading support, but it still has significant work to do to make teaching, inclusion and outcomes consistently strong so that all pupils leave well prepared.

Strengths

• Safeguarding standards are met, with an open culture where concerns are actively identified and managed.
• The personal development and wellbeing programme is broad, well planned and meets statutory requirements.
• Pupils feel safe, know there is someone to talk to, and benefit from strong pastoral care.
• The careers programme provides impartial advice and many employer connections.
• Extra-curricular and enrichment activities, including overseas trips, are made available to all pupils.
• Attendance has improved significantly, with disadvantaged and SEND pupils' attendance close to or above national averages.
• Most pupils have positive attitudes, classrooms are typically calm, and bullying or discrimination is not tolerated.
• Targeted support for pupils with weak foundations in reading, writing and mathematics is impactful.
• Leaders have an accurate view of the school's strengths and priorities, and professional learning is sharply focused.
• Trust leaders and trustees know the school well and provide effective support and challenge.
• Specialist SEND hub and Forward Step provision provide effective personalised support.
• Pupil premium funding is used effectively to support disadvantaged pupils.

Areas for Improvement

• Achievement across the curriculum is inconsistent, and gaps in prior learning and basic skills are not always corrected.
• Key stage 4 examination outcomes have been below national averages, including for disadvantaged pupils.
• Pupils are not as well prepared for their next stages in education, training or employment as they could be.
• Teaching quality varies, and teachers do not always check understanding or adapt teaching to address gaps and misconceptions.
• Some teaching lacks clarity about the important knowledge pupils need to learn.
• Planned strategies to support pupils with SEND or other barriers are not implemented consistently in classrooms.
• A minority of pupils disrupt learning and behave poorly, and poor behaviour is not always challenged consistently.
• Overall absence and persistent absence remain above national averages, despite recent improvement.
• The curriculum is not designed and delivered consistently, and basic skills are not reinforced sufficiently across subjects.
• Some staff have concerns about the impact of changes on their workload.
• Some parents still hold negative views about the school.
• Leaders need to ensure improvement strategies lead to sustained impact.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Haven High Academy attended 88.4% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 37.4% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 24.1% of pupils at Haven High Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 15 pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Haven High Academy had 18.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 16.2% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 16.5% of pupils at Haven High Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 3.7% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Haven High Academy received £9,354 and spent £9,142 for each of its 1,272 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £436,000 (£343 per pupil).

Across all 11 schools of Voyage Education Partnership, income was £8,516 and spending £8,053 per pupil.

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Boston · Lincolnshire local authority: places and applications

Haven High Academy is part of Voyage Education Partnership, which runs 11 schools. The nearest others:

• Park Academy Boston
• Carlton Road Academy Boston
• Boston Pioneers Free School Academy Boston
• Staniland Academy Boston
• Fishtoft Academy Boston
• Old Leake Primary Academy Boston
• Gosberton Academy Spalding
• Helpringham Primary Academy Sleaford
• Gedney Church End Primary Academy Spalding
• Wygate Park Academy Spalding

What is Haven High Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Haven High Academy is Needs attention, from an inspection in September 2026.

When was Haven High Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Haven High Academy was last inspected in September 2026.

How many pupils does Haven High Academy have?

Haven High Academy has 1,229 pupils on roll.

What age range does Haven High Academy cover?

Haven High Academy for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Haven High Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 32.6, and 20% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Haven High Academy?

Haven High Academy is at Marian Road, Boston, Lincolnshire, PE21 9HB.