Brompton Hall School

Brompton Hall is a small special academy for pupils with complex special educational needs, including social, emotional and mental health difficulties, and is part of the Venn Academy Trust. This was its first section 5 inspection; the predecessor school had been judged inadequate before the school converted to academy status in 2023. Inspectors found a school that is highly ambitious for its pupils, with strong personal development, effective safeguarding and improving behaviour. Pupils say staff know them well and help them feel safe, and reading is promoted well. Leadership is a notable strength: trustees and leaders have an accurate, shared understanding of what needs to improve and have made significant changes over the last two years, particularly in pupil support and the PSHE curriculum. Staff development and support for workload and well-being are strong. However, not all of this work has yet had the impact it should, especially on attendance and some aspects of the curriculum. The main concerns are attendance, writing and assessment. Too many pupils are regularly absent, and support for writing is at an early stage. Teachers do not always check pupils’ understanding before moving on, so gaps in knowledge remain. Support for pupils who struggle to engage is not effective enough, and older pupils’ attitudes to learning are inconsistent. Overall, the quality of education and behaviour and attitudes require improvement, while personal development and leadership and management are good.

Strengths

• The school is highly ambitious for all pupils, including those with complex SEND.
• Staff use EHC plans well to adapt provision to pupils’ social and emotional needs.
• The PSHE curriculum is central and helps pupils progress towards EHC plan targets.
• Pupils feel safe and value positive relationships with staff who know them well.
• Personal development is strong, with trips, clubs and enrichment activities.
• Older pupils receive high-quality careers support, including apprenticeships and college visits.
• Reading is promoted well, with effective support for pupils at the early stages of reading.
• Leaders and trustees have a clear, shared understanding of improvement priorities.
• Staff development and support for workload and well-being are strong.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective.
• Behaviour has improved over the last academic year, with a growing positive culture.

Areas for Improvement

• Too many pupils are regularly absent, so attendance is not good enough.
• Support for pupils’ writing is not structured well enough and is at an early stage.
• Teachers do not consistently check pupils’ understanding before moving on, leaving gaps in knowledge.
• Support for pupils who struggle to engage in learning is not effective enough.
• Some pupils do not display positive attitudes to learning, and older pupils’ engagement is inconsistent.
• Some improvement work is still embedding, with insufficient impact on attendance and aspects of the curriculum.

In 2024–25 pupils at Brompton Hall School attended 56.9% of sessions (the national figure for special schools was 87.2%). 73.4% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 35.3%).

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, 37.3% of pupils at Brompton Hall School were suspended at least once (nationally 5.1%). One pupil was 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 Brompton Hall School had 6.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for special schools was 6.6). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 25.9% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.5%).

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 Brompton Hall School had 80 pupils, 98.8% of them with an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 99.5%).

It says it provides for: social, emotional and mental health.

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 special school schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Brompton Hall School received £27,401 and spent £37,822 for each of its 75 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £1,868,000 (-£24,913 per pupil).

Across all 11 schools of Venn Academy Trust, income was £11,101 and spending £11,467 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 Scarborough · North Yorkshire local authority: places and applications

Brompton Hall School is part of Venn Academy Trust, which runs 11 schools. The nearest others:

• Thorpepark Academy Hull
• Griffin Primary School Hull
• Mountbatten Primary School Hull
• Bridgeview Special School Kingston-Upon-Hull
• Marshland Primary Academy Doncaster
• Brooke Primary Academy Doncaster
• Adwick Primary School Doncaster
• New Pastures Primary School Mexborough
• Milton School Mexborough
• Newman School Rotherham

What is Brompton Hall School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Brompton Hall School is Requires Improvement, from an inspection in May 2025.

When was Brompton Hall School last inspected by Ofsted?

Brompton Hall School was last inspected in May 2025.

How many pupils does Brompton Hall School have?

Brompton Hall School has 80 pupils on roll.

What age range does Brompton Hall School cover?

Brompton Hall School for pupils aged 8 to 16.

What are Brompton Hall School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 0% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Brompton Hall School?

Brompton Hall School is at High Street, Brompton-by-Sawdon, Scarborough, North Yorkshire, YO13 9DB.