Crookhey Hall School

Inspection of Crookhey Hall School Garstang Road, Cockerham, Lancaster LA2 0HA

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Does the school meet the independent school standards?

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What is it like to attend this school?

At Crookhey Hall School, the school motto of ‘preparing pupils for life in modern Britain’ shines through in the experiences that pupils have. Pupils learn to engage with education while learning about themselves and the wider world.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy attending school and feel valued by staff. Trusting relationships exist between staff and pupils. This helps pupils to feel safe and secure.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for pupils’ achievement. Pupils try hard to live up to these expectations. They appreciate the time that staff take to recognise their achievements, both academically and in their personal development.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Many pupils who attend the school have had previous negative experiences of education. The school supports pupils’ emotional development effectively. Pupils develop confidence and resilience as staff provide the support that they need while recognising when to promote independence. Consequently, pupils’ behaviour improves the longer they attend the school. Pupils learn to recognise and manage their emotions. Staff swiftly intervene when pupils require additional support to resolve conflict. Pupils learn about how their choices impact others. This prepares them well for their next steps.

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better?

All pupils at the school have special educational needs and/or disabilities. The clinical team work closely with staff to help shape the delivery of the curriculum to meet pupils’ needs. This is regularly evaluated to match pupils’ needs as they develop.

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better?

Pupils learn a curriculum that carefully considers what they will learn and when this will be taught. The school has carefully set out what pupils need to know and remember at each stage. This includes some opportunities for pupils to revisit learning to help them know and remember more. Many staff are experts in their subjects. This enables them to make changes to the curriculum in response to what is working well. However, some checks that the school makes on pupils’ learning do not enable staff to respond quickly enough to pupils’ gaps in knowledge. When this happens, pupils do not learn as well as they could.

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better?

The school prioritises reading. Pupils who find it hard to read receive the help that they need to catch up quickly. There is an agreed approach to teaching phonics that supports pupils who are at the earliest stages of learning to read well. Staff model sounds accurately and support pupils with a consistent approach that extends through to their writing.

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better?

The school has a carefully planned offer for pupils’ personal development. Pupils develop a strong sense of belonging. This gives them the confidence and interest that they need to learn about others and the world around them. Difference is celebrated at Crookhey Hall. Pupils learn about what makes people special, as well 1 to 3 October 2024 as how to show respect for how different people live. The school prioritises opportunities for pupils to learn independent living skills. For example, pupils plan transport for trips, organise budgets and assess risks.

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better?

Pupils benefit from a well-thought-out careers programme. They receive the support that they need to create plans for their future and to achieve the necessary qualifications. The school offers a wide range of on-site experiences such as hairdressing. This enables pupils to gain realistic experiences in preparation for their further learning.

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better?

Staff know pupils’ individual needs well. They know how to best support each pupil if they are finding something difficult. The consistent approach helps pupils to become familiar with the school's expectations.

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better?

The school closely monitors pupils’ attendance. It maintains effective working relationships with parents that positively impact pupils attending regularly. The school offers bespoke support to families where pupils’ attendance causes concern. Parents value the efforts of the school to support them in this area.

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better?

The proprietor has an accurate understanding of the school’s effectiveness. It holds leaders to account for the quality of education that pupils receive. This includes regular quality assurance of compliance with the independent school standards (the standards).

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better?

The school complies with schedule 10 of the Equality Act 2010.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 Some of the checks that the school makes on pupils’ learning do not enable staff to respond quickly enough to pupils’ gaps in knowledge. When this happens, pupils do not learn as well as they could. The school should refine its expectations for ongoing assessment of pupils’ learning over time to support pupils in achieving well.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection. 1 to 3 October 2024 The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school. 1 to 3 October 2024

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School details

Type of school Other independent special school

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School details

Annual fees (day pupils) £50,796 to £80,000

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School details

Email address reception@crookheyhallschool.co.uk

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 18 to 20 January 2022 1 to 3 October 2024

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Information about this school

 Crookhey Hall School is a co-educational school catering for pupils aged 10 to 17 with social, emotional and mental health needs. All pupils have an education, health and care plan.  The school operates from premises at Garstang Road, Cockerham, Lancaster, LA2 0HA.  The proprietor is Acorn Care and Education Limited. The group operates a large number of schools across England.  The school’s previous standard inspection took place from 18 to 20 January 2022.  The school is registered to admit up to 100 pupils.  The headteacher has joined the school since the previous inspection.  The school uses one unregistered alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors carried out this inspection under section 109(1) and (2) of the Education and Skills Act 2008. The purpose of the inspection is to advise the Secretary of State for Education about the school’s suitability for continued registration as an independent school.

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Information about this inspection

Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.

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Information about this inspection

The school meets the independent school standards. These are the requirements set out in the schedule to the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, deputy headteachers, the regional director and the director of operations. The lead inspector spoke to the chair of the proprietor body by telephone.  The lead inspector spoke to two representatives from the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English (including reading), mathematics, personal, social, health and economic education and horticulture. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and

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Information about this inspection

considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first. 1 to 3 October 2024  An inspector carried out a tour of the premises.  An inspector visited the alternative provision being used by the school.  Inspectors reviewed a range of documentation to check compliance with the standards.  An inspector listened to pupils read to a trusted adult.  Inspectors considered the free-text responses to Ofsted Parent View, as well as the responses to the staff survey. There were no responses to the pupil survey.  Inspectors spoke with pupils and staff to gather their views of the school.

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Inspection team

Jane Dennis, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Lindy Griffiths Ofsted Inspector 1 to 3 October 2024 to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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