Nightingale House School

Inspection of Nightingale House School C/O Your Chapter, Cheadle Royal Business Park, Oakwater Ave, Cheadle SK8 3SR

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Inspection dates: 21 and 22 January 2025

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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?

The caring ethos and warm, nurturing relationships make this school a happy and welcoming place. The school is small and intimate. Staff get to know pupils well. Pupils learn to appreciate the value of education and enjoy their lessons. Learning is carefully tailored to pupils’ individual needs and interests.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s highest priorities are to develop pupils’ independence and self-esteem to prepare them for adulthood. The ambitious curriculum aligns with the school’s vision to empower pupils to make the ‘right choices in pursuit of their passion and happiness’. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), learn in ways that are comfortable for them. They receive skilled one-to-one and small group teaching which reflects the school’s high expectations.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The environment is calm and engaging. Staff provide effective support to help pupils to understand and manage their emotions. Attendance is high. Established routines and clear, high expectations for behaviour help pupils to feel safe. Pupils behave well and incidents of poor behaviour are few.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils develop their appreciation for nature and wildlife by utilising the school’s beautiful rural surroundings. They learn photography and animal care. They experience working on a local farm and acquire horsemanship skills as part of the school’s vocational offer.

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better?

Since the last standard inspection, leadership of the school has changed. The curriculum now builds and extends pupils’ knowledge and skills based on what they already know and can do when they join the school. Schemes of work provide teachers with suitable guidance to teach the curriculum well. Curriculum subjects are accredited so that pupils can gain a range of qualifications to support them with their future choices for further education and employment. Pupils enjoy studying a broad range of vocational and academic subjects. Learning and support are personalised for pupils, including those with SEND, to achieve success.

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better?

Pupils pursue curriculum courses that will equip them well for life beyond school. The school goes above and beyond to support pupils with their ambitions and to motivate them to try something new. Pupils relish developing their skills for the hair and beauty course in the school’s fully equipped beauty salon. These creative aspects of the curriculum also support pupils’ positive mental health and help them to make connections in their learning across different curriculum subjects. Their experiences as part of the animal care course help them to gain an understanding of emotions and feelings.

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better?

The school has successfully strengthened the teaching of the curriculum. Teachers check how well pupils are learning the curriculum in different subjects. They use this information to plan pupils’ next steps in learning. However, teachers’ checks on 21 and 22 January 2025 pupils’ learning in some curriculum subjects are not as thorough as they are in others. This means that in some instances, learning is not matched as well as it should be to pupils’ ability.

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better?

Reading is a high priority for the school. Most pupils start the school as reluctant readers. The school promotes the joy of reading. Teachers quickly establish what support to provide to help pupils to read well. There is a range of high-quality online and hard copy books available to inspire pupils to read for pleasure. The books reflect pupils’ lives and support the development of their understanding of the world. Pupils are encouraged to read often. Teachers take time to explain unfamiliar vocabulary and develop pupils’ comprehension skills. Pupils receive the right support to become increasingly confident and fluent readers.

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better?

Most pupils have suffered significant trauma in their lives. Most have had long periods of time out of education and negative experiences of school before attending Nightingale House. Once settled, pupils’ attendance improves significantly because of leaders’ determined but sensitive approach. As one external professional who works with pupils and the school put it, ‘this school is a special place’.

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better?

The school identifies and supports the needs of pupils with SEND well. Leaders work closely with external professionals to make sure that pupils receive appropriate pastoral and therapeutic help for their social, emotional and mental health needs. Teachers adapt learning so that pupils can access the curriculum successfully. Pupils also appreciate that learning is often in short sessions. They like being able to utilise technology and take time out for ‘brain breaks’. These strategies help pupils to concentrate and achieve well.

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better?

The curriculum supports pupils’ personal development well. Pupils learn essential life skills. These include how to cope with potential risks to their safety such as from coercion or risks from drugs and alcohol. They know ways to stay safe online. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is threaded through the curriculum. Pupils learn about equality and diversity. They develop their understanding of the importance of respect for those with protected characteristics. They discuss the importance of equality and positive relationships. Pupils receive appropriate independent careers advice and guidance.

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better?

The proprietor body has relevant knowledge and expertise. It ensures that the school meets the independent school standards consistently. The proprietor is considerate of the workload and welfare of staff. There are frequent checks on the health, safety and welfare of pupils. Appropriate policies and procedures are in place to keep pupils safe. The school complies with schedule 10 of the Equality Act 2010.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 21 and 22 January 2025

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 The school’s checks of the progression pupils make through some subjects are not thorough enough to ensure the next steps of learning meet pupils’ bespoke needs. This means pupils do not routinely achieve as well as they could. The school should ensure that assessments are used to accurately inform teaching so that pupils can achieve the best possible outcomes.

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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.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school. 21 and 22 January 2025

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School details

Unique reference number 143841 DfE registration number 381/6019

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School details

Inspection number 10321501 Type of school Other independent school

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School details

Date of previous inspection 11 and 12 March 2020 21 and 22 January 2025

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Information about this school

 A material change inspection to admit boys as well as girls to the school took place in February 2024. The school was judged likely to meet the relevant independent school standards that were checked during the material change inspection.  The school is registered to admit up to four pupils.  There are currently no students in the sixth form.  The headteacher was appointed in September 2024.  The school does not currently use 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

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

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors met with the headteacher, the regional headteacher and teachers.  The lead inspector spoke on the telephone with the education director for the proprietor body. The lead inspector also spoke on the telephone to a social worker and a lead officer for the virtual school for Doncaster local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives into these subjects: English, including reading, mathematics and animal care. For each group of subjects, the inspectors visited a sample of lessons, spoke with pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors spoke to leaders about the school’s approach to teaching personal,

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Information about this inspection

social, health and economic education and hair and beauty and looked at curriculum planning and 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 considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interest first.  An inspector met with pupils with an adult present. 21 and 22 January 2025  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View.

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Inspection team

Stephanie Innes-Taylor, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Alison Stephenson His Majesty’s Inspector 21 and 22 January 2025 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

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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