Holly House Special School

Inspection of Holly House Special School Church Street North, Old Whittington, Chesterfield, Derbyshire S41 9QR

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The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 18 and 19 March 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils appreciate being part of this small school. Staff know pupils well and make sure that they are well cared for. Pupils reflect positively on this care and feel safe. They value the after-school activities that provide them with a range of experiences. The trips on offer, including the annual beach trip, encourage pupils to experience the world outside their local community and to try new things.

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What is it like to attend this school?

In many subjects, pupils access an ambitious and well-planned curriculum. When this is the case, pupils make positive progress. However, in some subjects, pupils do not achieve as well as they could.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from a range of physical adaptations that support them to focus their attention. They make good use of these strategies to maintain their concentration and engage with their learning. They are proud of their work and want to share their achievements. Adaptations to help pupils access the curriculum are less well thought out. This can make learning more difficult for some pupils.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils recognise that they are all different and have diverse needs. Staff’s detailed knowledge of pupils means they can predict challenges and offer appropriate support when pupils face difficulties. This ensures that pupils can manage their emotions and improve their behaviour.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The school has made notable progress since the previous inspection. However, there is more work to do. Leaders have developed an ambitious curriculum vision. Some subjects, such as mathematics, English and science, are well thought out and build on pupils’ prior knowledge and skills. However, in some other subjects, the curriculum lacks specific detail and is not as well organised. This affects how well pupils learn in these subjects.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

In some subjects, staff are not skilled enough to ensure that pupils develop the necessary depth of understanding. The school has started to develop staff’s expertise and subject knowledge to deliver the curriculum as intended.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Teachers know the pupils well. The sensory tools they provide help pupils to focus and manage their behaviour. However, the school does not ensure that teachers use the information detailed in pupils’ education, health and care (EHC) plans effectively enough. Pupils sometimes struggle to access the learning as a result, because tasks are not well matched to their ability or needs.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Pupils at the early stages of learning to read are supported effectively by well-trained staff. The school checks these pupils’ progress often to ensure that they become fluent readers. The school has begun work to help pupils access higher-level reading material, in preparation for them taking formal qualifications. Some pupils are now entered for national tests at the end of key stage 2, as a stepping stone to taking assessments in the future. 18 and 19 March 2025

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A new approach to recording behaviour helps staff track patterns closely. Carefully considered strategies allow pupils to recognise and manage their emotions. The school’s culture of respect results in positive relationships between pupils and staff.

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Rigorous systems are helping to improve attendance. Staff work closely with families to improve pupils’ attendance when there is a concern. When pupils are absent from school, the school follows effective systems to check on their welfare.

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The provision for pupils’ personal development is a strength. Pupils access activities beyond the academic. They often experience the wider world so that they see themselves as part of a community. Staff begin to talk about career possibilities in key stage 2 to raise pupils’ aspirations. Year 9 pupils visit local colleges to help them make informed choices about their futures. Pupils learn about difference, and they show respect and tolerance. They understand that some characteristics are protected in law.

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Governors work in partnership with the school. They provide positive oversight and challenge, and support leaders to prioritise the right actions. Changes are well managed to ensure that staff feel there is a balance between their workload and school improvements.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some curriculum areas, the school has not defined clearly enough what pupils should know and when. As a result, teachers are not clear about what pupils need to learn, the order of learning and what to assess. When this happens, pupils do not achieve as well as they should. The school should ensure that the curriculum sets out the important knowledge pupils need to learn, and in which order, in every subject.  The school has not ensured that all staff know how to implement the curriculum effectively depending on pupils’ needs. This means that not all pupils learn the curriculum as intended. The school should ensure that staff have the expertise necessary to implement the curriculum effectively for the benefit of all pupils.  The school does not review the implementation and impact of the provision specified on each pupil’s EHC plan rigorously enough. Consequently, adaptations to the provision

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

for each pupil are not always made in a timely manner. Pupils sometimes do not make as much progress as they should. The school should ensure that it routinely reviews the impact of the provision for each pupil to ensure that it remains suitable. 18 and 19 March 2025

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How can I feed back my views?

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.

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 18 and 19 March 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.hollyhouse.derbyshire.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 14 March 2024, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Holly House is a community special school for pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs.  All pupils who attend the school have an EHC plan.  The school uses one unregistered alternative provision.  The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 13 with information and engagement about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. During a graded inspection, we grade the school for each of our key judgements (quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and management) and for any relevant provision judgement (early years and/or sixth form provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade. 18 and 19 March 2025

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 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken it into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher and the assistant headteacher, as well as subject leaders and other staff.  The lead inspector met with the chair and vice-chair of governors and a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics and humanities. 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.  The lead inspector observed pupils reading to a familiar adult.  Inspectors also discussed the curriculum in some other subject areas, including

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personal, social and health education and science.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, 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’ interests first.  Inspectors looked at a range of documents available on the school website, including the school’s self-evaluation, the school’s development plan and information about the curriculum.  Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire for parents, Ofsted Parent View. Inspectors also reviewed responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for pupils and staff.  The lead inspector spoke to a representative from the alternative provider that the school uses.

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Inspection team

Nyree Parker, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Matthew Rooney Ofsted Inspector 18 and 19 March 2025

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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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