Lincoln House School

Inspection of Lincoln House School 25-27 Clifton Street, Burnley, Lancashire BB12 0QZ

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding 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?

Lincoln House School is a place where pupils feel safe, happy and valued. Pupils who attend this school have had a fractured educational experience and most have sizeable gaps in their learning. Despite this, the school is highly ambitious for them. Pupils flourish as a result of the carefully planned learning that the school provides. They achieve well and are proud of their accomplishments.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school delivers a personalised and inclusive approach, enabling pupils to rebuild confidence, engage with learning, and work towards meaningful academic and vocational outcomes.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff take time to understand pupils’ individual needs from the moment they arrive at the school. Pupils benefit from strong, trusting relationships with staff, contributing to a sense of belonging and positive mental well-being. The result is a calm and purposeful environment where pupils are eager to learn. Pupils display exemplary behaviour.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are taught the importance of treating everyone with dignity, regardless of their background, identity, or beliefs. Pupils learn to form and articulate opinions, while also considering the views of others. They learn how to express themselves confidently. This emphasis on respectful dialogue fosters a sense of maturity, and inclusion, preparing pupils for life beyond the classroom as thoughtful and engaged citizens.

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better?

The proprietor and the school share an aspirational vision for pupils to receive a high-quality education. This is accompanied by the support and understanding that pupils need in order to succeed. The school provides tailored, motivating curriculums for each pupil to overcome their previous difficulties successfully. This helps them to catch up on most of the key learning that they have missed before joining the school. The school’s curriculum plans and schemes of work identify the important knowledge and vocabulary that pupils should learn and the order in which they should learn it.

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better?

Staff use their expertise to develop pupils’ confidence and self-esteem quickly. On the whole, pupils build a secure body of knowledge over time and achieve well. However, in a small number of subjects, staff do not have the subject-specific knowledge to enable them to design and deliver the content of the curriculum as effectively as they could. Consequently, pupils are hindered in gaining the depth of knowledge that they could in these subjects.

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better?

Since the last inspection, the school has introduced rigorous checking processes so that staff know exactly what knowledge pupils already have and what they still need to learn. This information is used effectively to shape future learning. 17 and 18 June 2025 The school has successfully promoted a love of reading. The emphasis on conversational skills helps pupils to talk confidently about the different authors, plots and genres that they enjoy. Pupils who need extra support to catch up with reading are identified quickly. However, at times, this support lacks some of the specific reading knowledge and skills they need to learn. This lengthens the time it takes for some pupils to catch up.

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better?

Staff identify the additional needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) efficiently. The school considers carefully the information in pupils’ education, health and care (EHC) plans to identify appropriate targets and incorporate these into the curriculum.

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better?

Pupils are avid learners. The atmosphere in school is exceptionally calm and purposeful. Pupils are respectful and well mannered. With the help of the staff, they demonstrate impressive resilience in overcoming past challenges and focusing on their learning and their futures. Attendance rates are consistently high. The school works closely with parents and carers to maintain this.

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better?

Pupils’ personal social, health and economic (PSHE) education and relationships and sex education is carefully thought through by the school. The school takes pupils’ individual needs and experiences into consideration. Pupils also benefit from regular specialist emotional support and therapy which the school provides. Pupils have opportunities outside of their lessons to enrich their learning and broaden their horizons. For example, they go to the theatre to see performances of the texts they read, such as ‘A Christmas Carol’ and ‘Macbeth’. Pupils’ talents and interests, such as cooking, sewing and music, are spotted, nurtured and celebrated by staff.

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better?

Pupils are given clear and impartial careers guidance which helps them to understand what steps they need to take to be successful in future education, training or employment. For example, pupils learn about a broad range of careers and visit colleges.

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better?

The proprietor is fully involved in the life of the school and knows the school well. Members of the proprietor body hold leaders to account effectively. They make sure that the independent school standards (the standards) are met consistently, including compliance with schedule 10 of the Equality Act 2010.

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better?

The school premises are maintained to a high standard. Pupils have a large secure grassed area to play outside in. Close attention has been paid to health and safety and to fire safety. All the required policies, including the safeguarding policy, are in place and available to parents on request.

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better?

Staff take pride in their work. They feel well supported by the school, including with their workload. In particular, they appreciate the personal well-being meetings every term. They also value the professional development and support that they receive from the school. 17 and 18 June 2025

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 In a few subjects, including in early reading, staff do not have the required depth of subject knowledge to enable them to design and deliver some aspects of the curriculum well. This prevents some pupils from gaining a deep knowledge and secure foundations on which to build new knowledge and information. The school should ensure that staff are supported to deliver the curriculum consistently well in all subjects.

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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. 17 and 18 June 2025

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School details

Unique reference number 143858 DfE registration number 888/6067

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School details

Inspection number 10375139 Type of school Other independent school

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School details

Email address emma.crowshaw@educ8.org.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 28 and 29 June 2022 17 and 18 June 2025

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Information about this school

 Since the previous inspection, there have been changes to the arrangements for leadership. A new chair of the proprietor body is in place. A new headteacher has been appointed.  This school caters for pupils with social, emotional or mental health needs. Some of these pupils have an EHC plan.  Pupils are placed at the school by a number of commissioning local authorities. The school is registered to admit up to six pupils aged 11 to 18 years. There were no students in the sixth form at the time of the inspection.  The school operates from premises located at 25 to27 Clifton Street, Burnley, Lancashire BB12 0QZ.  The school does not make use of any 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 evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  During the inspection, the lead inspector met with the chair of the proprietor body and regional headteacher. The lead inspector had a telephone conversation with a representative of one of the local authorities that places pupils at the school. Inspectors also spoke with the headteacher and staff.  Inspectors carried out deep dives into these subjects: English, mathematics and PSHE. They also reviewed other aspects of the curriculum. They met with subject leaders, considered curriculum plans, visited lessons and spoke to staff. They also looked at pupils’ work and spoke with pupils about their learning and experiences of the school.  There were no responses to Ofsted Parent View. There were also no responses to

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Information about this inspection

Ofsted’s online surveys for staff or pupils. The lead inspector had a telephone conversation with the residential care home manager.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and 17 and 18 June 2025 considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors reviewed a range of documentation relating to the standards and made a tour of the premises with representatives of the proprietor body.

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Inspection team

Ruth Moran, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Lindy Griffiths Ofsted Inspector 17 and 18 June 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

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