Ellen House Secondary

Inspection of Ellen House Secondary Ellen House, Waddington Street, Oldham OL9 6QH

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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 Not previously inspected

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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 school holds high ambition for its pupils to achieve well. Pupils work hard and make the most of the opportunities that the school provides for them. Across much of the curriculum, pupils are well prepared for their next stage of education.

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What is it like to attend this school?

An important part of the school’s ethos is to help pupils to develop an understanding of equality, respect and compassion. Pupils have an excellent understanding of what these mean and apply them in many different ways. For example, pupils have a depth of knowledge about the protected characteristics. They have a strong conviction that everyone should be treated with respect. Pupils learn what it means to be part of a community. For instance, they reach out to members of the local community to offer support at times of personal bereavement.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for behaviour. Pupils strive to meet these and do so with ease. They are well mannered, courteous and considerate. The positive behaviour of pupils across the school contributes to creating calm classrooms and a place where pupils feel happy and safe. Pupils’ positive relationships with staff help them to become increasingly confident and independent.

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better?

The school’s curriculum is ambitious for pupils. Across much of the curriculum, the school has set out the important knowledge that pupils should learn from Year 7 through to Year 11. In a number of subjects, the curriculum also considers any gaps in knowledge that pupils may have from primary school. In most subjects, the activities that pupils complete deepen their knowledge and connect earlier learning with new content. Staff use effective checks on learning to identify and address any gaps in knowledge that pupils have. Across much of the curriculum, pupils achieve well.

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better?

There remains a small number of subjects where the school has not determined the full range of important content that pupils should learn. This makes it difficult for staff to know what knowledge to prioritise when designing learning. Consequently, in these subjects, some pupils have gaps in their knowledge and do not achieve as well as they could.

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better?

At the time of the inspection, there were no pupils at the school with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). However, the school has appropriate systems in place to identify and meet the needs of any pupils with SEND.

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better?

Pupils have access to a wide range of books that capture their interests. These carefully selected texts motivate pupils to engage in the pleasure that comes from reading a good book. Regular reading, across a range of genres, helps pupils to build their vocabulary, fluency and confidence in written and oral communication. 24 to 26 June 2025 Behaviour across the school is positive. Pupils share and cooperate well with one another. Disruption to learning is rare. This allows pupils to fully focus on their work. The school has effective approaches to attendance, which means that many pupils attend school regularly. Parents and carers value the support that pupils and families receive when they transition to the school. This helps pupils to settle quickly and get off to a positive start.

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better?

The curriculum for personal, social, health and economic education, helps to prepare pupils well for later life. Pupils learn about healthy relationships and how to maintain a healthy lifestyle. They gain an understanding about the potential risks that exist in society and how to keep themselves safe. Pupils have a detailed understanding of fundamental British values. They engage in a range of activities that bring them to life. For example, pupils who wish to become a house leader have to present to the school on their suitability for the role, prior to voting. The school has designed an appropriate careers information, education, advice and guidance programme to ensure that pupils are well informed about their options beyond school.

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better?

The school meets the health and safety and premises requirements of the independent school standards (the standards). The building is maintained to a high standard and teaching spaces are bright, clean and well-resourced. There is a safe outdoor area that pupils enjoy spending time in to play football and other games.

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better?

The proprietor is fully involved with the school. It has a clear oversight, coupled with a secure understanding and knowledge of the standards. The proprietor has ensured that the standards are consistently met, including compliance with schedule 10 of the Equality Act 2010. Staff are positive about what the school does to support their workload and well-being. They highlight the introduction of a new marking policy as a positive example of how the school does this.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 In a small number of subjects, the school has not determined the full range of essential content that pupils should learn. As a result, teachers are unsure about what important knowledge they should prioritise when designing learning activities. Consequently, pupils have gaps in their knowledge and do not learn as well as they could. The school should ensure its curriculum provides clarity about what pupils should learn. 24 to 26 June 2025

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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. 24 to 26 June 2025

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School details

Unique reference number 150669 DfE registration number 353/6022

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School details

Inspection number 10375150 Type of school Other independent school

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School details

Proprietor Mohammed Iqbal Ali and Ejazur Rahman

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School details

Email address admin@ellenhousesecondary.org

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected 24 to 26 June 2025

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Information about this school

 The school is located at Ellen House, Waddington Street, Oldham OL9 6QH.  The proprietors are trustees of a registered charity, The Joseph Education Trust. They are both members of the school’s governing body.  The Joseph Education Trust also runs a private day nursery in a separate part of the premises. This nursery is registered and inspected separately by Ofsted.  The school has an Islamic faith ethos.  The school provides full-time education for up to 80 pupils aged between 11 and 16.  At the time of the inspection, there were 26 pupils on roll who were in Year 7 or Year 8.  The school does not currently use 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.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors spoke with the proprietors, governors, the headteacher and other school leaders.  The lead inspector spoke with a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in the following subjects: English, mathematics and history. They discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited some lessons, reviewed pupils’ work and spoke with staff and pupils.  Inspectors reviewed the curriculum plans and pupils’ work for a range of other subjects.  Inspectors met with leaders to discuss SEND, the curriculum, assessment, pupils’

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Information about this inspection

behaviour and the provision for pupils’ wider development. 24 to 26 June 2025  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons. They spoke with groups of pupils about their experiences at school. They also considered the views of pupils shared through Ofsted’s online survey for pupils.  Inspectors spoke with staff about their workload and well-being. They also considered the views of staff shared through Ofsted’s online survey for staff.  Inspectors spoke with some parents. They also considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View. This included the free-text responses.  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’ interests first.  Inspectors reviewed a range of documentation, including those relating to the

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Information about this inspection

standards and the curriculum.  The lead inspector made a tour of the school to check the suitability of the premises against the relevant standards.

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Inspection team

David Robinson, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Cleo Cunningham Ofsted Inspector 24 to 26 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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