Springfield House School

Inspection of Springfield House School Wheel Lane, Pilling, Lancashire, Preston, Lancashire PR3 6HL

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding 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?

Springfield House School has high expectations for pupils’ behaviour and achievement. Pupils enjoy their learning. From their different starting points, they achieve well. Pupils are enthused by the impressive range of trips and activities that the school provides. These are tailored highly effectively for each pupil. For example, pupils visit a nautical college, receive extra music tuition and engage in work experience. Such opportunities significantly enhance pupils’ understanding of the wider world. Pupils leave the school well prepared for their future learning and ready to lead increasingly independent lives.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most pupils have found their previous experiences of education difficult. Pupils re-engage with learning because staff prioritise building trust with pupils. The school has created a curriculum that inspires and supports pupils well. Pupils enjoy their learning and their attendance is very high.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave exceptionally well and focus on their learning because of the school’s inclusive and supportive environment. When pupils find things more difficult, expert staff support them to regulate their emotions and get back on track quickly.

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better?

Pupils study a broad and balanced curriculum. The proprietor and staff have established a clear vision for pupils to develop their resilience and independence. This vision is realised through the tailored curriculum that the school provides. For example, in personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education, the school enhances pupils’ experiences by matching the curriculum to their therapeutic journey. For some, this means learning how to budget and live independently. For others, this means developing their understanding of consent and safe relationships. In subjects such as English and mathematics, the school identifies the important knowledge that pupils need to learn. In mathematics, pupils persevere when learning more complex concepts, such as finding the area of a parallelogram. However, sometimes the tasks that are selected for pupils to complete do not help them to secure the important knowledge well enough.

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better?

Pupils arrive at the school with many gaps in their learning. All pupils have an education, health and care (EHC) plan to support their special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff meet pupils’ wider pastoral needs very well. They check pupils’ progress through the curriculum regularly. However, teachers do not use the information effectively enough to address gaps in pupils’ knowledge and introduce new content too quickly. This means that gaps in pupils’ knowledge and understanding persist and they do not learn as well as they could.

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better?

The school prioritises reading. Any pupils who are in the early stages of learning to read, receive a suitable phonics programme to help them become confident and fluent readers. Over time, pupils who struggle with reading develop the skills that 1 to 3 July 2025 they need to access a range of texts across the curriculum. The school provides a wide range of literature for pupils to read. Pupils enjoy reading.

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better?

Staff skilfully encourage pupils to behave well. They teach pupils effective strategies to manage their own behaviour. This results in pupils’ highly positive attitudes and contributions to the life of the school. Pupils are rarely absent. Their attitudes to learning improve dramatically during their time here.

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better?

The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development is exceptional. All pupils take part in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and make wider contributions to society. For example, pupils engage in litter picking and designing cards for a local care home. Pupils benefit from an extensive range of trips, including map reading and orienteering or visiting a local zoo. For many pupils, it is the first time that they have experienced these opportunities. In addition, the school ensures that pupils develop a secure understanding of topics, such as discrimination and diversity. Pupils treat each other, and those around them, with the utmost respect. This prepares pupils well for their future lives by building independence, broadening their horizons and preparing them to live in a diverse world.

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better?

The school provides pupils with a high-quality and impartial careers information, education, advice and guidance programme. It supports pupils to develop a personal careers pathway. As a result of this work, pupils secure college places and many move on to successful semi-independent living. Pupils speak enthusiastically about their aspirations for the future.

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better?

The proprietor has appointed leaders with the required expertise to ensure that the independent school standards (the standards) are met consistently. Policies, including a safeguarding policy that meets current statutory requirements, are available to parents and carers on the school’s website. The proprietor ensures that the school meets the requirements of schedule 10 of the Equality Act 2010.

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better?

The school ensures that the education it provides has a positive impact on pupils. The proprietor knows the school well. It has a clear oversight of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. The school meets the health and safety, and premises requirements. The building is maintained to a high standard and teaching spaces are bright, clean and well resourced. There is a safe and well-resourced outdoor area that pupils can spend time in at breaktimes.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 Staff do not use their checks on pupils’ understanding effectively enough. As a result, pupils sometimes move on to new learning before they secure important 1 to 3 July 2025 knowledge. The school should make sure that staff check on pupils’ current learning and adapt future learning accordingly to help pupils secure their knowledge and understanding.  Sometimes, the tasks that teachers select for pupils do not help them to secure the important knowledge that they need well enough. Where this happens, pupils do not embed their learning. The school should make sure that tasks selected support pupils to practise and embed the important knowledge that they need to acquire.

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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. 1 to 3 July 2025

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School details

Unique reference number 147735 DfE registration number 888/6122

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School details

Inspection number 10391795 Type of school Other independent school

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School details

Email address debbie.lindsay@educ8.org.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 13 to 15 September 2022 1 to 3 July 2025

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Information about this school

 The school does not make use of any alternative provision.  The school operates from one site based at Springfield House, Wheel Lane, Pilling, Lancashire PR3 6HL.  The school is registered to admit up to eight pupils. The school caters for pupils who have been out of education for extended periods. All pupils on roll at the time of the inspection have an EHC plan.  Pupils’ places are commissioned and funded by the local authority.  A small number of pupils access the sixth-form 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 and have taken this into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the chair of the proprietor body, the executive headteacher, headteacher and members of staff.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, early reading, mathematics and PSHE. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, considered the curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to staff, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also talked to leaders, staff and pupils about some other subjects.  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

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Information about this inspection

culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  During the inspection, inspectors reviewed a range of documents, including those relating to safeguarding. They also reviewed information relating to the standards. They also looked at records of pupils’ behaviour and attendance.  An inspector made a tour of the premises to check compliance with the standards. 1 to 3 July 2025  Staff’s views were considered during discussions with them. To gather the views of pupils, inspectors spoke informally with pupils throughout the inspection.

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Inspection team

Jen Sloan, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Lindy Griffiths Ofsted Inspector 1 to 3 July 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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