Oversands School

Inspection of Oversands School Witherslack, Grange-over-Sands, Cumbria LA11 6SD

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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?

Pupils feel safe and well cared for in school. Most have experienced disruption to their learning in the past. Some have missed considerable periods of their education altogether. The school helps pupils to put these difficulties behind them. Once they join the school, they settle in quickly and make friends. The positive encouragement that they receive from staff helps pupils to feel at home and to re-engage with learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils know that staff expect them to work hard and to achieve well. Pupils typically rise to this challenge. In lessons, pupils commit to their learning. For example, they concentrate on the work that they have to complete. They seek help if they do not understand something. Pupils achieve relevant qualifications that support their future aspirations. This includes achievement at GCSE level, where appropriate, in a range of subjects.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils generally behave well in school. They learn to manage their emotions. This helps them to make positive choices about how to behave.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are provided with a range of enrichment opportunities. For example, they attend theatre performances and participate in sports, such as kayaking and horse riding. Pupils especially enjoy caring for the school’s hens, guinea pigs and pet gerbil. These experiences contribute effectively to pupils’ personal development.

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better?

The school has created a broad and exciting curriculum that is designed to engage pupils’ interest in learning. All pupils at the school have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The curriculum reflects the school’s high ambition for pupils’ achievement, regardless of these needs.

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better?

In each subject, careful thought has been given to the most important knowledge that pupils should learn, and the order in which they should learn it. This helps pupils to build up a solid body of knowledge over time. Staff are adept at making sure that pupils understand lesson content. They quickly identify and address any misconceptions that pupils may have. Staff use information from assessments to adjust their teaching where necessary, so that pupils learn well.

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better?

When pupils join the school, staff take quick and effective steps to identify any additional SEND that pupils may have. The school communicates promptly with professionals, such as therapists and clinicians, to ensure that pupils receive expert help if this is needed. Parents and carers are fully involved in this process.

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better?

Staff receive training to improve their delivery of the curriculum. In the main, the activities that they design help pupils to remember subject content. Occasionally, the activities that staff provide do not focus carefully enough on the most important 22 to 24 July 2025 knowledge that pupils should learn. When this happens, pupils find it more difficult to remember this key knowledge over time.

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better?

Reading is at the heart of the school’s curriculum. Pupils at the early stage of learning to read receive expert support that enables them to learn phonics. Reading books are carefully matched to the groups of letters and sounds that pupils know. This enables pupils to develop proficiency and confidence in their reading. As pupils become more proficient readers, they study texts of increasing complexity and challenge. Pupils typically achieve positive outcomes in reading.

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better?

Pupils generally use their phonics knowledge to help them to spell and write words successfully. On occasions, some younger pupils receive only limited opportunities to practise using their phonics knowledge when they write. This hampers their ability to apply this knowledge correctly in a range of situations.

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better?

Pupils show respect to adults and to each other. Staff deal with any minor incidents of poor behaviour swiftly and sensitively, so that learning continues. The school takes effective action to help pupils to improve their attendance. Over time, pupils' attendance improves well from their individual starting points.

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better?

The school has ensured that there is a suitable programme of careers information and guidance for pupils. Pupils benefit from visits to the school by local employers and have opportunities to visit workplaces. Pupils also enjoy participating in business enterprise activities. For example, pupils studying horticulture grow fruit and vegetables to sell in the village shop. These experiences help to prepare pupils for life beyond school.

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better?

Pupils receive a well-designed programme of learning in personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education. They access relationships and sex education that is appropriate to their age. Pupils develop an understanding of difference and diversity among people. They learn about some world faiths and cultures and about values, such as democracy and the rule of law. This helps pupils to be ready for life in British society.

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better?

The proprietor ensures that the school meets the independent school standards (the standards) consistently. For example, there are appropriate policies available and an accessibility plan that meets the requirements of schedule 10 of the Equality Act 2010. Pupils benefit from well-equipped classrooms and an abundance of resources to support their learning. There is ample outdoor space for pupils to play and to engage in physical education. The premises are well maintained and any faults or breakages are quickly repaired.

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better?

The proprietor holds the school to account for its work to improve the school effectively. The proprietor and leaders have due regard for staff’s workload and well- being, when they make decisions about the running of the school. Staff appreciate this consideration. 22 to 24 July 2025

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 On occasions, the activities that staff provide for pupils do not support them to learn the intended knowledge. When this happens, pupils do not remember this key knowledge as well as they should. The school should ensure that staff routinely provide activities that are carefully matched to the intended learning, so that pupils remember important knowledge over time.  At times, pupils at the early stage of learning to read have limited opportunities to use their phonics knowledge when they write. This hampers their ability to practise applying this developing knowledge correctly in different situations. The school should ensure that pupils are given sufficient opportunities to apply their phonics knowledge correctly and consistently in a range of contexts.

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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. 22 to 24 July 2025

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School details

Unique reference number 112452 DfE registration number 943/6027

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School details

Inspection number 10391707 Type of school Other independent special school

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School details

School category Independent boarding school

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School details

Email address oversands@witherslackgroup.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 29 November to 1 December 2022 22 to 24 July 2025

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Information about this school

 The last standard inspection took place on 29 November to 1 December 2022. A material change inspection was carried out on 29 September 2023.  The school operates from premises at Witherslack, Grange-over-Sands, Cumbria LA11 6SD. The school is registered to admit up to 80 pupils.  The school caters for pupils aged 5 to 19 with a range of SEND, including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism and social, emotional and mental health needs. All pupils have an education, health and care plan. At the time of the inspection, only a very small number of students were attending the sixth form.  The school provides boarding provision. The boarding provision was not part of this inspection.  The school does not make use of any providers of 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 leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, deputy headteacher and other school leaders.  The lead inspector met with the chair of the proprietor body. She spoke on the telephone with representatives from two local authorities.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, including early reading, science and PSHE. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, looked at curriculum plans, 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 also listened to some pupils reading to a familiar adult.  Inspectors looked at samples of pupils’ work, at curriculum plans and schemes of

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Information about this inspection

work and spoke to leaders about the curriculum in 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 22 to 24 July 2025 considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The lead inspector made a tour of the school and reviewed a range of documents, including those relating to health and safety, in order to check the school’s compliance with the standards.

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Inspection team

Mavis Smith, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Steve Bentham His Majesty's Inspector 22 to 24 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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