Intuition Holistic Education

Inspection of Intuition Holistic Education 20 Rosslyn Road, Longton, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire ST3 4JD

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Inspection dates: 9 to 11 September 2025

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Does the school meet the independent school standards?

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What is it like to attend this school?

Intuition Holistic Education is a very welcoming school. Many pupils have missed a significant amount of time from education. This school gives pupils another chance to engage in education after having negative experiences in the past. Pupils appreciate that staff take time to listen to them. They feel safe. As a result, pupils want to attend school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff make it a priority to get to know the pupils and form positive relationships with them. They find out what interests and motivates pupils. They use this information to re-engage pupils in learning. Pupils are respectful of each other and behave well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school aims to ensure that pupils achieve well. However, staff do not have an accurate understanding of the gaps pupils have in their learning. As a result, pupils do not follow a suitable curriculum that helps them achieve well across all subjects.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ personal development is at the heart of everything the school does. Staff promote values such as respect and tolerance. Pupils display these values in their interactions with staff and each other. A focus on developing life skills helps to prepare pupils for the next stage of their education and beyond. A range of trips and experiences help to develop pupils’ independence and resilience.

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better?

The proprietor and other school leaders have a clear vision to ensure that pupils, who are struggling to access education, get another chance to re-engage with learning. Staff share this vision and help to make sure that it becomes a reality. As a result, pupils arrive and settle quickly at the school. The environment is designed to make pupils belong. For example, each pupil has a personalised tray of resources to use in lessons. Pupils can bring their own equipment to use alongside things provided by the school. They appreciate this as they can express their individuality and feel valued. This contrasts to many of the pupils’ experiences before coming to Intuition.

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better?

Pupils study a broad curriculum. In some subjects, the school has designed coherent sequences of learning that enable pupils to build their learning over time. However, this is not the case across all subjects. In English, for example, the curriculum is not ambitious enough. It does not help pupils to fully develop essential reading and writing skills. Pupils study various texts in their lessons, which gives them access to different literature. However, more ambition is needed to promote a wide culture of reading across the school. The support that pupils receive with their reading is not sharply focused on addressing their individual gaps.

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better?

The curriculum includes academic and vocational subjects. The school aims for pupils to achieve formal qualifications. For example, pupils can work towards gaining a functional skills qualification. In some subjects, the school has thought clearly about the knowledge and skills that pupils need to learn and when. In these 9 to 11 September 2025 subjects, teachers are more successful in ensuring that pupils build up a rich body of knowledge over time. However, in other subjects, the curriculum content is less precise. In these subjects, there is less clarity about the knowledge that pupils need to know. The school has not thought carefully about how new learning will build on what has come before. As a result, teachers do not impart knowledge successfully to pupils. There is too often a mismatch between what teachers intend pupils to learn and the activities that pupils do. This means that pupils often attempt tasks, which

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better?

are either too simple or which they do not fully understand. The mixed quality in the delivery of the academic curriculum means that some of the independent school standards linked to the school’s quality of education are not met.

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better?

All pupils at this school have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Short-term outcomes are created to help pupils achieve the long-term aims written into their education, health and care (EHC) plans. However, there are weaknesses in the education that pupils with SEND receive. Pupils’ specific targets to help them learn are too broad. This information is not used effectively to make appropriate adaptations to learning activities. As a result, teachers cannot support these pupils as well as they need to. Tasks do not always meet these pupils’ individual needs.

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better?

The personal, social and health education (PSHE) programme is wide ranging. Pupils learn about healthy relationships, consent and respect. They receive age-appropriate relationships and sex education. Pupils are well prepared for British society as they learn about the importance of democracy, equality and mutual respect. Pastoral support for pupils is strong. Pupils feel confident to talk to staff about any worries or concerns they have because they know that staff will help them. They feel a sense of belonging and acceptance of who they are. The school creates a nurturing and supporting environment to support pupils’ personal development. For example, pupils study animal care and animal therapies at a nearby farm. This extended curriculum offer helps pupils to learn a range of new skills. The school promotes diversity and equality well.

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better?

Pupils benefit from careers advice from the school. Careers education is woven into the curriculum, so that pupils are supported to think about their own career pathways. Pupils are taught skills to help prepare them for adulthood. For example, pupils learn how to use public transport and to cook simple meals.

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better?

Staff are proud to work at the school. They appreciate the support of leaders. Parents speak very positively about the school.

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better?

The proprietor and other leaders check what happens at school. They make sure that most of the independent school standards are met. However, checks on the quality of education do not identify deficiencies in the design and teaching of the curriculum. This means that the proprietor and other leaders do not have an accurate view of how well pupils learn the curriculum. As a result, the school does not meet some of the independent school standards relating to the quality of education. 9 to 11 September 2025 The proprietor ensures the school complies with Schedule 10 of the Equality Act 2010.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 The English curriculum is not designed in a way that ensures pupils develop a broad, ambitious base of knowledge, which builds cumulatively over time. Some tasks do not move pupils’ learning forward. This impacts on how much progress they make and how well they develop as readers and writers. The school must ensure that the English curriculum provides a rich, well-sequenced learning experience that develops pupils’ reading and writing skills at an age-appropriate level.  There is variability in how well the school’s curriculum is sequenced. Sometimes, learning does not build on pupils’ existing knowledge towards clear end points. The key knowledge that pupils need to learn is not identified. The school must ensure that their current work on developing the curriculum results in sequences of learning that set out the precise knowledge that pupils need to be successful.  The targets identified to support pupils’ academic and social development are not

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

precise enough. This means that staff do not have the information they need to adapt learning effectively within lessons. Some pupils do not progress within their targets as quickly as they could. The school must ensure that targets are smart and measurable, and that staff have a clear understanding of how to use these to adapt learning to meet pupils’ needs and starting points.  The school’s quality assurance processes do not enable leaders to have a clear, accurate understanding of the quality of education pupils receive. As a result, areas that need improvement are missed or actions are not timely enough. The school must ensure that systems are in place to check the quality of education pupils receive in all areas of the curriculum and that appropriate improvement actions are implemented in response.

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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. 9 to 11 September 2025

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School details

Unique reference number 145950 DfE registration number 861/6017

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School details

Inspection number 10391785 Type of school Other Independent Special School

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School details

Email address office@intuitionschool.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 15 to 17 November 2022 9 to 11 September 2025

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Information about this school

 Intuition Holistic Education is an independent day special school situated in Stoke- on-Trent.  The school is registered for up to 12 pupils.  The school caters for pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs. All pupils who attend the school have EHC plans.  Pupils are referred to the school by local authorities.  The school uses one unregistered alternative provider. It is managed by the proprietor of Intuition Holistic Education.

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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 has failed to meet the independent school standards. These are the requirements of 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.  As part of their work to check compliance with the independent school standards, inspectors met with the headteacher, the proprietor and representatives from the governing board.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, including early reading, geography and PSHE. 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.  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.  Inspectors considered pupils’ behaviour throughout the inspection. Inspectors also spoke with leaders to consider how they support pupils’ behaviour.  Inspectors carried out a detailed tour of the site and premises to consider whether the school meets the independent school standards. Inspectors considered documents, policies and plans linked to the health, safety and welfare 9 to 11 September 2025 of pupils, including the fire risk assessment, checks on fire safety equipment and site safety.  Inspectors talked with pupils and staff to gather general information about school life. They considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View.  A range of documentation was scrutinised, including school policies, curriculum documents and the school’s website.

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Inspection team

Matt Fletcher, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Andrew Madden His Majesty’s Inspector 9 to 11 September 2025

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

 2(1) The standard in this paragraph is met if- – 2(1)(a) the proprietor ensures that a written policy on the curriculum, supported by appropriate plans and schemes of work, which provides for the matters specified in sub-paragraph (2) is drawn up and implemented effectively; and – 2(1)(b) the written policy, plans and schemes of work- – 2(1)(b)(i) take into account the ages, aptitudes and needs of all pupils, including those pupils with an EHC plan; and  3 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that the teaching at the school- – 3(a) enables pupils to acquire new knowledge and make good progress according to their ability so that they increase their understanding and develop their skills in the subjects taught; – 3(c) involves well planned lessons and effective teaching methods, activities and management of class time; – 3(d) shows a good understanding of the aptitudes, needs and prior attainments

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

of the pupils, and ensures that these are taken into account in the planning of lessons; – 3(e) demonstrates good knowledge and understanding of the subject matter being taught; – 3(g) demonstrates that a framework is in place to assess pupils’ work regularly and thoroughly and use information from that assessment to plan teaching so that pupils can progress;

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

 34(1) The standard about the quality of leadership and management is met if the proprietor ensures that persons with leadership and management responsibilities at the school- – 34(1)(a) demonstrate good skills and knowledge appropriate to their role so that the independent school standards are met consistently; – 34(1)(b) fulfil their responsibilities effectively so that the independent school standards are met consistently; and 9 to 11 September 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

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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