Allerthorpe School

Inspection of Allerthorpe School Innov8 Business Park, Carr Lane, Pocklington YO42 1NT

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Inspection dates: 23 to 25 September 2025

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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 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?

Pupils enjoy their time in this welcoming and inclusive school. They quickly build positive, supportive relationships with adults and peers. Staff use their detailed knowledge of pupils to help them to develop both academically and socially. This enables pupils to reach the school’s high expectations.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff’s effective support for new pupils means that they settle into life at Allerthorpe swiftly. As a result, pupils grow in confidence and become positive members of the school’s community. Pupils make a significant contribution to the school. Their views are valued and listened to. For example, pupils’ opinions have influenced the school’s uniform policy.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school provides pupils with a wealth of opportunities beyond the curriculum. These include listening to visiting speakers, developing personal interests and going on educational visits. Many of these experiences support pupils’ wider development and preparation for adulthood. For example, pupils develop their confidence in speaking to adults in professional settings. Some pupils use these opportunities to gain additional industry-linked qualifications.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers value the school. Parents of many pupils shared their children’s positive experiences with inspectors, commenting on the impact that the school has had. Parents, pupils and staff feel listened to by the school. They work together to secure strong outcomes for pupils.

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better?

Leaders have carefully managed the development of the school since it opened. The proprietor has recruited additional staff and trained them well. This ensures that pupils benefit from high levels of support from knowledgeable staff.

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better?

The school has strong systems that help it to build detailed knowledge of the support that pupils require These ensure that support that pupils need is in place from the start of their time in school. It identifies any further special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) quickly. The school works with pupils, parents and other professionals to develop agreed approaches to meeting pupils’ needs. Staff implement these well. Consequently, pupils typically make secure progress through the curriculum and achieve well.

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better?

The school has developed an ambitious curriculum. Staff adapt this to consider the prior knowledge and experience of pupils in their class. This helps pupils to learn new knowledge in a logical sequence. However, sometimes the lessons that staff teach are not as closely aligned to the intended curriculum as they could be. When this happens, pupils do not develop as strong an understanding of these topics as they are capable of. 23 to 25 September 2025 The school makes reading a high priority. It accurately identifies those pupils who require additional support to read fluently. Trained staff provide these pupils with extra help so that they improve their reading. Reading is prioritised across the curriculum. Across subjects, teachers promote the use of ambitious, subject-specific terminology well. This enhances pupils’ vocabulary.

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better?

The proprietor has significant knowledge and experience of running independent schools. It has a secure understanding of the independent school standards, ensuring that these are met consistently. For example, the premises are maintained to a high standard. Classrooms are clean, calm and well resourced. They are designed to reduce the risk of pupils becoming overstimulated. The proprietor has established effective systems to check on the quality of the school’s work and to address any areas for development.

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better?

The school provides pupils with high-quality personal, social and health education (PSHE) and relationships and sex education lessons. These meet the requirements of statutory guidance. Pupils develop secure knowledge of many important topics, such as healthy eating and how to stay safe online. However, understanding of some other topics, such as the fundamental British values, is less detailed.

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better?

The school has carefully considered how it can support pupils to be well prepared for adulthood. It provides specific sessions to pupils, such as on travelling independently, that help pupils to be prepared for life beyond school. Additionally, the school’s careers programme is becoming established. Leaders provide a range of opportunities for pupils to hear from local colleges about courses that are available to them. Pupils also learn a range of skills, such as writing applications, to help them be better prepared for future education, employment or training.

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better?

The school supports pupils to make rapid improvements in both their behaviour and attendance. These significant improvements are sustained over time. Pupils’ rates of attendance are significantly higher than in other schools. Consequently, pupils are able to benefit from the school’s well-considered provision.

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better?

The proprietor meets its duties in full. This includes fulfilling the requirements of 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)

 Sometimes, what staff teach does not match the content of the intended curriculum as closely as it could. This means that pupils develop a less strong understanding of these parts of the curriculum. The school should ensure that the 23 to 25 September 2025 lessons precisely match the intended curriculum and support pupils to learn the knowledge that it sets out consistently well.

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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. 23 to 25 September 2025

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School details

Unique reference number 150452 DfE registration number 811/6029

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School details

Local authority East Riding of Yorkshire

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School details

Inspection number 10374866 Type of school Other independent special school

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School details

Annual fees (day pupils) £43,176 to £72,821

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School details

Email address info@allerthorpeschool.com 23 to 25 September 2025

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Information about this school

 The school is located at: Innov8 Business Park, Carr Lane, Pocklington, YO42 1NT.  The school is operated by Melrose Education Ltd. Melrose Education Ltd operates 11 schools, including this one. Melrose Education Ltd holds a controlling interest in Allerthorpe Education Ltd.  The school was registered with the Department for Education on 13 May 2024. This inspection was the school’s first standard inspection.  The school is registered to accept up to 50 pupils. There are currently 19 pupils on roll.  All pupils at the school have education, health and care plans. The school caters for pupils with a broad range of SEND. This includes pupils with a primary need of social, emotional and mental health, communication and interaction, and those with autism.  Pupils are single registered at this school. Places for all pupils are currently commissioned by one of the following local authorities: East Riding of Yorkshire

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Information about this school

Council, North Yorkshire Council, Kingston upon Hull City Council, and City of York Council.  The school does not currently use any other alternative provisions.  Although the school is registered to accept pupils from Years 7 to 11, all current pupils are in Years 7 to 10.

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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 judgement 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.  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.  The lead inspector met with members of the proprietor board and other leaders from Melrose Education Ltd. 23 to 25 September 2025  During the inspection, inspectors met with the principal. They also met with other senior and middle leaders, including those responsible for safeguarding, behaviour, attendance and personal development.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, mathematics, design and technology. 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.  Inspectors also spoke with leaders about the curriculum in and reviewed samples of pupils’ work in other subjects, including PSHE, science and art and design.  Inspectors looked at a range of documentation regarding the support pupils with SEND receive. They looked at the quality of the provision for pupils with SEND in lessons.  Inspectors scrutinised a range of documentation, including key policies and curriculum documentation.  Inspectors looked at a range of information regarding behaviour. They observed the behaviour of pupils in classrooms and at social times.  To check the school’s compliance against the independent school standards,

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Information about this inspection

inspectors completed a tour of the school premises as well as reviewed a sample of risk assessment and maintenance documentation.  The lead inspector spoke to representatives of East Riding of Yorkshire Council local authority.  The views of pupils and staff who responded to Ofsted’s surveys were considered.  Inspectors considered the views of parents and carers through the responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire for parents, Ofsted Parent View.

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Inspection team

Thomas Wraith, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Richard Beadnall His Majesty’s Inspector 23 to 25 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 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

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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