Hall Cliffe School

School progress monitoring inspection report

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Hall Cliffe School Dovecote Lane, Horbury, Wakefield, West Yorkshire WF4 6BB

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Main inspection findings

Part 1. Quality of education provided Paragraphs 2(1) to 2(1)(b)(i), 2(2), 2(2)(h)  At the previous inspection, in some subjects, the curriculum did not provide pupils with an appropriate and well-sequenced body of knowledge. It did not give pupils sufficient opportunity to build their knowledge and understanding in a coherent way. For example, the curriculum did not help pupils develop essential writing skills. Pupils did not learn about different sentence structures and grammatical features.  The school proposed to address this by reviewing and updating its curriculum policy. It proposed to develop medium-term subject curriculum plans that included key subject vocabulary, assessment opportunities and adaptive teaching strategies. It intended to provide training in curriculum design and implementation for subject leaders to support the development of these plans. The school also proposed to commission external

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Main inspection findings

subject specialists to work on the development of the English curriculum.  Since the previous inspection, the school has acted with appropriate urgency and rigour to improve the quality of the curriculum. The school has developed medium-term subject plans that provide pupils with a coherent and well-sequenced body of knowledge and skills. These plans are adapted by teachers to consider pupils’ special educational needs and/or disabilities and prior learning. The English curriculum now includes appropriate, well-ordered content on writing, including sentence structures and grammatical features. Paragraphs 3 to 3(e), 3(g)  At the previous inspection, implementation of the curriculum was not effective enough. Staff did not use checks on pupils’ learning consistently well to inform their teaching. Pupils completed tasks that did not match their individual needs and abilities. This inhibited the progress that pupils made through the curriculum. In addition, pupils at an

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Main inspection findings

early stage of reading did not receive expert phonics teaching.  The school proposed to address this by supporting staff to plan and adapt lessons to meet pupils’ specific needs. It intended to provide training for staff in phonics and aspects of teaching strategies, including assessment. The school also intended to monitor the quality of teaching to ensure that staff implemented the curriculum effectively and to identify staff development needs.  Since the previous inspection, the school has improved the quality of teaching. It has provided staff with training in teaching strategies, assessment and phonics. Teachers plan lessons that meet pupils’ needs and build pupils’ knowledge and skills in a logical and sequential manner. They check pupils’ understanding and give pupils feedback that helps them to improve their work. Pupils show an interest and commitment to their learning. Pupils at an early stage of reading benefit from effective phonics teaching. This

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Main inspection findings

helps them to become confident and fluent readers.  The school now meets all of the requirements of the independent school standards (the standards) in this part.

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Main inspection findings

Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools Paragraphs 34(1) to 34(1)(b)  At the previous inspection, the proprietor did not ensure that school leaders possessed the knowledge and skills required of their roles. It did not ensure that leaders were fulfilling their roles and responsibilities effectively. There was insufficient oversight of the curriculum and its implementation. As a result, the school did not meet the standards for the quality of its curriculum and teaching.  The proprietor proposed to address this by providing relevant and appropriate professional development for school leaders, including leadership coaching and participation in national professional qualifications. It also proposed to strengthen the school’s quality assurance system and processes. It intended to implement regular reviews of school provision, led by school leaders, overseen by governors, and with outcomes reported to the proprietor.

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Main inspection findings

 Since the previous inspection, the proprietor has acted with rigour and intelligence to strengthen the leadership and management of the school. Senior leaders and subject leaders have undertaken appropriate training and professional development. They possess the knowledge and skills required for their roles and perform their roles effectively. The school has also strengthened its quality assurance system and processes. School leaders monitor and evaluate provision continuously. The proprietor ensures strategic oversight of school provision through its central team and the work of the school’s governing board. External education professionals also contribute to the evaluation of school provision. There is systematic reporting of monitoring and evaluation outcomes to the proprietor body. The school is well placed to meet the standards consistently over time.  The school now meets all of the requirements of the standards in this part.

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Compliance with regulatory requirements

The school meets the requirements of the schedule to the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014 (‘the independent school standards’) and associated requirements that were checked during this inspection. This included the standards and requirements that the school was judged to not comply with at the previous inspection. Not all of the standards and associated requirements were checked during this inspection.

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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 – 2(2) For the purposes of paragraph (2)(1)(a), the matters are- – 2(2)(h) that all pupils have the opportunity to learn and make progress; and

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

 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(b) fosters in pupils self-motivation, the application of intellectual, physical and creative effort, interest in their work and the ability to think and learn for themselves; – 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 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

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

thoroughly and use 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.

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School details

This inspection was carried out under section 109(1) and (2) of the Education and Skills Act 2008, the purpose of which 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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School details

Type of school Other independent special school

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School details

Annual fees (day pupils) £83,914 to £106,620

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School details

Email address Hall-Cliffe@witherslackgroup.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous standard inspection 3 to 5 June 2025

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Information about this school

 The school uses one registered and two unregistered alternative provisions.  The school operates from two sites. The main school site is located at Dovecote Lane, Horbury, Wakefield, WF4 6BB. The second site is located at Jubilee Way, Grange Moor, WF4 4TD.  The school caters for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Pupils’ needs include autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, social, emotional and mental health needs and speech, language and communication needs.  The school is registered to admit 104 pupils in the age range of 8 to 17 years.

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Information about this inspection

 This inspection was carried out at the request of the registration authority for independent schools. The purpose of the inspection was to monitor the progress the school has made in meeting the independent school standards and other requirements that it was judged to not comply with at its previous inspection.  The school’s previous inspection, at which the school was judged not to comply with the standards, was a standard inspection and took place on 3 to 5 June 2025.  This was the school’s first progress monitoring inspection since the standard inspection in June 2025.  The Department for Education (DfE) required the school to prepare an action plan. This was a statutory requirement. Ofsted evaluated the school’s action plan on 24 October 2025. The DfE rejected the school’s action plan.  This progress monitoring inspection was conducted without notice.  To check compliance with the standards, the inspectors met with the headteacher, the

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Information about this inspection

chair of the proprietor body and the regional director and operations director from the proprietor body. The inspectors also met with the school’s deputy headteachers and with other school staff. They looked at curriculum plans and schemes of work, visited lessons and sampled pupils’ work. They also spoke with pupils and listened to pupils read.  The inspection also considered the school’s safeguarding arrangements, including the single central record of pre-employment checks and whether the school’s safeguarding policy is available to parents and carers. These requirements of the standards are met.

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Inspection team

Ian Rawstorne, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Nicola Beaumont His Majesty’s Inspector guidance ‘Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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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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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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