Leith Hill School

Leith Hill School

Address: Pasture Wood Road, Holmbury St Mary, Surrey, RH5 6LQ Unique reference number (URN): 151773

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, pupils are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect schools for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The school has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. All legal requirements are met. Not met: The school has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met. Insufficient evidence: Inspectors were unable to gather sufficient evidence to judge whether safeguarding standards are met.

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Attendance and behaviour Strong standard

Leaders have achieved tangible success with attendance, despite histories of non- attendance and severe absence for many pupils. Leaders track attendance closely and intervene with impressive and impactful support for families. Some of this work has been highly effective. Attendance is high for pupils with anxiety, emotional needs and extended school absence in the past. Past trauma and non-attendance have changed into high attendance for many pupils.

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Attendance and behaviour Strong standard

Behaviour is excellent as a result of highly effective pastoral strategies and well-understood routines and expectations. Pupils learn to manage their emotions well. When pupils are distressed, the school provides high-quality care. The school's nurturing approach to behaviour is highly effective to improve the behaviour of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged pupils. Learning behaviour reflects enthusiasm and high engagement. Routines are well embedded, and pupils make purposeful use of the different spaces available to them. Leaders and staff model calm, fair and inclusive behaviour. Staff maintain a warm presence, reinforcing expectations through praise and guidance. Leaders have clear and robust systems to identify and swiftly address any worries about bullying or prejudice. Pupils feel very safe and happy in this highly inclusive and caring school.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) thrive here. The school’s systems to identify needs are highly developed. Close analysis and tracking inform the provision needed for every individual pupil to overcome barriers such as anxiety and emotional needs. The admissions approach is detailed, enabling the school to understand specific trauma and mental health issues. The school supports pupils with autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder with skilful individual adaptations and care. Leaders ensure that therapeutic help is well integrated with learning support. Occupational therapy, medical care and speech therapy underpin adjustments in lessons. This approach strengthens pupils’ curriculum experiences.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders monitor teaching well. They use what they find out to help teachers to support pupils with SEND, particularly in reading and spelling. Leaders and proprietors ensure that inclusion and very effective SEND support underpin school life, curriculum and teaching. Disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND flourish, making impressive progress. Leaders ensure that targets in pupils' education, health and care plans are meaningful, measurable and achievable. Pupils achieve highly against these targets, making secure progress academically and emotionally. Evidence of other improved outcomes, such as successful reintegration and increased attendance, demonstrates that the school’s inclusive ethos ensures very positive impact.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Leaders have established a highly effective personal development programme that is carefully tailored to meet the needs of pupils. The programme is woven through the

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Expected standard

curriculum and school day, preparing pupils extremely well for life beyond school. Leaders review provision regularly and adapt support swiftly to ensure that pupils, particularly the most vulnerable, benefit from meaningful and inclusive experiences.

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Expected standard

Pupils’ wider development is impressive. They learn to reflect thoughtfully on equality, diversity and respect. They learn to understand different perspectives, resolve conflict peacefully and rebuild relationships successfully. Pupils are open-minded, respectful and highly inclusive in their attitudes towards others. Artistic, cultural and religious learning opportunities enrich pupils’ understanding of the world and encourage creativity and self- expression.

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Expected standard

The personal, social, health and economic education and relationships and sex education curriculums are ambitious, carefully sequenced and highly relevant to pupils’ lives. Staff teach sensitive and controversial issues with confidence and care. Pupils learn about consent, coercion, control, healthy relationships and misogyny in ways that are appropriate and empowering. They understand online and offline risks to their wellbeing, including exploitation and unsafe communication. This work strengthens pupils’ ability to keep themselves safe and make informed choices.

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Expected standard

Pastoral support is highly effective. Staff provide consistent emotional care to help pupils feel safe, valued and understood. Leaders actively promote pupils’ wellbeing through work on emotional health, routines, sleep, exercise and nutrition. The school develops pupils’ character in engaging and effective ways. Pupils learn about democracy, respect and the rule of law through assemblies, tutor activities and curriculum experiences. Enrichment opportunities are extensive and purposeful. Activities such as gardening, music technology, sport and performing arts help pupils to develop resilience, independence and teamwork. Careers education begins early and broadens pupils’ aspirations successfully. Strong partnerships with community organisations and vocational providers support pupils’ transition into further education, employment and wider participation in society. Pupils develop practical life skills, including budgeting, cooking, travel awareness and

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Expected standard

communication skills, which prepare them well for independent and healthy adult lives.

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Achievement Expected standard

Pupils achieve well across the school’s curriculum. Specialist teachers ensure that pupils make progress and attain well in areas such as computing, history and physical education. Pupils make sustained progress from their varied starting points. Work in lessons and books shows that pupils are gaining knowledge, developing skills and applying learning with growing independence. Across subjects, teachers match tasks well to support pupils' needs.

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Achievement Expected standard

Across both academic and functional skills pathways, pupils can recall prior learning, apply taught methods and explain their thinking. Pupils achieve strong foundations well because the school addresses gaps impressively. Reading and mathematics are particular strengths, but writing can be less successful. Leaders are focused on improving the quality of pupils' written work as currently teachers do not teach and model writing consistently well. However, pupils flourish with life skills such as cooking and gardening. This prepares pupils very well for future life.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders and proprietors ensure that the curriculum is ambitious and clearly sequenced. Staff training equips teachers and support staff with the skills they need to design and adapt tasks to engage and help pupils to thrive across the curriculum. Support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities is highly effective and impactful. Staff provide well-considered tasks and resources to respond to individual pupils’ needs and help them to overcome barriers. Occasionally, activities could be designed with more precision to reduce dependence on adults.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Subject knowledge across the school ensures that teachers have the required expertise to teach subjects well throughout key stages 2 and 3. The school's rigorous approach helps pupils to develop secure foundations in mathematics, reading, writing and communication. High-quality feedback helps to identify pupils' misconceptions well. Staff identify gaps and adapt provision adeptly. Pupils flourish and progress through the curriculum well. This is particularly evident in mathematics and reading, which are strengths of the school. However, leaders are aware that some pupils have gaps in their writing skills. While promotion of language is highly effective, the modelling and teaching of writing can be inconsistent. This is reflected in pupils’ written work.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders and proprietors provide effective oversight and maintain a clear strategic vision for the school. Leaders know the school’s strengths accurately because they monitor teaching, pupils’ achievement and attendance closely. They use this information well to identify priorities and take timely action that improves pupils’ experiences. Improvement planning focuses sharply on pupils’ academic progress, personal development and safeguarding. Leaders’ view of curriculum is accurate and evidence-informed. Leaders communicate expectations clearly and ensure that staff understand their responsibilities.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Proprietors ensure that the premises are impeccable. They oversee the school’s work to ensure that the independent school standards are met with robustness. Financial oversight is secure and resources are directed appropriately to support pupils’ learning and wellbeing. Proprietors and governors know the school forensically and provide very effective support and challenge. Governors challenge leaders appropriately and use their professional expertise to support school improvement.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Parents and carers are very positive about the school. Many say this school has changed their lives. Most pupils here have missed extended periods of schooling in the past, often experiencing anxiety and mental health concerns. This school has changed that, according to many parents. One, representing several, said that the school has had a 'positive life- changing effect on us as a family'.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders give suitable attention to staff wellbeing and workload. Professional learning is well planned and linked closely to school priorities. Staff benefit from regular training, coaching and opportunities to share effective practice. This strengthens subject knowledge and improves the consistency of teaching across this highly inclusive and flourishing school.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils are thriving in this deeply caring school. Many have missed extended periods of learning in the past, but this school is addresses pupils’ gaps in learning to ensure that they achieve well across a broad and engaging curriculum. Pupils have discovered a meaningful sense of belonging at this school. Leaders ensure that support for disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities is excellent. The school is meticulous and tireless in its work to identify pastoral, emotional and academic needs to put very effective support in place. Many parents and carers commend the school as being ‘life changing’ for their children. They are grateful to the school for ensuring that their children are back in full-time education after long periods out of school.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Behaviour is excellent. High expectations, warm relationships and clear systems keep everybody safe and happy. Pupils are not worried about bullying. There is a culture of mutual respect and inclusivity in this caring school. The school is an oasis of calm purpose. Pupils flourish emotionally and get back on track with their education. Personal development and wellbeing are excellent. Pastoral care and occupational therapy are highly personalised to support pupils’ mental and physical health. Pupils appreciate how staff care about them and help them to be confident, resilient and ambitious despite their struggles in the past. Pupils develop secure understanding of important issues relating to relationships, consent, online safety and protected characteristics. Pupils become advocates for themselves and others, resolving conflicts through reflective discussions and embracing the views of others. The school prepares pupils well for their future steps, raising their aspirations for future

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

careers while harnessing their talents and passions through extensive enrichment opportunities. Pupils attend highly, enjoy learning, and embrace opportunities to boost their independence, confidence and success in future life.

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Next steps

Leaders should strengthen the teaching of writing to help all pupils to acquire very secure foundations in this area to match their success with reading and mathematics.

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About this inspection

Inspectors carried out this standard inspection under section 109(1) and (2) of the Education and Skills Act 2008, and checked the school’s compliance with 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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Independent school standards

Independent school standards are either met or not met for each category. Following our renewed inspection framework, all inspections are now led by His Majesty’s Inspectors (HMI) or by Ofsted Inspectors (OIs) who have previously served as HMIs.

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Independent school standards

Inspectors spoke with the headteacher, senior leaders, teachers, support staff and leaders from the proprietor body during the inspection.

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Independent school standards

The inspectors confirmed the following information about the school:

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Independent school standards

Leith Hill School is an independent school in Surrey for children and young people with autism, many with co-occurring social and mental wellbeing needs, aged between 7 and 16 years old.

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Independent school standards

The school currently uses no alternative provision.

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Independent school standards

The school is registered to admit 75 pupils.

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Independent school standards

This was the first standard inspection of a newly registered school. The school was registered by the DfE on 15 August 2025.

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Independent school standards

The name of the proprietor body is Cavendish Education Limited. The chair of the proprietary body is Aatif Hassan. The chair of governors is Koen Claeys.

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Independent school standards

The fee that the school charges for day pupils is £75,200. There is no boarding provision.

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Independent school standards

The email address of the school is info@leithhillschool.com.

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Independent school standards

1. Quality of education provided Standards met

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Independent school standards

2. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils Standards met

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Independent school standards

3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils Standards met

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Facts and figures used on inspection

This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection. All standards have been met.

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Facts and figures used on inspection

4. Suitability of staff, supply staff, and proprietors Standards met

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Facts and figures used on inspection

5. Premises of and accommodation at schools Standards met

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Facts and figures used on inspection

6. Provision of information Standards met

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Facts and figures used on inspection

7. Manner in which complaints are handled Standards met

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Facts and figures used on inspection

8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools Standards met

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Facts and figures used on inspection

All standards have been met. This data is from 19 May 2026

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other schools can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The school reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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Expected standard

The school is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The school needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

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Insufficient evidence

Inspectors were unable to gather reliable enough evidence to grade an evaluation area. This is rare and normally only happens if there are no pupils on roll at the school.

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Insufficient evidence

services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Insufficient evidence

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Insufficient evidence

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Insufficient evidence

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Insufficient evidence

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

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