Cambian Hartlepool School
Unit E, Sovereign Way, Sovereign Park, Hartlepool, TS25 1NNOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)
Cambian Hartlepool School is a special school in Hartlepool for ages 10 to 18. It is one of the 41 schools in Hartlepool. Its latest Ofsted rating is Good, from an inspection in September 2025.
Ofsted inspection
Inspected 23 September 2025, report published 22 October 2025
- Overall effectiveness
- Good
- Quality of education
- Good
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Good
- Personal development
- Good
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Safeguarding
- Met
What Ofsted said
From the inspection on 23 September 2025
This is a calm, orderly school, where pupils feel happy and cared for. Pupils trust the adults around them. Staff listen and support pupils to make the right choices. Some pupils and their parents and carers told inspectors that the school has positively transformed their lives. Pupils at this school have a range of social, emotional and mental health needs. They benefit from warm relationships with staff. Pupils love 'Big Ted', the school's therapeutic dog. The school uses Ted effectively to support pupil's mental health with cuddles and walks. Pupils appreciate having small class sizes. They said that this enables them to be effective learners. The school has high expectations about how pupils should behave. Pupils have personalised passports that outline how adults can best support their behaviour. Staff support pupils to regulate their behaviour successfully. As a result, pupils are keen to demonstrate positive learning behaviours. Pupils have access to vocational experiences, such as construction. This helps pupils to make links between their learning and potential careers. Typically, pupils who attend regularly achieve well. Pupils enjoy a range of educational visits. For example, they visit London to enable them to learn about democracy.
What the school should improve
- In a small number of subjects, some improvements to curriculums, including early reading, are more recent. Some pupils' knowledge and skills are not as secure as they could be in these subjects. This is because pupils have had less opportunity to secure some important aspects of their learning. The school should ensure that improvements to these curriculums are embedded and implemented fully to support pupils to develop a strong body of knowledge in these subjects.
- The school's attendance strategy is at an early stage of implementation and is not reaching some pupils as well as others. This means some pupils with low attendance miss out on essential learning. The school should continue to strengthen its partnership with parents to identify and address specific barriers to attendance.
Pupil numbers and mix
18 pupils on roll, with places for 18
Schools near Cambian Hartlepool School
| School | Distance | Ofsted | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hartlepool Free School | 0.3 miles | No Ofsted inspection | Not published |
| Catcote Academy | 2 miles | Ofsted: Good | Not published |
| Springwell School | 3 miles | Ofsted: Outstanding | 0% met the expected standard |
| Wrenfield Learning Centre | 3 miles | Ofsted: Good | Not published |
| Ash Trees Academy | 5 miles | Ofsted: Good | 0% met the expected standard |
School details
- School type
- Other independent special school
- Sector
- Independent
- Age range
- 10 to 18
- Gender
- Mixed
- Headteacher
- Mr Paul Barnfather
- Phone
- 01429224965
- Address
- Unit E, Sovereign Way, Sovereign Park, Hartlepool, TS25 1NN
- Local authority
- Hartlepool
- URN
- 135424
School details from Get Information about Schools, 17 September 2026. Ofsted outcomes published to 31 August 2026. Pupil mix from the school census, 2025/26.