Cambian Scarborough School
Unit 11, Plaxton Park, Cayton Low Road, Scarborough, YO11 3BQOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)
Cambian Scarborough School is a special school in Scarborough for ages 8 to 18. It is one of the 376 schools in North Yorkshire. Its latest Ofsted rating is Good, from an inspection in July 2025.
Ofsted inspection
Inspected 1 July 2025, report published 9 September 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 1 July 2025
Pupils at this school have special educational needs and/or disabilities. Many pupils have previously disengaged with education. The school nurtures pupils back into full-time education. The school prioritises caring for pupils' mental health and well-being. Pupils appreciate the access to pastoral support. They use it to talk openly about their emotions. This enables pupils to feel positive about education. The school has a personalised approach to support pupils' behaviour. Pupils and staff agree to set individual targets every week. Pupils earn rewards for achieving their targets. This helps pupils to work positively towards improving and managing their behaviour. The school's curriculum is broad and tailored to meet the needs of the pupils. Typically, pupils leave the school with some qualifications. Pupils enjoy engaging in support for community projects. For example, they made outdoor furniture for a local hospice. They involve themselves in charitable work for a centre that supports vulnerable people. This helps pupils to become active, informed and responsible members of the community. The school provides pupils with lots of educational visits. For example, pupils visit a multi-faith centre in a large city. This exposes pupils to a contrasting locality and promotes respect for other religions.
What the school should improve
- The checks on the knowledge pupils have retained are not matched well to the curriculum coverage. This means that gaps in pupils' knowledge are not identified and subsequently addressed. The school should ensure that the assessment tasks teachers provide match pupil's prior learning.
- The school's support for some pupils who are at the early stages of reading is not precise enough. As a result, some pupils do not develop their phonics knowledge and understanding as quickly as possible. The school must ensure that phonics is delivered effectively so that pupils learn to read with fluency and accuracy.
Pupil numbers and mix
15 pupils on roll, with places for 20
Schools near Cambian Scarborough School
| School | Distance | Ofsted | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| Springhead School | 2 miles | Ofsted: Outstanding | Not published |
| The Woodlands Academy | 3 miles | Ofsted: Good | 0% met the expected standard |
| Brompton Hall School | 6 miles | Ofsted judgements: Requires improvement to good | Attainment 8: 2.3 |
| Kings Mill School | 16 miles | Ofsted: Good | 0% met the expected standard |
| Welburn Hall School | 22 miles | Report card: Expected standard to strong standard | 0% met the expected standard |
School details
- School type
- Other independent special school
- Sector
- Independent
- Age range
- 8 to 18
- Gender
- Mixed
- Headteacher
- Ms Michelle Blackburn
- Phone
- 01723582073
- Address
- Unit 11, Plaxton Park, Cayton Low Road, Scarborough, YO11 3BQ
- Local authority
- North Yorkshire
- URN
- 134660
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.