Holly House Special School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 18 March 2025

Pupils appreciate being part of this small school. Staff know pupils well and make sure that they are well cared for. Pupils reflect positively on this care and feel safe. They value the after-school activities that provide them with a range of experiences. The trips on offer, including the annual beach trip, encourage pupils to experience the world outside their local community and to try new things. In many subjects, pupils access an ambitious and well-planned curriculum. When this is the case, pupils make positive progress. However, in some subjects, pupils do not achieve as well as they could. Pupils benefit from a range of physical adaptations that support them to focus their attention. They make good use of these strategies to maintain their concentration and engage with their learning. They are proud of their work and want to share their achievements. Adaptations to help pupils access the curriculum are less well thought out. This can make learning more difficult for some pupils. Pupils recognise that they are all different and have diverse needs. Staff's detailed knowledge of pupils means they can predict challenges and offer appropriate support when pupils face difficulties. This ensures that pupils can manage their emotions and improve their behaviour.

What the school should improve

• In some curriculum areas, the school has not defined clearly enough what pupils should know and when. As a result, teachers are not clear about what pupils need to learn, the order of learning and what to assess. When this happens, pupils do not achieve as well as they should. The school should ensure that the curriculum sets out the important knowledge pupils need to learn, and in which order, in every subject.
• The school has not ensured that all staff know how to implement the curriculum effectively depending on pupils' needs. This means that not all pupils learn the curriculum as intended. The school should ensure that staff have the expertise necessary to implement the curriculum effectively for the benefit of all pupils.
• The school does not review the implementation and impact of the provision specified on each pupil's EHC plan rigorously enough. Consequently, adaptations to the provision for each pupil are not always made in a timely manner. Pupils sometimes do not make as much progress as they should. The school should ensure that it routinely reviews the impact of the provision for each pupil to ensure that it remains suitable.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)