Holton Sleaford Independent School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 10 June 2025

To attend this friendly and inclusive school is to be given another chance. Pupils who join Holton Sleaford Independent School have struggled at previous schools. Staff get to know the pupils well as they guide them through this fresh start. They understand exactly how to help pupils if they feel anxious or distressed. The school wants the very best for all pupils. It has grown recently and rapidly. As it has become more established, pupils have prospered. They have learned to control their emotions, communicate more effectively and attain more. Pupils are proud of the qualifications that they have achieved. This is a school where pupils feel safe. Pupils say that staff act straight away when bullying happens. Warm and caring relationships between staff and pupils are highly evident. Pupils relish the reward of visiting the town at lunchtime with staff as their behaviour and attendance improves. Pupils explain the difference that the school has made to them. All the pupils that inspectors spoke with would recommend the school. One pupil summed up the views of many saying, 'It's the best specialist setting I have been to. And I've been to a few'.

What the school should improve

• The Osbournby site has been recently established. On this site, the English curriculum does not clearly identify what pupils need to know. This makes it hard for teachers to plan lessons which enable pupils to learn as well as possible. The school should continue to refine the curriculum so that it specifies exactly what pupils need to know and be able to do as their knowledge builds.
• Occasionally, teachers do not ensure that the work that pupils complete is matched to what they know and can do. This means that pupils do not get the chance to practise and secure important foundational knowledge. The school should ensure that all staff adapt activities so that pupils can become more successful in their learning.
• The school's approach to the development of pupils' knowledge of different faiths and cultures lacks precision. Pupils struggle to remember what they have learned about religious and non-religious beliefs. The school needs to ensure that the planned experiences in the curriculum allow all pupils to gain a firm understanding of a range of different faiths and cultures.

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