Work with autistic pupils is outstanding

A specialist school for youngsters with severe autism has been given a gold star by education watchdogs.
Oliver House SchoolOliver House School
Oliver House School

Oliver House School, which caters for pupils from the age of six to 19, has been rated outstanding across all areas by inspectors from the Office for Standards in Education.

All five areas, including the quality of teaching and learning, leadership and management and personal development were applauded.

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The inspectors singled out the principal’s and headteachers’s “passionate commitment” to the pupils and parents for praise, saying this was a “driving force behind the success of the school.

Oliver House, in Astley Village, near Chorley, is an independent day school catering for pupils who have a variety of severe autistic spectrum conditions and associated learning needs, challenging behaviour and anxieties.

Pupils travel from across a wide area . The school is part of the Priory New Education group, which also operates residential children’s homes in Lancashire where some of the children stay.

According to Ofsted, outcomes for pupil is outstanding, although attainment is below that expected at their age when she start at Oliver House the most able pupils make oustanding progress in English and maths, with some gaining a range of good GCSEs and others getting certificates in a rnage of lesisure based subjects.

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Disadvantaged pupils also make outstanding progress and many pupils move on to the sixth form

School principal Wendy Sparling said: ”We are absolutely thrilled with this report. I am proud of our young people, their parents and my colleagues for making Oliver House School the great teaching and learning environment that it is.

“It is great to be principal at a school that has such a tremendous impact on the lives of its young people.

“Let’s keep up the excellent work.”

Mark Underwood, CEO of Education and Children’s Services, said: “The report speaks for itself.

“This is an outstanding school with a remarkable principal and leadership team in place. Everyone at Oliver House School will thrive on its most recent success.”