Chellow Heights Special School

Chellow Heights Special School is performing well overall, rated as 'Good' in all aspects of its operations, including the quality of education, behaviour, personal development, and leadership. The school effectively caters to pupils with a range of special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), providing them with a supportive and engaging learning environment across two sites. The leadership is committed to fostering a love of reading and has developed a curriculum that is responsive to the individual needs of pupils, ensuring they feel safe and happy while learning. Despite its strengths, the school faces challenges in fully embedding its quality assurance systems and ensuring consistency across the curriculum. Some subject leaders are still developing their expertise, which can lead to inequality in curriculum delivery. Although many staff feel supported by leadership, there is a need for better inclusion of all staff in the school improvement vision to maintain morale and engagement. This is particularly important as the school navigates improvements that may impact workloads and staff involvement.

Strengths

• Well-equipped school sites with specialist resources and therapeutic interventions
• Strong focus on reading and communication skills development
• Creative lesson delivery that engages pupils
• Effective personal development programs for pupils
• High staff ratio supporting good behaviour
• Strong safeguarding culture across the school
• Inclusive physical education curriculum

Areas for Improvement

• Quality assurance systems not fully developed
• Some subject leaders lack experience and development
• Some staff feel excluded from the vision for school improvement

In 2024–25 pupils at Chellow Heights Special School attended 86.8% of sessions (the national figure for special schools was 87.2%). 34.4% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 35.3%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 0.0% of pupils at Chellow Heights Special School were suspended at least once (nationally 5.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Chellow Heights Special School had 7.5 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for special schools was 6.6). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 22.3% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.5%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26 Chellow Heights Special School had 269 pupils, 100.0% of them with an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 99.5%).

It says it provides for: specific learning difficulty; moderate learning difficulty; severe learning difficulty; profound and multiple learning difficulty; social, emotional and mental health; speech, language and communication needs; hearing impairment; vision impairment; multi-sensory impairment; physical disability; autistic spectrum disorder; other difficulty or disability.

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded special school schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 Chellow Heights Special School received £27,630 and spent £28,891 for each of its 269 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £576,000 (£2,142 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

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What is Chellow Heights Special School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Chellow Heights Special School is Good, from an inspection in July 2023.

When was Chellow Heights Special School last inspected by Ofsted?

Chellow Heights Special School was last inspected in July 2023.

How many pupils does Chellow Heights Special School have?

Chellow Heights Special School has 269 pupils on roll.

What age range does Chellow Heights Special School cover?

Chellow Heights Special School for pupils aged 2 to 11.

What are Chellow Heights Special School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 0% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Chellow Heights Special School?

Chellow Heights Special School is at Thorn Lane, Bingley Road, Chellow Heights School Thorn Lane, Bingley Road, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD9 6AL.