Cedar House School, Via Lancaster

Special
Other independent special school
Mixed
Ages 718
Boarding school

Data last updated 11 Sept 2026

Location

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Mr Stephen Salt
Pupils:92 / 104 capacity
LA:North Yorkshire
Phone:01524261149
Address:Low Bentham, Via Lancaster, LA2 7DD
Admissions:Not applicable
Status:open
Opened:1 October 1976

Ofsted Rating

Ofsted · 4 months ago
-

Overall

Inspected 8 May 2026View full report
URN:112456
UKPRN:10015113
Diocese:Not applicable
Constituency:Skipton and Ripon
Urban/Rural:Smaller rural: Further from a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

What This School Does Well

Cedar House School excels at creating a safe, nurturing environment for pupils with complex needs. The school has invested in high-quality facilities including specialist therapy rooms and sensory areas, maintains small class sizes with experienced staff, and provides strong support through its team of clinical psychologists and therapists. Leaders demonstrate clear commitment to pupil welfare and maintain rigorous safeguarding practices.

Key Strengths

  • Strong leadership with experience in successfully extending school numbers and clear understanding of safeguarding responsibilities
  • Comprehensive safeguarding policy with specialist support from clinical psychologists and therapists
  • Well-maintained premises with high-quality facilities including therapy rooms, sensory development areas and small class sizes with appropriate staffing
  • Rigorous health and safety procedures including fire safety compliance and risk assessments
  • High recruitment standards with experienced staff who have expertise in supporting pupils with SEND

Safeguarding

Safeguarding is effective with a comprehensive policy, designated safeguarding lead oversight, regular staff training, and proactive collaboration with external agencies to keep pupils safe.

Extracurricular Activities

Sports hall, sensory development area, enterprise activities

Cedar House School is a residential special school for pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs, autism, trauma difficulties and moderate learning difficulties. The school has applied to increase its pupil numbers and is likely to meet all relevant independent school standards if the changes are implemented.

At a Glance

No

Boarding

No

Nursery

No

Sixth Form

No

Special Measures

What Parents Think

40 responses
Would recommend98%
Child is happy95%
Well taught100%
Good progress95%
Feels safe98%
Well behaved95%
Bullying dealt with30%
Kept informed98%
Handles concerns78%
Wider development98%

Source: Ofsted Parent View - % who strongly agree or agree

Class Sizes

0.0

Avg class size

0

Total classes

2024/25 academic year

Getting There

Bus Stops

The Punch Bowl (W-bound)
192m · 3 min walk
Main Street (W-bound)
485m · 8 min walk
Greystones (W-bound)
980m · 16 min walk
Tamara (E-bound)
982m · 16 min walk
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Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

88%

Available places

92 pupils

104 capacity

12 spare places available

Area Demand Pressure - Via Lancaster

Low pressure
New homes approved:24
Projected new pupils:4

Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Via Lancaster

Admissions Demand - North Yorkshire

Low demand0.79x oversubscription

Places available

7,139

Applications

5,644

Got 1st preference

92.6%

Got preferred school

98.7%

Secondary admissions across North Yorkshire (2025/26)

Inspection History(11)

8 May 2026
11 February 2025
23 November 2023

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SEN Provision

How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.

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Pupil Demographics

The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.

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Feeder Primary Schools

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