Cedar House School, Via Lancaster
Cedar House School is a special school for pupils aged 7 to 18 in Via Lancaster. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in February 2025. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in May 2026 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Good (2025)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Cedar House School in detail
What parents say
40 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Cedar House School (as of September 2025): 98% would recommend the school, 95% say their child is happy there and 100% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (100%); the weakest, that their child is happy at the school (95%).
Who goes there
In 2026, 5 pupils (5.4%) received SEN support and 87 (94.6%) had an education, health and care plan.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Bentham Rail Station, about 1.4 miles away in a straight line.
2 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is The Punch Bowl (w-bound), 190 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 2 crimes within a mile of the school, most often burglary and criminal damage and arson. That is well below the typical figure around schools in North Yorkshire (9).
Sources: Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 5 months agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Safeguarding: effective
Independent school standards
Met all the independent school standards.
- Part 1: quality of educationMet
- Part 2: pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural developmentMet
- Part 3: welfare, health and safetyMet
- Part 4: suitability of staff and proprietorsMet
- Part 5: premises and accommodationMet
- Part 6: information for parentsMet
- Part 7: handling of complaintsMet
- Part 8: leadership and managementMet
Source: Ofsted, non-association independent schools inspections and outcomes (Open Government Licence)
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's May 2026 inspection report.
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 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 1 nearby school
Keep up with Cedar House School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 1
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 1 road collision in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 0 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
0 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in North Yorkshire is 3 (the median across 382 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
88%
Available places
92 pupils
104 places
12 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Via Lancaster
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Via Lancaster
Across North Yorkshire council
Places available
7,086
Applications
5,586
Got 1st preference
91.9%
Got preferred school
98.8%
All secondary applications across North Yorkshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(11)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
5
SEN Support
87
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Cedar House School is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
No need-level breakdown available
Pupil Demographics
Key Indicators
92
Total Pupils
62
Boys
30
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Cedar House School
Questions parents ask about Cedar House School
What are GCSE results like at Cedar House School?
The Department for Education's GCSE measures do not count IGCSEs, which many independent schools take instead of GCSEs, so the Attainment 8 and English and maths figures it publishes for Cedar House School can understate its results. We do not rank or compare them; ask the school for its own GCSE and IGCSE results.
What is Cedar House School's Ofsted rating?
Cedar House School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in May 2026, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in February 2025, it was rated Good.
Does Cedar House School meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in February 2025, Cedar House School met all the independent school standards.
How many pupils go to Cedar House School?
Cedar House School has around 92 pupils on roll.
Does Cedar House School have specialist SEN provision?
Cedar House School is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
How do I apply to Cedar House School?
Cedar House School is an independent school and runs its own admissions rather than going through the local authority. Contact the school directly for entry requirements, assessment dates, fees and any bursaries.
How many road collisions happen near Cedar House School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 1 road collision in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 0 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 0 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in North Yorkshire is 3 (the median across 382 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Cedar House School?
Cedar House School is at Low Bentham, Via Lancaster, North Yorkshire, LA2 7DD.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)