Chances Mentoring, Oldham
Chances Mentoring is a special school for pupils aged 11 to 16 in Oldham. Its most recent Ofsted inspection, in March 2026, ended in a report card: 1 strong standard and 5 expected standard.
- Ofsted report card
- 1 of 6 areas strong or better
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Chances Mentoring in detail
What Ofsted's report card says
Ofsted's report card from its 10 March 2026 inspection grades Chances Mentoring on 6 areas: 1 strong standard and 5 expected standard. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.
Inclusion - Strong standard. "Leaders have created an inclusive culture at the school where all pupils are encouraged to participate well."
Achievement - Expected standard. "Pupils who start at Chances Mentoring have often missed significant proportions of their education prior to joining the school."
Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "Leaders work well with parents and carers to set high expectations of pupils' attendance at school."
Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "Leaders have a clear and accurate understanding of the quality of education at the school."
Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Leaders, including the proprietor, have established a positive and cohesive working environment for both staff and pupils."
Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "Leaders have established an appropriate programme for personal development that instils in pupils a strong understanding of right and wrong."
Safeguarding standards were met.
Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should ensure that pupils gain an even deeper understanding of the fundamental British values and equalities to further improve their preparation for life in modern Britain"; "In some subjects, leaders should ensure that teachers make greater use of assessment to identify what key knowledge pupils remember to further inform teaching and learning".
Read the full report card on Ofsted's site (school website)
Source: Ofsted report card (Open Government Licence), quoted
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Chances Mentoring are Kingfisher Special School (under 0.1 miles, Outstanding); Halcyon Way School (under 0.1 miles); Thornycroft School (1.1 miles); and Hollinwood Academy (1.4 miles, Outstanding).
Kingfisher Special SchoolHalcyon Way SchoolThornycroft SchoolHollinwood Academy
Who goes there
Almost every pupil at Chances Mentoring has an education, health and care plan (17 of 17 in 2026).
Getting there
The nearest tram or metro stop is South Chadderton (Manchester Metrolink), about 760 metres away (roughly a 9-minute walk).
10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is The Sportsman, 120 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Chances Mentoring stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Sources: 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 · 7 months agoReport card - no single overall grade (Ofsted's framework since January 2026 for independent schools)
Safeguarding standards met
- InclusionStrong standard
- AchievementExpected standard
- Attendance and behaviourExpected standard
- Curriculum and teachingExpected standard
- Leadership and governanceExpected standard
- Personal development and wellbeingExpected standard
Safeguarding standards: met
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's report card, in its own words
What it's like to be a pupil at Chances Mentoring
Pupils at Chances Mentoring gain a strong sense of belonging because staff make them feel valued, included and safe. Staff quickly get to know pupils, which helps them tailor the school's educational offer to pupils' needs and aspirations. Pupils get along well with staff and enjoy learning. This is reflected in significant improvements in attendance for most pupils. Staff gently coach pupils to manage their own behaviour increasingly well. Pupils maintain friendships with their peers and have positive attitudes towards school. Staff deal swiftly with any rare instances of bullying so that issues do not escalate. Teachers help to fill gaps in pupils' understanding that have arisen due to previously low attendance in other settings. There is a clear focus on equipping pupils with the knowledge they need for their next steps in their education. The encouragement and support of staff ensure that pupils become successful learners. Leaders are adept at understanding pupils' special educational needs and/or disabilities. They identify pupils' barriers to learning well, including those who have been known to social care or who are disadvantaged. Staff ensure that pupils are enabled to access the curriculum and make positive progress through it to achieve well. Pupils are included in all aspects of school life, such as the range of sporting activities on offer at lunchtimes. They benefit from wider opportunities that reinforce the curriculum, including visiting speakers who help pupils understand how to manage risk and keep themselves safe. Pupils also enjoy a range of trips, such as visits to museums and careers events. They are proud to represent their school at sporting tournaments such as for football and curling. The school takes every opportunity to help pupils become positive members of society so that they are prepared well for life in modern Britain.
What Ofsted says the school should do next
- Leaders should ensure that pupils gain an even deeper understanding of the fundamental British values and equalities to further improve their preparation for life in modern Britain.
- In some subjects, leaders should ensure that teachers make greater use of assessment to identify what key knowledge pupils remember to further inform teaching and learning.
From Ofsted's report card (inspection 10 March 2026). Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's March 2026 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Chances Mentoring excels at helping pupils who have struggled elsewhere feel welcome and secure. Staff quickly get to know each child and tailor support to their individual needs and interests. The school combines strong academic support in English and mathematics with practical vocational learning, helping pupils progress well and prepare confidently for their next steps in education, employment or training.
Key Strengths
- Excellent inclusive culture where all pupils feel valued, safe and belonged
- Highly effective staff in identifying and meeting diverse and complex learning needs
- Rapid improvements in pupil attendance and behaviour through positive relationships with staff
- Well-adapted, relevant curriculum including vocational subjects and GCSE qualifications
- Strong leadership that prioritizes pupil wellbeing and sustained school improvement
Areas for Improvement
- Ongoing checks on pupil progress in some subjects do not always identify forgotten knowledge before moving to more complex work
- Pupils' recall of some equalities and fundamental British values is weaker than in other areas of personal development
Safeguarding
Safeguarding standards are met - leaders have created an open culture where safeguarding is everyone's responsibility, concerns are actively identified and managed, and pupils feel safe.
Extracurricular Activities
Sporting activities at lunchtimes, museum visits, careers events, charity work, visits to places of interest, visiting speakers
Chances Mentoring is a special educational needs school that provides tailored education and support for pupils with complex needs, many of whom have previously missed significant portions of education. The school creates an inclusive, supportive environment where pupils make good progress academically and develop strong personal skills.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Latest from Chances Mentoring
How we’re championing apprenticeship routes into teaching at Chances Mentoring
16 Sep 2026
New attendance initiative launches
6 Sep 2026
Investing £100k to grow our provision, not our class sizes
31 Aug 2026
End of year highlights
22 Jul 2026
Year 11s get laptops as departing gift
18 Jun 2026
Green light given after passing an inspection from the Joint Council for Qualifications
2 Jun 2026
From Chances Mentoring's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with Chances Mentoring
Getting There
Tube / Metro / Tram
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 12
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 12 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 2 serious and 9 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot.
1 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 Oldham is 14 (the median across 129 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
28%
Available places
17 pupils
60 places
43 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Oldham
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Oldham
Across Oldham council
Places available
4,034
Applications
3,190
Got 1st preference
75.2%
Got preferred school
95.4%
All secondary applications across Oldham council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
17
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Chances Mentoring 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
17
Total Pupils
12
Boys
5
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Chances Mentoring
Showing 10 of 13 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Chances Mentoring
Does Chances Mentoring meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in March 2026, Chances Mentoring met all the independent school standards.
How many pupils go to Chances Mentoring?
Chances Mentoring has around 17 pupils on roll.
Does Chances Mentoring have specialist SEN provision?
Chances Mentoring is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
How do I apply to Chances Mentoring?
Chances Mentoring 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 Chances Mentoring?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 12 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 2 serious and 9 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot. 1 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 Oldham is 14 (the median across 129 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Chances Mentoring?
Chances Mentoring is at Unit 3 Whitegate Business Centre, Jardine Way, Oldham, Lancashire, OL9 9JT.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)