Cloughwood Academy, Northwich
Cloughwood Academy is a special school for boys aged 8 to 18 in Northwich, part of Kaleidoscope Learning Trust. Its most recent Ofsted inspection, in April 2026, ended in a report card: 3 strong standard and 4 expected standard. Before that it was rated Outstanding at its last graded inspection, in February 2013.
- Ofsted report card
- 3 of 7 areas strong or better
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Cloughwood Academy in detail
What Ofsted's report card says
Ofsted's report card from its 28 April 2026 inspection grades Cloughwood Academy on 7 areas: 3 strong standard and 4 expected standard. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.
Attendance and behaviour - Strong standard. "By the time pupils start at the school, many have disengaged with their education completely."
Inclusion - Strong standard. "Leaders have introduced the ‘Cloughwood profile'."
Personal development and wellbeing - Strong standard. "The school's personal development programme is tailor-made to address pupils' social, emotional and mental health needs and other vulnerabilities."
Achievement - Expected standard. "The way in which the school prepares pupils for the future is a strength."
Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "Many pupils start at the school having previously missed large parts of their education."
Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Over time, leaders have established and maintained a school culture that focuses on raising pupils' aspirations."
Post 16 provision - Expected standard. "Leaders have a clear understanding of the quality and sustainability of the post-16 study programmes."
Safeguarding standards were met.
Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should ensure that staff are provided with the support they need to deliver the phonics curriculum with greater precision to help pupils make even better progress in securing and applying their reading knowledge"; "Leaders should refine the curriculum to be even more specific about the key knowledge that they want pupils to know in some subjects to help deepen pupils' understanding"; "Trust and school leaders should check on the quality of the curriculum and teaching more closely to ensure that subjects are consistently and highly effectively taught to promote even higher expectations for pupils' achievement".
Read the full report card on Ofsted's site (school website)
Source: Ofsted report card (Open Government Licence), quoted
Cloughwood Academy in its own words
In its own words: "Cloughwood Academy is an outstanding specialist day and residential school for boys aged 8 to 18. Our school is situated in a beautiful setting in Hartford, Cheshire and serves families from all areas of Cheshire West and Chester and Cheshire East, as well as other nearby counties. We cater for pupils with a diagnosis of Social, Emotional Mental Health (SEMH)."
From the headteacher's welcome: "On behalf of the children, staff, Governors and Trustees, I would like to welcome you to Cloughwood Academy. Cloughwood Academy is a school where individuals are valued and nurtured to achieve their personal best, regardless of their needs, starting points or previous experiences."
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football, tennis, basketball, drama and guitar.
Vision and values (school website)Headteacher's welcome (school website)Clubs (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Cloughwood Academy are Elmy Hall School (0.2 miles); Greenbank School (0.3 miles, Requires improvement); Everly East Academy (0.9 miles); and Adventure Wellbeing School (1.5 miles).
Elmy Hall SchoolGreenbank SchoolEverly East AcademyAdventure Wellbeing School
The trust
Cloughwood Academy is run by its own single-school academy trust.
Where pupils go next
Of the 13 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 62% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 23% to a further education college and 8% into work.
Who goes there
67.5% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 0% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
Almost every pupil at Cloughwood Academy has an education, health and care plan (120 of 120 in 2026). The most common need among them is social, emotional and mental health needs.
Cloughwood Academy provides for pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Greenbank Rail Station, about 680 metres away (roughly a 9-minute walk).
18 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is St Nicholas RC High School (bay 2), 300 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Cloughwood Academy stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Cloughwood Academy issued 9 suspensions, 7.6 for every 100 pupils, and 3 permanent exclusions.
Sources: DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 6 months agoReport card - no single overall grade (Ofsted's framework since November 2025)
Safeguarding standards met
- Attendance and behaviourStrong standard
- InclusionStrong standard
- Personal development and wellbeingStrong standard
- AchievementExpected standard
- Curriculum and teachingExpected standard
- Leadership and governanceExpected standard
- Post 16 provisionExpected standard
Safeguarding standards: met
Ofsted's report card, in its own words
What it's like to be a pupil at Cloughwood Academy
Pupils feel like they belong here because they are accepted for who they are. They have trusting relationships with staff, who care deeply for their wellbeing. Pupils enjoy the school's calm atmosphere, and they maintain positive friendships. They behave respectfully towards each other. Bullying is rare. Staff deal with this decisively if it occurs. Pupils feel safe and included in all aspects of school life. Many pupils have previously been disaffected with education. However, during their time at Cloughwood, there are considerable and sustained improvements in pupils' attitudes to school, which are reflected in their improved attendance rates. Pupils begin to love learning again. From their varying starting points, pupils generally progress well through the broad and interesting curriculum. Staff address any barriers to learning quickly and effectively. Pupils succeed in gaining appropriate functional skills, qualifications and GCSEs. There is a clear focus on ensuring that pupils are well prepared for their next steps in education, training or employment. Older pupils relish the opportunities to act as role models. They have a range of responsibilities, such as reading buddies, sports leaders or helping out in the kitchen. They experience a range of enrichment activities. These include learning to play the guitar or drums, playing golf and taking part in residential visits. Interesting trips and a range of visitors enhance the curriculum and equip pupils for life beyond school. For example, a recent visitor helped pupils to learn about the dangers involved in gangs and knife crime. Pupils are well supported to understand what it means to be a positive and productive member of society. Leaders ensure that pupils have the right knowledge and skills to be very well prepared for life in modern Britain.
What Ofsted says the school should do next
- Leaders should ensure that staff are provided with the support they need to deliver the phonics curriculum with greater precision to help pupils make even better progress in securing and applying their reading knowledge.
- Leaders should refine the curriculum to be even more specific about the key knowledge that they want pupils to know in some subjects to help deepen pupils' understanding.
- Trust and school leaders should check on the quality of the curriculum and teaching more closely to ensure that subjects are consistently and highly effectively taught to promote even higher expectations for pupils' achievement.
From Ofsted's report card (inspection 28 April 2026). Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's April 2026 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Cloughwood Academy excels at building positive relationships with pupils and families, helping even those who have completely disengaged from education to re-engage and thrive. Staff are highly skilled at supporting pupils' emotional and mental health needs, creating a nurturing environment where pupils feel valued and develop real aspirations. The school's strong focus on vocational training and industry-standard qualifications ensures pupils gain meaningful qualifications and move into appropriate employment or further education.
Key Strengths
- Exceptional support for attendance and behaviour - staff break down barriers to help persistently absent pupils make notable improvements
- Highly effective inclusion approach that identifies and addresses multiple, complex needs through the 'Cloughwood profile'
- Strong personal development programme that transforms pupils' attitudes and self-worth
- Comprehensive vocational offer (catering, horticulture, construction and joinery) aligned to local employer needs
- Excellent careers guidance and work experience opportunities that prepare pupils for employment
Areas for Improvement
- Lack of clarity over key knowledge in some subjects means pupils' progress through the curriculum is not consistently strong as it could be
- Quality of phonics teaching varies, affecting some pupils' reading improvement
- Sometimes completing tasks becomes more important than developing subject knowledge
- Governance checks on curriculum quality need to be more specific about defining key knowledge consistently
Safeguarding
Safeguarding standards are met - the school has created an open and positive culture of safeguarding where all legal requirements are fulfilled and pupils feel safe.
Extracurricular Activities
Trips, enrichment activities, whole-school bake-off, Master Chef competitions, work experience in professional kitchens, work experience with industry partners including Michelin-starred restaurants, professional courses, mock interviews, travel training, banking and employability workshops
Cloughwood Academy is a special school that successfully supports pupils with complex needs and those who have disengaged from education. The school has established a nurturing culture focused on raising aspirations and preparing pupils for meaningful employment.
At a Glance
67.5%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
SEMH
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2025/26KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has remained stable at around 18% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 8% to 0% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 0% to 9% (2024 to 2025).
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Social & online
Keep up with Cloughwood Academy
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Cloughwood Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Cloughwood Academy is in Cheshire West and Chester; for families living there:
Apply to Cheshire West and Chester for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 1
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- 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, 0 serious and 1 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 Cheshire West and Chester is 7 (the median across 184 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
100%
Full
120 pupils
120 places
No spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Northwich
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Northwich
Across Cheshire West and Chester council
Places available
4,194
Applications
3,482
Got 1st preference
95.0%
Got preferred school
98.9%
All secondary applications across Cheshire West and Chester council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(6)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
120
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Cloughwood Academy provides for pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
120
Total Pupils
120
Boys
0
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
18
Teachers
6.7:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£45,720
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
14.0%
Overall absence
46.0%
Persistent absence
87
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Cloughwood Academy
Showing 10 of 13 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Cloughwood Academy
What are GCSE results like at Cloughwood Academy?
In the 2026 results, pupils at Cloughwood Academy achieved an Attainment 8 score of 3.6. 0% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is Cloughwood Academy's Ofsted rating?
Cloughwood Academy's most recent Ofsted inspection, in April 2026, produced a report card, which grades each area but gives no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in February 2013, it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for Cloughwood Academy?
No fixed boundary. When Cloughwood Academy is oversubscribed, Cheshire West and Chester allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Cloughwood Academy?
Cloughwood Academy has around 120 pupils on roll. 68% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Cloughwood Academy have specialist SEN provision?
Cloughwood Academy provides for pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs.
What is attendance like at Cloughwood Academy?
14% of sessions were missed at Cloughwood Academy in 2024/25. 46% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Cloughwood Academy?
Apply through Cheshire West and Chester's coordinated admissions process, naming Cloughwood Academy on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
How many road collisions happen near Cloughwood Academy?
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, 0 serious and 1 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 Cheshire West and Chester is 7 (the median across 184 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Cloughwood Academy?
Cloughwood Academy is at Stones Manor Lane, Hartford, Northwich, Cheshire, CW8 1NU.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)