Esland Daven School, Congleton
Esland Daven School is a special school for pupils aged 8 to 18 in Congleton. Its most recent Ofsted inspection, in February 2026, ended in a report card: 2 expected standard and 4 needs attention. Before that it was rated Requires improvement at its last graded inspection, in January 2024.
- Ofsted report card
- 4 areas need attention
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Esland Daven School in detail
What Ofsted's report card says
Ofsted's report card from its 3 February 2026 inspection grades Esland Daven School on 6 areas: 2 expected standard and 4 needs attention. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.
Inclusion - Expected standard. "The school knows pupils very well as individuals."
Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "Pupils' personal development is central to their success at Esland Daven School."
Achievement - Needs attention. "Pupils do not achieve as well across the wider curriculum as they do in reading, writing and mathematics."
Attendance and behaviour - Needs attention. "Too many pupils still do not attend school regularly enough."
Curriculum and teaching - Needs attention. "Pupils do not learn as well in some foundation subjects as they do in reading, writing and mathematics."
Leadership and governance - Needs attention. "Leaders have not ensured that the independent school standards (the standards) are met."
Safeguarding standards were met.
Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should ensure that the school meets all of the independent school standards"; "Leaders should continue to develop the systems recently introduced to improve pupils' attendance so that they have a positive impact over time"; "Leaders should prioritise developments to the curriculum in foundation subjects so that pupils learn as well as they do in the core subjects and achieve well".
Read the full report card on Ofsted's site (school website)
Source: Ofsted report card (Open Government Licence), quoted
Esland Daven School in its own words
In its own words: "At Esland Daven School, we provide high-quality, outcome-based learning in a safe, supportive, and inspirational learning environment. Our students range from 8 to 18 years-old and each one has a personalised education package. As education is a pivotal part of a young person's life, we re-engage them through one-to-one learning environments, small group activities and therapeutic sessions."
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include gardening and forest school.
Vision and values (school website)Clubs (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Esland Daven School are Opal Education (under 0.1 miles); Aidenswood School (1.1 miles, Good); Roaches School (4.3 miles, Inadequate); and Wonder Star School (5.5 miles).
Opal EducationAidenswood SchoolRoaches SchoolWonder Star School
Who goes there
Almost every pupil at Esland Daven School has an education, health and care plan (23 of 23 in 2026).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Congleton Rail Station, about 0.9 miles away in a straight line.
5 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is King Street (cnr), 110 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 140 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, public order offences and anti-social behaviour. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Cheshire East (61), as is usual near a town centre.
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 · 8 months agoReport card - no single overall grade (Ofsted's framework since January 2026 for independent schools)
Safeguarding standards met
- InclusionExpected standard
- Personal development and wellbeingExpected standard
- AchievementNeeds attention
- Attendance and behaviourNeeds attention
- Curriculum and teachingNeeds attention
- Leadership and governanceNeeds attention
Safeguarding standards: met
Independent school standards
Did not meet the independent school standards in Part 1 (quality of education) and Part 8 (leadership and management).
- Part 1: quality of educationNot met
- 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 managementNot met
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 Esland Daven School
For many pupils who attend Esland Daven School, this is their first positive experience of education. Pupils typically join the school from a range of previous settings and with a wide range of experiences of education. This includes pupils who have not accessed education for extended periods of time. The school supports pupils to be able to manage their emotions and to build positive relationships. Over time, this helps pupils to develop more positive attitudes to learning. Staff know pupils well as individuals. They use this in-depth knowledge to plan individual packages of support based on pupils' vulnerabilities. All pupils who attend the school have special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff skilfully recognise the challenges that pupils face and work closely with the clinical team to provide the support that helps pupils to reintegrate with education. That said, recent changes to the curriculum are at the early stages. As a result of this, pupils do not achieve as well as they could. Positive relationships with staff help pupils to build trust and start to learn what it means to show respect. Over time, pupils learn to respond to different challenges because staff know how to help them to succeed. This helps pupils to feel safe and secure. Although leaders do all that they can to promote positive attendance, this remains a key focus for improvement. Too many pupils do not attend regularly enough. This limits their ability to feel part of the school team and benefit from the wide-ranging support offered to help them to engage with education. Pupils have confidence in staff to deal with any incidents of bullying effectively. Consequently, they do not worry about it. Pupils gain valuable work experience opportunities. This helps to prepare them for when they come to leave the school.
What Ofsted says the school should do next
- Leaders should ensure that the school meets all of the independent school standards.
- Leaders should continue to develop the systems recently introduced to improve pupils' attendance so that they have a positive impact over time.
- Leaders should prioritise developments to the curriculum in foundation subjects so that pupils learn as well as they do in the core subjects and achieve well.
From Ofsted's report card (inspection 3 February 2026). Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's February 2026 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Esland Daven School excels at helping pupils who have struggled in education before to develop trust, confidence and positive attitudes to learning. Staff understand each pupil deeply and tailor support to their individual needs, working closely with external agencies and clinical teams. The school's focus on emotional development and wellbeing helps pupils overcome barriers to learning and builds their self-esteem.
Key Strengths
- Strong personal development and wellbeing support with tailored outdoor learning and music programmes
- Excellent knowledge of individual pupils with flexible, responsive support packages
- Recent improvements to reading, writing and mathematics teaching with clear pupil progress
- Warm, supportive staff relationships that help pupils build trust and positive attitudes
- Effective safeguarding culture where pupils feel safe and concerns are actively managed
Areas for Improvement
- Achievement in foundation subjects (non-core subjects) lags behind core subjects
- Attendance remains too low for too many pupils despite recent improvement efforts
- Too few pupils work towards recognised qualifications
- Some independent school standards have not yet been met
- Curriculum in foundation subjects needs better sequencing of key knowledge
Safeguarding
Safeguarding standards are met with an open and positive culture where all legal requirements are fulfilled and pupils are made safer and feel safe.
Extracurricular Activities
Outdoor and adventurous activities, specialist music lessons, work experience
Esland Daven School is a special needs school that provides a first positive experience of education for many vulnerable pupils. While the school excels in supporting pupils' emotional development and wellbeing, it needs to improve achievement across wider subjects and attendance rates.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with Esland Daven School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 7
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 7 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 7 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 Cheshire East is 6 (the median across 180 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
66%
Available places
23 pupils
35 places
12 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Congleton
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Congleton
Across Cheshire East council
Places available
4,404
Applications
4,072
Got 1st preference
93.1%
Got preferred school
98.2%
All secondary applications across Cheshire East council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(3)
Independent School standard inspection
Did not meet the independent school standards in Part 1 (quality of education) and Part 8 (leadership and management).
Independent school standard inspection - first
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
23
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Esland Daven 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
23
Total Pupils
15
Boys
8
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Questions parents ask about Esland Daven School
What is Esland Daven School's Ofsted rating?
Esland Daven School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in February 2026, produced a report card, which grades each area but gives no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in January 2024, it was rated Requires Improvement.
Does Esland Daven School meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in February 2026, Esland Daven School did not meet the independent school standards in Part 1 (quality of education) and Part 8 (leadership and management).
How many pupils go to Esland Daven School?
Esland Daven School has around 23 pupils on roll.
Does Esland Daven School have specialist SEN provision?
Esland Daven School is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
How do I apply to Esland Daven School?
Esland Daven 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 Esland Daven School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 7 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 7 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 Cheshire East is 6 (the median across 180 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Esland Daven School?
Esland Daven School is at Unit 2 Dane Valley Mill, Havannah Street, Congleton, Cheshire, CW12 2AH.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)