Holly House Special School, Chesterfield
Holly House Special School is a special school for pupils aged 7 to 14 in Chesterfield. It was rated Requires improvement at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in January 2023. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in March 2025 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Requires improvement (2023)
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Holly House Special School in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Holly House Special School are Bluebank School (1.2 miles); Ashgate Croft School (2.5 miles, Outstanding); Include-West Bars (2.6 miles); and Mossbrook School (4.1 miles, Good).
Bluebank SchoolAshgate Croft SchoolInclude-West BarsMossbrook School
What parents say
11 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Holly House Special School (as of September 2025): 73% would recommend the school, 64% 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 (64%).
Who goes there
76.7% 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 Holly House Special School has an education, health and care plan (43 of 43 in 2026). The most common need among them is autism.
Holly House Special School provides for pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Chesterfield Rail Station, about 2.4 miles away in a straight line.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Holly House Special School issued 22 suspensions, 51.2 for every 100 pupils, and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's March 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Holly House excels at knowing each child as an individual and creating a caring, safe environment where pupils feel valued. The school provides excellent opportunities for personal growth through trips, clubs and activities that broaden pupils' horizons and raise their aspirations. Staff skillfully help pupils recognize and manage their emotions, resulting in good behaviour and positive relationships.
Key Strengths
- Staff know pupils well and provide excellent pastoral care, helping them manage emotions and behaviour
- Strong personal development provision with trips, after-school activities and early career guidance
- Effective support for early reading with well-trained staff and frequent progress checks
- Positive relationships and culture of respect between pupils and staff
- Rigorous systems to improve attendance and follow-up on absences
Areas for Improvement
- Some curriculum areas lack clearly defined knowledge and learning sequences, making it unclear what pupils should learn and when
- Not all staff have the expertise needed to deliver the curriculum effectively for pupils with different needs
- School does not review the impact of EHC plan provisions rigorously enough, meaning adaptations are sometimes delayed
- Curriculum adaptations to help pupils access learning are not always well thought out
- Some subjects lack the detailed planning that subjects like maths and English have
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with clear systems in place and a positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
After-school activities, annual beach trip, local college visits for Year 9 pupils, outdoor trips and experiences
Holly House Special School is a community special school for pupils aged 7-14 with social, emotional and mental health needs. The school has made notable progress since the previous inspection, though there is more work to do to improve the quality of education.
At a Glance
76.7%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
SEMH
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
11 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 0% to 33% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 0% to 17% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 0% to 33% (2024 to 2025).
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with Holly House Special School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Holly House Special School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Holly House Special School is in Derbyshire; for families living there:
- Derbyshire's school travel policy: Home to school transport policy 2026 to 2027 - 465KB
- How to apply: Apply for home to school transport assistance
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 3
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 2 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot.
2 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 Derbyshire is 6 (the median across 454 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
43 pupils
43 places
No spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Chesterfield
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Chesterfield
Across Derbyshire council
Places available
8,818
Applications
7,971
Got 1st preference
94.5%
Got preferred school
98.5%
All secondary applications across Derbyshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(10)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
43
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Holly House Special School 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
43
Total Pupils
33
Boys
10
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
16
Teachers
2.7:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£56,423
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
24.1%
Overall absence
52.3%
Persistent absence
44
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about Holly House Special School
What are SATs results like at Holly House Special School?
Of the pupils at Holly House Special School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 33% reached the expected standard in reading and 17% did so in maths.
What is Holly House Special School's Ofsted rating?
Holly House Special School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in March 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in January 2023, it was rated Requires Improvement.
What is the catchment area for Holly House Special School?
No fixed boundary. When Holly House Special School is oversubscribed, Derbyshire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Holly House Special School?
Holly House Special School has around 43 pupils on roll. 77% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Holly House Special School have specialist SEN provision?
Holly House Special School provides for pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs.
What is attendance like at Holly House Special School?
24.1% of sessions were missed at Holly House Special School in 2024/25. 52.3% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Holly House Special School?
Apply through Derbyshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Holly House Special School 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 Holly House Special School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 2 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot. 2 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 Derbyshire is 6 (the median across 454 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Holly House Special School?
Holly House Special School is at Church Street North, Old Whittington, Chesterfield, Derbyshire, S41 9QR.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)