Holme Court School, Cambridge

Special

Other independent special school

Mixed

Ages 7–16

Data last updated 11 Sept 2026

Location

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Key Information

DfE GIAS

Head:Ms Anita Laws

Pupils:40 / 55 capacity

LA:Cambridgeshire

Phone:01223778030

Website:www.holmecourt.co.uk

Address:Cherry Hinton Hall, Cherry Hinton Road, Cambridge, CB1 8DW

Area:Schools in CB1

Admissions:Not applicable

Status:open

Opened:1 January 2005

Ofsted Rating

Ofsted · 1 year ago

Overall

Inspected 1 July 2025View full report

URN:108886

UKPRN:10018719

Diocese:Not applicable

Constituency:South Cambridgeshire

Urban/Rural:Urban: Nearer to a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

What This School Does Well

Holme Court excels at helping pupils who have struggled in mainstream education to rediscover their love of learning. The school combines specialist literacy support with a rich, enriching curriculum including theatre visits, outdoor activities and workshops from West End performers. Pupils develop genuine pride in their school community and strong values around supporting others.

Key Strengths

Excellent induction processes help pupils with negative previous school experiences settle in quickly and build confidence
Staff take time to understand pupils as individuals, motivating them to work hard and develop resilience
Morning literacy sessions are carefully designed to build reading fluency, confidence and life skills like touch typing
Strong PSHE curriculum prepares pupils well for adulthood, including careers guidance and work experience
Consistent behaviour management creates a calm learning environment where pupils enjoy attending school

Areas for Improvement

In a few subjects, the school has not clearly identified the important knowledge pupils need to learn or the logical order to teach it, which affects how well pupils build connections between topics
The new proprietor and school leaders lack systematic ways to evaluate the impact of their work, making it difficult to identify where improvements are needed
School improvement planning needs to be more data-driven across all key areas

Safeguarding

Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with staff implementing policies and risk assessments well, including for offsite activities.

Extracurricular Activities

Theatre visits and pantomimes, outdoor pursuits centres, animal shelter visits, West End performer workshops, litter picking in the park, fundraising activities, themed events and assemblies

Holme Court School is a special school for pupils aged 7-16 with severe and persistent literacy difficulties. The school was rated Good overall, with pupils benefiting from strong pastoral care, enriching experiences, and well-designed support for reading and writing.

Fees (2025)

Day fee

£2,087/term

£6,260/yr

At a Glance

Boarding

Nursery

Sixth Form

Special Measures

What Parents Think

21 responses

Would recommend81%

Child is happy76%

Well taught76%

Good progress76%

Feels safe91%

Well behaved95%

Bullying dealt with19%

Kept informed81%

Handles concerns52%

Wider development81%

Source: Ofsted Parent View - % who strongly agree or agree

Class Sizes

0.0

Avg class size

Total classes

2024/25 academic year

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Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

73%

Available places

40 pupils

55 capacity

15 spare places available

Area Demand Pressure - Cambridge

High pressure

New homes approved:8,345

Projected new pupils:1,502

Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Cambridge

Admissions Demand - Cambridgeshire

Low demand0.95x oversubscription

Places available

7,188

Applications

6,820

Got 1st preference

88.2%

Got preferred school

96.3%

Secondary admissions across Cambridgeshire (2025/26)

Inspection History(8)

1 July 2025

-Report

22 November 2022

-Report

13 February 2020

-Report

House Prices

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SEN Provision

How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.

Pupil Demographics

The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.