Howard House School, Netherton Colliery
Howard House School is a special school for pupils aged 10 to 18 in Netherton Colliery. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in June 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2025)
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Howard House School in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Howard House School are Cleaswell Hill School (2.1 miles, Outstanding); Collingwood School & Media Arts College (2.4 miles, Good); The Apex Academy (2.7 miles); and The Dales School (3 miles, Outstanding).
Cleaswell Hill SchoolCollingwood School & Media Arts CollegeThe Apex AcademyThe Dales School
Who goes there
Almost every pupil at Howard House School has an education, health and care plan (38 of 38 in 2026).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Bedlington Rail Station, about 2.3 miles away in a straight line.
1 bus stop is within a five-minute walk; the closest is Blue House Farm (eastbound), 380 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Howard House School stands in is among the 10% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 26 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and shoplifting. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Northumberland (44).
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 · 1 year agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Safeguarding: effective
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 Insights
From Ofsted's June 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
This school excels at building confidence and resilience in pupils with significant learning gaps. Staff create a genuinely inclusive community where pupils develop positive relationships and learn to manage their behaviour effectively. The school has high aspirations for all pupils and successfully prepares them for their next steps, with many progressing to college courses.
Key Strengths
- Strong focus on reading with daily lessons helping pupils develop fluency and comprehension from their starting points
- Skilled staff who understand pupils' individual social and emotional needs and support positive behaviour effectively
- Ambitious curriculum designed to build foundational knowledge in core subjects, with afternoon enrichment in creative arts, PE and design and technology
- High expectations for attendance with significant improvements achieved through working with families
- Strong preparation for adulthood with careers guidance and life skills development
Areas for Improvement
- Some subjects lack clear sequencing of knowledge - pupils do not always build appropriate depth of subject knowledge over time
- Curriculum content in some subjects needs further development to provide coherent knowledge and skills progression
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with staff prioritising pupils' safety and the school creating a positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Visits to places of cultural interest, outdoor activities in extensive school grounds, range of enrichment activities developing talents and interests
Howard House School is an independent special school for pupils aged 10 to 18 with social, emotional and mental health needs. The school was rated Good overall and meets all independent school standards.
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 Howard House School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 2
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 2 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 1 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was 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 Northumberland is 3 (the median across 175 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
95%
Near capacity
38 pupils
40 places
2 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Netherton Colliery
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Netherton Colliery
Across Northumberland council
Places available
2,104
Applications
1,819
Got 1st preference
96.0%
Got preferred school
97.7%
All secondary applications across Northumberland council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(9)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
38
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Howard House 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
38
Total Pupils
33
Boys
5
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Questions parents ask about Howard House School
What are GCSE results like at Howard House School?
The Department for Education's GCSE measures do not count IGCSEs, which many independent schools take instead of GCSEs, so the Attainment 8 and English and maths figures it publishes for Howard House School can understate its results. We do not rank or compare them; ask the school for its own GCSE and IGCSE results.
What is Howard House School's Ofsted rating?
Howard House School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in June 2025.
Does Howard House School meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in June 2025, Howard House School met all the independent school standards.
How many pupils go to Howard House School?
Howard House School has around 38 pupils on roll.
Does Howard House School have specialist SEN provision?
Howard House School is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
How do I apply to Howard House School?
Howard House 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 Howard House School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 2 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 1 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was 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 Northumberland is 3 (the median across 175 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Howard House School?
Howard House School is at Blue House Farm Road, Bedlington, Netherton Colliery, Northumberland, NE22 6BB.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)