Penarth Group School, Cheshire
Penarth Group School is an independent school for pupils aged 11 to 18 in Cheshire. Its most recent Ofsted inspection, in June 2026, ended in a report card: 1 strong standard and 5 expected standard. Before that it was rated Good at its last graded inspection, in April 2023.
- Ofsted report card
- 1 of 6 areas strong or better
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Penarth Group School in detail
What Ofsted's report card says
Ofsted's report card from its 16 June 2026 inspection grades Penarth Group School on 6 areas: 1 strong standard and 5 expected standard. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.
Inclusion - Strong standard. "Staff know every pupil as an individual."
Achievement - Expected standard. "For most pupils at Penarth Group School, this is their first successful experience of education."
Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "Previous poor attendance is a barrier to learning for most pupils when they join the school."
Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "Leaders have a secure understanding of the quality of curriculum and teaching across the school."
Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "The proprietor and leaders have a clear and accurate understanding of the effectiveness of each aspect of the school."
Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "Leaders recognise that the personal development offer is crucial to pupils' engagement and attitudes to learning."
Safeguarding standards were met.
Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should continue to develop the curriculum design and implementation in a small number of subjects where this is less developed than the most effective subjects"; "Leaders should continue to develop the offer for pupils' personal development so that it is an extensive and carefully tailored programme".
Read the full report card on Ofsted's site (school website)
Source: Ofsted report card (Open Government Licence), quoted
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other independent schools to Penarth Group School are Covenant Christian School (1.1 miles, Good); Progress Schools - Stockport (1.2 miles, Requires improvement); Ashlea House School (1.9 miles, Good); and Hulme Hall Grammar School (2 miles).
Covenant Christian SchoolProgress Schools - StockportAshlea House SchoolHulme Hall Grammar School
Who goes there
Almost every pupil at Penarth Group School has an education, health and care plan (18 of 18 in 2026).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Reddish South Rail Station, about 0.8 miles away in a straight line.
7 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Greg Street (near), 150 metres away.
Sources: DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport)
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 4 months 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's report card, in its own words
What it's like to be a pupil at Penarth Group School
For most pupils at Penarth Group School, this is their first successful time at school. Pupils join the school with previously disrupted education. Once they settle into this school, they thrive. They develop warm relationships with staff. Pupils trust staff to help and support them. This helps pupils to feel safe and secure. Staff help pupils to build aspirations for their future. Pupils set realistic goals and make meaningful steps to achieve them. They are prepared well for their next steps. Pupils achieve well. Over time, they build positive attitudes towards their education and their behaviour improves. Staff have a clear understanding of pupils' strengths, as well as their needs and vulnerabilities. Staff use this information to plan learning that helps pupils to make progress from their wide range of starting points. Any barriers to learning that pupils arrive at the school with, reduce quickly. Pupils learn what it means to show respect to different people. They trust staff to step in and help them with any worries they have. Bullying is rare and dealt with swiftly. Pupils' attendance improves the longer they attend the school. Previous poor attendance is a significant barrier to success for many pupils. Leaders support pupils to increase their attendance using well-considered strategies and a range of external agencies. Leaders make regular checks on the impact of the support in place. Pupils learn to feel proud of their positive attendance. Most pupils attend regularly because they feel like they belong. Parents and carers are highly supportive of the school. Many of them recognise the positive impact of the school on their children's academic achievements, as well as their wider development. Parents praise leaders for the lengths they go to when pupils find it hard to engage with learning. They value the time that leaders take to resolve any issues that arise.
What Ofsted says the school should do next
- Leaders should continue to develop the curriculum design and implementation in a small number of subjects where this is less developed than the most effective subjects.
- Leaders should continue to develop the offer for pupils' personal development so that it is an extensive and carefully tailored programme.
From Ofsted's report card (inspection 16 June 2026). Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's June 2026 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Penarth Group School transforms pupils' lives by providing their first successful educational experience. Staff understand each child as an individual and create warm, supportive relationships that help pupils re-engage with learning, close knowledge gaps, and build confidence in themselves. Parents report the school makes a remarkable difference to their children's academic achievement and personal development.
Key Strengths
- Staff know every pupil as an individual and plan provision in precise detail to meet their needs
- Pupils make secure progress from their wide range of starting points in academic and personal development
- Attendance and behaviour improve significantly over time due to supportive relationships and understanding of pupils' needs
- Leaders work closely with parents and external agencies to reduce barriers to learning
- Pupils develop warm, trusting relationships with staff and feel safe and secure
Areas for Improvement
- Curriculum design in a small number of subjects needs further development
- The personal development offer should be expanded to become a more extensive and tailored programme
Safeguarding
Safeguarding standards are met. Leaders have established an open culture where safeguarding is everyone's responsibility, concerns are actively identified and managed, and pupils feel safe.
Extracurricular Activities
Work experience opportunities, careers programme, character development experiences
Penarth Group School is a specialist school where every pupil has special educational needs and/or disabilities. For most pupils, it is their first successful experience of education, with staff helping them to close knowledge gaps and re-engage with learning.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with Penarth Group School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 8
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 8 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 5 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 Stockport is 8 (the median across 135 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
67%
Available places
18 pupils
27 places
9 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Cheshire
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Cheshire
Across Stockport council
Places available
3,325
Applications
3,368
Got 1st preference
79.9%
Got preferred school
94.2%
All secondary applications across Stockport council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(11)
Independent School standard inspection
Met all the independent school standards.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
18
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
No need-level breakdown available
Pupil Demographics
Key Indicators
18
Total Pupils
9
Boys
9
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Penarth Group School
Showing 10 of 15 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Penarth Group School
What is Penarth Group School's Ofsted rating?
Penarth Group School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in June 2026, produced a report card, which grades each area but gives no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in April 2023, it was rated Good.
Does Penarth Group School meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in April 2023, Penarth Group School met all the independent school standards.
How many pupils go to Penarth Group School?
Penarth Group School has around 18 pupils on roll.
How do I apply to Penarth Group School?
Penarth Group 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 Penarth Group School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 8 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 5 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 Stockport is 8 (the median across 135 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Penarth Group School?
Penarth Group School is at 128 Reddish Road, South Reddish, Cheshire, Cheshire, SK5 7JG.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)