Safe Start School, Tameside
Safe Start School is an independent school for pupils aged 11 to 19 in Tameside. It was rated Requires improvement at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in January 2025. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in May 2026 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Requires improvement (2025)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Safe Start School in detail
Safe Start School in its own words
In its own words: "Safe Start School is an independent school for students aged 11-16 years. We specialise in supporting young people who have faced challenges in mainstream education and benefit from a more flexible, therapeutic, and tailored approach."
Vision and values (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
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 Safe Start School can understate its results. We do not rank or compare them; ask the school for its own GCSE and IGCSE results.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other independent schools to Safe Start School are Trinity School (1.6 miles); Greater Manchester Independent School (2.7 miles); Ashlea House School (3.2 miles, Good); and Hulme Grammar School (3.2 miles, selective).
Trinity SchoolGreater Manchester Independent SchoolAshlea House SchoolHulme Grammar School
Who goes there
Almost every pupil at Safe Start School has an education, health and care plan (27 of 27 in 2026).
Getting there
The nearest tram or metro stop is Ashton-Under-Lyne (Manchester Metrolink), about 550 metres away (roughly a 7-minute walk).
9 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Old Street (near), 210 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Safe Start School stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); 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 · 5 months agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Safeguarding: effective
Independent school standards
Did not meet the independent school standards in Part 1 (quality of education), Part 3 (welfare, health and safety), Part 5 (premises and accommodation) 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 safetyNot met
- Part 4: suitability of staff and proprietorsMet
- Part 5: premises and accommodationNot met
- Part 6: information for parentsMet
- Part 7: handling of complaintsMet
- Part 8: leadership and managementNot met
Progress-monitoring inspection, 10 February 2026: The school met all the standards Ofsted checked.
Source: Ofsted, non-association independent schools inspections and outcomes (Open Government Licence)
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's May 2026 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Safe Start School excels at supporting pupils with additional needs and creating a positive environment for learners who have experienced disrupted education. The school has carefully planned a broad curriculum with life skills, work experience, and qualifications designed to prepare older students for adulthood. Leaders demonstrate strong commitment to pupils' welfare and have invested in resources and specialist staff to deliver quality teaching.
Key Strengths
- Experienced leaders with strong knowledge of supporting pupils with additional needs and maintaining safe environments
- Well-planned curriculum with clear pathways aligned to pupils' needs and low starting points
- Comprehensive safeguarding arrangements with regular training and external audits
- Strong governance with relevant expertise in further education and post-16 provision
- Thoughtful approach to assessment that identifies pupils' needs and readiness for different qualifications
Areas for Improvement
- Some schemes of work still being developed with plans to recruit subject experts for consistency
- Need to refine safeguarding and recruitment record-keeping for clearer reporting
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective - the school follows current statutory guidance, staff complete structured induction and training, leaders commission external audits and act promptly on concerns.
Extracurricular Activities
Visits to places of worship, Houses of Parliament trips, residential visits, outdoor learning, charity events, school council, work experience, creative workshops, travel training
Safe Start School applied to extend its age range to 11-19 years. The inspection found the school is likely to meet all relevant independent school standards if this material change is approved.
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 Safe Start School
Getting There
Train Stations
Tube / Metro / Tram
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 48
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 12
- Children hurt
- 6
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 48 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 12 serious and 35 slight.
6 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot and 3 in a vehicle or otherwise.
14 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 Tameside is 12 (the median across 111 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
71%
Available places
27 pupils
38 places
11 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Tameside
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Tameside
Across Tameside council
Places available
3,293
Applications
2,719
Got 1st preference
86.7%
Got preferred school
96.3%
All secondary applications across Tameside council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(8)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
27
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
27
Total Pupils
17
Boys
10
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Safe Start School
Showing 10 of 15 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Safe Start School
What are GCSE results like at Safe Start 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 Safe Start School can understate its results. We do not rank or compare them; ask the school for its own GCSE and IGCSE results.
What is Safe Start School's Ofsted rating?
Safe Start School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in May 2026, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in January 2025, it was rated Requires Improvement.
Does Safe Start School meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in January 2025, Safe Start School did not meet the independent school standards in Part 1 (quality of education), Part 3 (welfare, health and safety), Part 5 (premises and accommodation) and Part 8 (leadership and management). At a later progress-monitoring inspection in February 2026, the school met all the standards Ofsted checked.
How many pupils go to Safe Start School?
Safe Start School has around 27 pupils on roll.
How do I apply to Safe Start School?
Safe Start 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 Safe Start School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 48 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 12 serious and 35 slight. 6 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot and 3 in a vehicle or otherwise. 14 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 Tameside is 12 (the median across 111 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Safe Start School?
Safe Start School is at 1, 2, 4 & 5 Henry Square Chambers, Old Street, Tameside, Greater Manchester, OL6 7ST.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)