The Old School House, Wisbech
The Old School House is a special school for boys aged 6 to 16 in Wisbech. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in June 2025. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in March 2026 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Good (2025)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
The Old School House in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to The Old School House are Shelldene House School (0.2 miles, Good); Cambian Home Tree School (0.8 miles, Good); Begdale House School (1.1 miles); and Meadowgate Academy (2.6 miles, Outstanding).
Shelldene House SchoolCambian Home Tree SchoolBegdale House SchoolMeadowgate Academy
Who goes there
Almost every pupil at The Old School House has an education, health and care plan (11 of 11 in 2026).
Getting there
There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of The Old School House.
4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Well End (opposite), 50 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 16 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and criminal damage and arson. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Cambridgeshire (57).
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 · 7 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 Insights
From Ofsted's March 2026 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
The Old School House prioritises pupils' wellbeing and safety with thorough safeguarding practices and well-trained staff. The school maintains small class sizes which allows staff to understand each pupil's individual needs and provide personalised support. Leadership is committed to carefully managing growth while protecting the quality of education and pastoral care.
Key Strengths
- Strong safeguarding procedures with well-trained staff who understand how to spot and respond to concerns
- Careful management of pupil numbers with small class sizes and appropriate staffing ratios
- Well-maintained premises with suitable facilities and plans to develop additional classrooms and outdoor spaces
- Effective leadership with regular monitoring through structured management meetings and external expertise
Safeguarding
Safeguarding is effective - staff receive appropriate training, understand how to identify risks, designated leads have proper knowledge, and concerns are raised promptly through agreed procedures with external professionals engaged when needed.
Extracurricular Activities
Physical education sessions within the local community
The Old School House is a special school for boys with social, emotional and mental health needs. The inspection assessed the school's likely compliance with independent school standards following an application to increase pupil numbers from 12 to 15.
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 The Old School House
Getting There
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 2
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 0
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, 0 serious and 2 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people 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 Cambridgeshire is 5 (the median across 312 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
73%
Available places
11 pupils
15 places
4 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Wisbech
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Wisbech
Across Cambridgeshire council
Places available
7,228
Applications
6,755
Got 1st preference
88.3%
Got preferred school
96.6%
All secondary applications across Cambridgeshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(11)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
11
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
The Old School House 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
11
Total Pupils
11
Boys
0
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
The Old School House
Questions parents ask about The Old School House
What is The Old School House's Ofsted rating?
The Old School House's most recent Ofsted inspection, in March 2026, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in June 2025, it was rated Good.
Does The Old School House meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in June 2025, The Old School House met all the independent school standards.
How many pupils go to The Old School House?
The Old School House has around 11 pupils on roll.
Does The Old School House have specialist SEN provision?
The Old School House is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
How do I apply to The Old School House?
The Old School House 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 The Old School House?
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, 0 serious and 2 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people 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 Cambridgeshire is 5 (the median across 312 schools, same distance and years).
Where is The Old School House?
The Old School House is at 1 March Road, Friday Bridge, Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, PE14 0HA.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)