An independent school in Longton, for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), has received Requires improvement at their latest Ofsted inspection. 

Intuition School, who are registered for up to 12 students with social, emotional and mental health needs, received Requires improvement for 'the quality of education' and 'leadership and management' but received Good for 'behaviour and attitudes' and 'personal development'. 

At their previous inspection in 2022, the school received a rating of Good following an Inadequate rating in 2019 but have dropped again to Requires improvement at the most recent inspection in September 2025. 

What the school needs to improve 

Intuition School failed to meet the independent school standards at this inspection. 

The Ofsted inspectors reported that some subjects across the curriculum lacked clarity about what the pupils needed to know, and learning did not build on pupils' existing knowledge. 

In particular, the English curriculum was not ambitious enough and "does not help pupils to fully develop essential reading and writing skills". 

The report also explained that the targets identified to support pupils' academic and social development were not precise enough meaning that "some pupils do not progress within their targets as quickly as they could". 

Inspectors also noted that the school's quality assurance processes did not enable leaders to have a clear and accurate understanding of the quality of education pupils receive. 

What the school did well 

Within the report, inspectors also highlighted several positive aspects of the school. 

The report stated: "Intuition Holistic Education is a very welcoming school. 

"Many pupils have missed a significant amount of time from education. This school gives pupils another chance to engage in education after having negative experiences in the past. 

"Pupils appreciate that staff take time to listen to them. They feel safe." 

The inspectors also noted that in some subjects the school had thought clearly about the knowledge and skills that pupils need to learn and that teachers in these subjects were more successful. 

Response from Intuition School 

A spokesperson for Intuition School said: "We have fostered a culture where everyone feels known, valued and part of our school family. 

"Often, children arrive on our doorstep full of anxiety and worry, being absent from education for many years…whether this is due to a medical diagnosis, trauma, or poor past experiences of school. 

"We make it our mission to break down any barriers to learning by building strong relationships in a nurturing and supportive environment." 

One pupil who had not been in education for 12 months before being placed at the school is now at 95% attendance. 

The spokesperson added: "We are ambitious for our pupils and our curriculum is designed around their individual needs, interests and aspirations. 

"The recent inspection highlighted that further work is needed to raise academic aspirations even higher, to include GCSEs onsite alongside side working with partners. 

"As a fully inclusive school, our curriculum is always being adapted and developed to ensure we are meeting the needs of every pupil, and we will ensure these are aligned with GCSE standards wherever possible moving forward. 

"However, we will remain committed to our holistic approach to education, continuing to make our curriculum creative, flexible, relevant and engaging." 

A parent at Intuition School said: "There has been a massive improvement overall from education to our son's wellbeing since his arrival within the placement at your school & we as parents couldn't be happier." 

See the full report here.