Teacher

About Us

Northern House School (Oxford) prides itself on supporting all pupils, regardless of their starting points to reach their academic, emotional and social potential. This is achieved by challenging pupils and staff to take the next step for personal development.

Many of our pupils are experiential learners - they learn through the experience of ‘doing’ and enjoying the feeling of success when they discover the next step for themselves. Our curriculum is designed to stimulate the creativity of our pupils and staff by encouraging the use of enrichment activities both on and off site and through the use of Child Led Learning weeks , where our pupils select a topic that is of interest to them to research.The development of our Trust is offering pupils a further dimension to the curriculum, including the use of superb sports facilities, opportunities to work in larger groups and with subject specialists, Epen pals and the opportunity to learn about a different part of the UK first hand. Pupils are enjoying visiting each other in the schools, supporting the development of firm friendships and the essential social skills for successful relationships. Collaboration across the schools is enabling staff to share ideas and learn from one another.This collaboration has also provided further opportunities to enrich our curriculum and to enable the professional development of all staff.The opening of Northern House School (Solihull) was an exciting time for all members of the school community, from Governors, parents and staff to pupils. As our new school beds in, plans are in train to open another Northern House School elsewhere. We are looking forward to growing our expertise and developing as a group of schools, offering the nurture based ethos evident in our Oxford setting. We would love for you to join us as we continue this incredible journey and share the bumps in the road and the successes that follow. 

The History

Northern House was built in 1824 and was set in 7 acres of land. It was originally known as Lark Hall and was at one time home to James Wiblin, the creator of Royal Oxford Sausages. It has a long history of being an educational establishment for pupils with special and additional needs dating back to 1840. Northern House School officially opened in 1938 to provide classes for ‘disturbed or maladjusted children who were not of subnormal intelligence’.

Since 1938 the school has continued to grow in terms of size and rationale, but has continued to build relationships with external agencies, based on the legacy started in 1940, when the Educational Guidance Clinic from Bury Knowle was co-located. This was followed in 1958 when the staff of The Park Hospital School moved to the site, until their departure in 1971. In 1972 there were 43 pupils on roll. This increased to 53 in 1963 and to 88 in 2014. The school was at risk of closure in the late 1970s, but a successful campaign led to the school remaining open. Although the main house and stable block, built around 1824 and now listed, still provide teaching accommodation, the school has seen a reasonable amount of building over the past decade. In 2004 a new hall and two classrooms were built to increase capacity by one class, and to provide a hall fit for purpose. The demolition of 3 temporary classrooms in 2011 led to the erection and opening of a two storey block, providing accommodation of five classrooms, a library, a SEN base, a music room and a purpose built food technology room. This development has provided pupils with a spacious, bespoke learning environment. Northern House School is renowned for its expertise in the management and support of pupils with Emotional and Social Difficulties. This acclaim led to its successful application to become an Academy in 2012 and to the Department for Education’s encouragement for us to open a second school in Solihull.