Birch House School, which is located near the centre of Manchester, is a mixed gender school for students aged 11 to 16 with behaviour, emotional and social difficulties. The school opened in April 1996. All the students have been placed at the school by their local authority because they have experienced significant disruption to their education, primarily because of poor attendance and challenging behaviour. There are currently 17 students on roll, 13 of whom have a statement of special educational needs. Thirteen of the students are currently in care. The students come from various parts of the country, although most are from Manchester. The school aims to ‘remove barriers to learning by providing a positive, safe and caring environment within which the students feel happy and secure in their learning.’ It further aims to ‘develop students’ self-esteem by helping them to manage their behaviour, develop independence and social skills to mix with others, in and out of school.’ Evaluation of the school Birch House School provides a good quality of education for its students. The majority of students develop their confidence and interest in school because they attend more regularly and are better able to control their behaviour and show more positive attitudes to learning in school. Standards of work are generally below average, but given the students’ significantly disrupted prior education, the gains in their personal and social skills, and academic performance at the school, are good. The school has made good progress since its previous inspection in September 2009 and meets its stated aims very well. The school meets all the regulations for independent schools, which includes all aspects of safeguarding the students.