Cambridge hospital school rated outstanding by Ofsted

Pilgrim Pathways School provides lessons to young people during their stays in hospital

A school which works in hospitals to stop young patients missing education has been rated outstanding by Ofsted.

Children have a legal right to learning but many miss months of schooling through long term physical or mental ill-health.

Pilgrim Pathways School in Cambridge provides lessons in dedicated hospital classrooms and on wards.

Inspectors praised its "ambition" and said the teaching enabled students to be "successful but also happy".

Head teacher Nadine Gooding-Hébert says education gives young people "a life worth living"

The school, which has ten teachers, home schools young people at risk of hospitalisation.

However, it primarily works in the Ida Darwin Hospital in Fulbourn - an NHS mental health service - and at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge.

"Our vision is to provide as normal an education as possible in a classroom setting but it's a significant challenge" said head teacher Nadine Gooding-Hébert.

"Many students have big gaps in their knowledge and we often have children from reception to Year 8 in the same class.

"Our teachers have to have amazing subject knowledge."

The school has devised five different curriculum "pathways" to suit students at different stages of their ability and wellbeing.

Some need to feel comfortable in the classroom again before they can progress. Others are supported through GCSEs and A-levels.

Consultant paediatrician Dr Nancy Bostock works with the school to devise appropriate ways to teach children who are unwell

"Parents are often surprised that we get their child into education on day two here, but we find routine and learning is a key part of getting better" said Dr Nancy Bostock, a consultant paediatrician who works with mental health inpatients at the Ida Darwin Hospital.

"People think you shouldn't do something that makes you anxious, but if you have the opportunity to overcome it, you realise you can achieve something.

"Education and mental health are absolutely linked."

Callia, aged five, has cystic fibrosis and enjoys her lessons during her stays at Addenbrooke's Hospital

Ofsted inspectors said staff at Pilgrim Pathways were "dedicated and care greatly" which helped students to "find renewed energy" for learning.

The school is funded by Cambridgeshire County Council but supports any school-aged inpatient at their sites, regardless of where they live.

Five-year-old Callia, who has cystic fibrosis, spends up to a month each year in Addenbrookes.

As an inpatient, she has daily visits from a teacher who plays reading and maths games.

Callia said her teacher deserved a "ten out of ten".

Shelley says her daughter could miss a month of education each year without the Pilgrim Pathway Hospital School

Shelley, Callia's mother, said her daughter "thrives on learning and would not be as happy about her hospital stay if she didn't have the lessons".

"To know when she comes in here she's still in education and getting one-to-one support is really important," added Shelley.

Teacher Rachel Lundskaer-Neilsen says she always has at least two different lessons prepared in case a student is too unwell for "plan A"

Callia's hospital primary teacher Rachel Lundskaer-Neilsen described her role as "the most brilliant job".

"It's amazing how quickly you can assess what that child needs when you're working one-to-one but we have to be flexible," she described.

"Sometimes the child isn't feeling up to the lesson you have planned so I always have a back-up with me"

Pilgrim Pathways School will have dedicated classroom and teaching facilities in the new Cambridge Children's Hospital which is due to open in 2028.

It hopes the space will allow them to keep even more young people in education.

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