Oldham specialist school invests £100K on expansion but not to take on more pupils

An Oldham specialist school has invested £100,000 to open an ICT suite, new classrooms, calm rooms, a library and a new kitchen, but it will not increase the number of pupils it teaches.

Chances Mentoring, an independent specialist school and alternative provision based at Whitegate Business Centre in Chadderton expanded its site over the summer.  

The school is registered for up to 60 pupils aged 11 to 16 and said the additional space will be used to improve provision for its current roll rather than to grow it. 

The expansion centres on unit five, previously a personal training facility, which has been converted into an ICT suite, a mathematics classroom, a staff office, a meeting room and a new staffed reception area. 

Two calm spaces have been created for one-to-one intervention work, alongside an outdoor garden for emotional support sessions and a new kitchen facility. The school is also introducing the Emotional Literacy Support Assistant (ELSA) approach, a programme in which trained staff help pupils recognise and manage their emotions so they can engage with learning. 

A former open-plan classroom has been divided to create a dining room and a library, and a running track has been laid alongside the existing artificial pitch. 

Callum Siddall, founder and director at Chances Mentoring, said: "This investment is not about increasing our headcount; it is about increasing the depth of our support. 

"Our priority has always been to provide a better educational experience for the students we have, rather than expanding our numbers for the sake of income. We want every young person who comes through our doors to have the environment and resources they need to thrive and achieve their potential." 

All pupils at the school have social, emotional and mental health needs, and many have additional diagnoses including autism. Places are commissioned by local authorities and mainstream schools across Oldham and the wider Greater Manchester area. 

The curriculum combines GCSE mathematics and English with vocational and thematic learning, including construction, hair and beauty, sport and ASDAN qualifications. 

Chances Mentoring was judged "strong standard" for inclusion in its first Ofsted inspection, published in May. Inspectors rated achievement, behaviour and attitudes, and leadership and governance at the expected standard, and found the school met safeguarding requirements.  

The school opened in January 2025 after securing Department for Education registration, having previously operated as an informal mentoring project. In May, it passed an unannounced Joint Council for Qualifications inspection of its examination arrangements. 

The new facilities are due to be fully operational for the start of the autumn term this September.