Buglawton Hall is a former country house, later a school, to the northeast of Buglawton, a suburb of Congleton, Cheshire, England.

Buglawton Hall School
Address
Map
Buxton Road

, ,
CW12 3PQ

England
Information
TypeCommunity special school
ClosedMarch 2018
Local authorityManchester City Council
Executive PrincipalJonathan Gillie
GenderBoys
Age range7–16

Architecture

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The building dates from the 16th century, with later additions and alterations. In the 19th century its exterior was stuccoed and castellated. Later in the century a billiard room and a service wing were added. The house is constructed in brick on a stone plinth, with a half-timbered core.[1] Pevsner describes it as a "modest C16 house [which] was absorbed into an early C18 one, which was brought up to date in the late C18 with castellations, a fine fanlight, and fashionable Roman cement".[2]

Manchester Corporation replaced a "good medieval timber roof" in the stable block with a steel roof.[1]

The hall, together with outbuildings to the east, is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II listed building.[3]

History of the house

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In 1811 Mr Pearson, a silk manufacturer, was living at Buglawton Hall.[4] In 1883 the owner of the house was Fanny Pearson, a widow, who died that year.[5] One of Fanny Pearson's daughters, Julia Pearson, married Charles William Doherty, who was the son of the Chief League of Justice of Ireland, John Doherty, who was a relation to the UK's shortest serving prime minister George Canning. Together they had children, including their daughter Madelaine Doherty, who was believed to be the last owner of Buglawton Hall.[6]

School

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In 1947 there was discussion about the local authority buying the building for use as a grammar school.[7] In 1950 it was purchased by Manchester City Council.[8] The school was opened in 1954 as a school for maladjusted children.[9][10] The school was residential and had the capacity to take 41 children.[11]

In 2000 Ofsted found the school, which was by then termed a Special school for children with Emotional and behaviour disorder, to be Effective.[11]

In 2006 Ofsted found the school to be Good, though noted that the boarding accommodation was in a poor condition.[12]

In 2008 Ofsted judged the school to be Inadequate and requiring Special Measures.[13] They listed, amongst other issues, that there was no headteacher in post and therefore management and oversight were poor; behaviour management was inconsistent; children did not make enough progress to make up for previous poor attainment; there were safety issues; and there was no recording of disciplinary sanctions taken against children or of occasions when children were restrained.[13] As a result of this, in 2009 the executive principal was sacked.[14]

In 2011 Ofsted judged the school to be Satisfactory and it came out of Special Measures.[15]

In 2013 Ofsted again judged the school as Inadequate and requiring Special Measures.[16] There were serious concerns about leadership, governance, behaviour management and children's safety, and teaching required improvement.[16] In addition, "serious allegations of a child protection nature were being investigated by the appropriate authorities".[16]

In 2014 Ofsted judged the school as Good and no longer requiring Special Measures.[17]

In 2017 the local authority decided to close the school; it had 14 pupils at this point and some of the buildings were disused or not fit for purpose.[8][18][19] In 2018 the school was closed.[9]

Current use

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In September 2023 it was reported that the residential block of Buglawton Hall School has been leased to Nestlings Care.[6]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b de Figueiredo, Peter; Treuherz, Julian (1988), Cheshire Country Houses, Chichester: Phillimore, p. 220, ISBN 0-85033-655-4
  2. ^ Nikolaus Pevsner; Edward Hubbard (March 1971). Cheshire. Yale University Press. pp. 118–. ISBN 978-0-300-09588-3. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
  3. ^ Historic England, "Buglawton Hall (Buglawton Hall School); outbuildings to the east of Buglawton Hall (1087062)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 30 March 2012
  4. ^ Samuel Lewis (1811). A topographical dictionary of England. pp. 610–. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
  5. ^ "Mrs. Fanny Pearson, Deceased" (PDF). The London Gazette. 19 February 1884. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
  6. ^ a b "Historic school leased to a therapy provider". Congleton Chronicle. 28 September 2023. p. 22.
  7. ^ "Buglawton Hall, Congleton". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). 10 July 1947.
  8. ^ a b "Proposed closure of Buglawton Hall School". Manchester City Council. 13 September 2017. Archived from the original on 13 September 2018. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
  9. ^ a b "Buglawton school to remain empty following closure". Congleton Chronicle. Archived from the original on 13 September 2018. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
  10. ^ "Manchester: (Cheshire) Congleton, Buglawton Hall Boarding Special School (Mal)". The National Archives. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
  11. ^ a b Donnelly, Jed (2000). "INSPECTION REPORT: BUGLAWTON HALL SCHOOL". Ofsted. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 April 2015. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
  12. ^ Moreton, Henry (2006). "Buglawton Hall School". Ofsted. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 March 2015. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
  13. ^ a b Halifax, Kath (2008). "Buglawton Hall School: Inspection Report". Ofsted. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 March 2015. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
  14. ^ Qureshi, Yakub (7 July 2009). "Special school head suspended". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
  15. ^ Gordon, Honoree (2011). "Buglawton Hall School: Inspection Report". Ofsted. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 April 2015. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
  16. ^ a b c Austin, Jane (2013). "Buglawton Hall School". Ofsted. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 April 2015. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
  17. ^ Padgett, Brian (2014). "Buglawton Hall School". Ofsted. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 April 2015. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
  18. ^ "Consultation on proposal to close Buglawton Hall School". Manchester City Council. 12 June 2017. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
  19. ^ "Publication of statutory notice and proposal to close Buglawton Hall Special School" (PDF). Manchester City Council. 12 June 2017. Retrieved 12 September 2018.

Further reading

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53°10′38″N 2°10′23″W / 53.17709°N 2.17308°W / 53.17709; -2.17308