Aurora Hanley School, Stoke on Trent
Aurora Hanley School is a special school for pupils aged 6 to 19 in Stoke on Trent. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in July 2025.
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2025)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Aurora Hanley School in detail
Aurora Hanley School in its own words
In its own words: "Aurora Hanley is an independent specialist school for young people aged 6 to 19, who may face difficulties as a result of communication needs typically associated with Autism spectrum conditions."
Vision and values (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Aurora Hanley School are Manor Abbey School (0.1 miles); Newfriars College (0.3 miles, Good); Spruce House School (1.5 miles); and Edgewood Academy (1.8 miles).
Manor Abbey SchoolNewfriars CollegeSpruce House SchoolEdgewood Academy
What parents say
21 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Aurora Hanley School (as of September 2025): 91% would recommend the school, 91% say their child is happy there and 33% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that they are kept well informed about progress (95%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (33%).
Who goes there
Almost every pupil at Aurora Hanley School has an education, health and care plan (84 of 84 in 2026).
Aurora Hanley School is approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014, so parents can ask for it to be named in their child's education, health and care (EHC) plan.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Stoke-on-Trent Rail Station, about 2.6 miles away in a straight line.
1 bus stop is within a five-minute walk; the closest is George Steele Avenue (adjacent), 340 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Aurora Hanley School stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. On income deprivation affecting children it is in the 4th decile, where the 1st is the most deprived. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 158 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and criminal damage and arson. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Staffordshire (86), as is usual near a town centre.
Sources: Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 1 year agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Sixth Form
Safeguarding: effective
Independent school standards
Met all the independent school standards.
- Part 1: quality of educationMet
- Part 2: pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural developmentMet
- Part 3: welfare, health and safetyMet
- Part 4: suitability of staff and proprietorsMet
- Part 5: premises and accommodationMet
- Part 6: information for parentsMet
- Part 7: handling of complaintsMet
- Part 8: leadership and managementMet
Source: Ofsted, non-association independent schools inspections and outcomes (Open Government Licence)
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's July 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Aurora Hanley excels at understanding and supporting every child, particularly those with autism and related conditions. The school has high ambitions for all pupils and delivers a thoughtfully planned curriculum with strong emphasis on reading skills and work readiness. Staff show exceptional levels of care, helping pupils who have previously struggled to flourish and succeed.
Key Strengths
- Exceptional care and support that helps pupils feel happy and understood at school
- Strong SEND provision with comprehensive assessments and consistent, well-adapted learning support
- Outstanding progress tracking and rapid identification of learning gaps by skilled teachers and staff
- High-quality personal development curriculum including work experience, careers support, and community engagement
- Excellent behaviour and attitudes with pupils showing high levels of perseverance and consideration for each other
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with leaders creating an open and positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Feelgood Friday activities, trips to Liverpool, residential trips, local community visits including a café run by sixth-form students, work experience, kitchen garden, sports at local facilities, equalities group
Aurora Hanley School is an independent special school for pupils with autism spectrum disorder and related conditions, rated Outstanding across all areas. The school places exceptional emphasis on understanding each pupil's specific needs and provides highly ambitious, carefully designed curricula with significant breadth.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
Approved
Section 41
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
21 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Latest from Aurora Hanley School
Excellent practice earns Hanley award success
11 Jun 2026
Aurora Hanley reflects on work placement success
11 May 2026
Schools’ pupils go loco over Santa trip
18 Dec 2025
Aurora Hanley School recognised for ‘Outstanding’ education
24 Sep 2025
Aurora Hanley School shares ingredients of award-winning food project
26 Jun 2025
Celebrating our Aurora Hanley School 2024 leavers
8 Apr 2025
From Aurora Hanley School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with Aurora Hanley School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 4
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 4 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 4 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot.
1 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Staffordshire is 5 (the median across 457 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
93%
Near capacity
84 pupils
90 places
6 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Stoke on Trent
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Stoke on Trent
Across Staffordshire council
Places available
8,807
Applications
7,681
Got 1st preference
91.9%
Got preferred school
98.5%
All secondary applications across Staffordshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(5)
Independent School standard inspection
Met all the independent school standards.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
84
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Aurora Hanley School is approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014, so parents can ask for it to be named in their child's education, health and care (EHC) plan.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
No need-level breakdown available
Pupil Demographics
Key Indicators
84
Total Pupils
61
Boys
23
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Aurora Hanley School
Showing 10 of 15 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Aurora Hanley School
What are GCSE results like at Aurora Hanley School?
The Department for Education's GCSE measures do not count IGCSEs, which many independent schools take instead of GCSEs, so the Attainment 8 and English and maths figures it publishes for Aurora Hanley School can understate its results. We do not rank or compare them; ask the school for its own GCSE and IGCSE results.
What is Aurora Hanley School's Ofsted rating?
Aurora Hanley School was rated Outstanding at its most recent Ofsted inspection in July 2025.
Does Aurora Hanley School meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in July 2025, Aurora Hanley School met all the independent school standards.
How many pupils go to Aurora Hanley School?
Aurora Hanley School has around 84 pupils on roll.
Does Aurora Hanley School have specialist SEN provision?
Aurora Hanley School is approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014, so parents can ask for it to be named in their child's education, health and care (EHC) plan.
How do I apply to Aurora Hanley School?
Aurora Hanley School is an independent school and runs its own admissions rather than going through the local authority. Contact the school directly for entry requirements, assessment dates, fees and any bursaries.
How many road collisions happen near Aurora Hanley School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 4 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 4 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot. 1 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Staffordshire is 5 (the median across 457 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Aurora Hanley School?
Aurora Hanley School is at Cambrian Way, off Eaves Lane, Stoke on Trent, Staffordshire, ST2 8PQ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)