Aurora Meldreth Manor School, Royston
Aurora Meldreth Manor School is a special school for pupils aged 6 to 19 in Royston. It was rated Requires improvement at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in October 2024. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in July 2025 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Requires improvement (2024)
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Aurora Meldreth Manor School in detail
Aurora Meldreth Manor School in its own words
In its own words: "Aurora Meldreth Manor School is a specialist independent day school supporting children and young people aged 6-19 with a range of Moderate Learning Difficulties and Specific Learning Disability needs including autism spectrum disorders, ADHD and associated difficulties, who require an individualised, specialist approach. Meldreth Manor School is a National Autistic Society accredited Autism Specialist School."
Vision and values (school website)
Source: The school's own website
What parents say
18 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Aurora Meldreth Manor School (as of September 2025): 89% would recommend the school, 94% say their child is happy there and 100% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (100%); the weakest, that the school has high expectations for their child (78%).
Who goes there
Almost every pupil at Aurora Meldreth Manor School has an education, health and care plan (47 of 47 in 2026).
Aurora Meldreth Manor 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 Meldreth Rail Station, about 920 metres away (roughly a 11-minute walk).
4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Manor Road (near), 190 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 11 crimes within a mile of the school, most often anti-social behaviour, criminal damage and arson and violence and sexual offences. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Cambridgeshire (57).
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
This school excels at creating a safe, inclusive environment tailored to pupils with complex needs. Staff are highly trained and well-supervised, with access to on-site therapy teams and specialist medical support. The school demonstrates a strong commitment to understanding each pupil's individual needs and providing the right level of support throughout the school day.
Key Strengths
- Robust safeguarding arrangements with a well-considered child protection policy and prompt response to concerns
- Impeccably clean and well-maintained premises with thoughtful design for pupils' physical and sensory needs
- Clear and strong staff deployment systems ensuring pupils receive targeted support from well-trained adults
- Thorough pre-employment checks and quality assurance processes reflecting strong commitment to safeguarding
- Strong leadership with a clear strategic vision and engagement with external expertise for continuous improvement
Areas for Improvement
- Risk assessments need to be amended to demonstrate how the school will cater for the proposed increase in pupil numbers
Safeguarding
Safeguarding is effective, with robust arrangements including a newly appointed designated safeguarding lead overseeing both school and care settings, ensuring consistency and prompt response to concerns.
Extracurricular Activities
Duke of Edinburgh's Award scheme
Aurora Meldreth Manor School is an independent special school for pupils aged 6-19 with profound and multiple learning difficulties. The inspection found the school is likely to meet all relevant independent school standards if the proposed material change to increase pupil numbers from 47 to 60 is implemented.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
Approved
Section 41
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
18 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 1 nearby school
Latest from Aurora Meldreth Manor School
No one left on the bench: Aurora Meldreth Manor students enjoy day of inclusive sport
23 Jun 2026
Pupils encouraged to create Meldreth Mania
21 Apr 2026
Aurora Meldreth Manor pupils enjoy festive spirit
3 Dec 2025
Aurora Meldreth Manor hosts choir recital
27 Nov 2025
Duke of Edinburgh activities at Aurora Meldreth Manor School
14 Mar 2025
A day in the life of a Teaching Assistant at Aurora Meldreth Manor
26 Sep 2023
From Aurora Meldreth Manor School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with Aurora Meldreth Manor School
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 4
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 0
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, 1 serious and 3 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
0 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 Cambridgeshire is 5 (the median across 312 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
78%
Available places
47 pupils
60 places
13 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Royston
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Royston
Across Cambridgeshire council
Places available
7,228
Applications
6,755
Got 1st preference
88.3%
Got preferred school
96.6%
All secondary applications across Cambridgeshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(10)
Independent School standard inspection
Met all the independent school standards.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
47
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Aurora Meldreth Manor 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
47
Total Pupils
33
Boys
14
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Aurora Meldreth Manor School
Questions parents ask about Aurora Meldreth Manor School
What is Aurora Meldreth Manor School's Ofsted rating?
Aurora Meldreth Manor School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in July 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in October 2024, it was rated Requires Improvement.
Does Aurora Meldreth Manor School meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in October 2024, Aurora Meldreth Manor School met all the independent school standards.
How many pupils go to Aurora Meldreth Manor School?
Aurora Meldreth Manor School has around 47 pupils on roll.
Does Aurora Meldreth Manor School have specialist SEN provision?
Aurora Meldreth Manor 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 Meldreth Manor School?
Aurora Meldreth Manor 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 Meldreth Manor 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, 1 serious and 3 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 0 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 Cambridgeshire is 5 (the median across 312 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Aurora Meldreth Manor School?
Aurora Meldreth Manor School is at Fenny Lane, Meldreth, Royston, Hertfordshire, SG8 6LG.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)