Bestwood Village School, Nottingham
Bestwood Village School is a special school for pupils aged 7 to 16 in Nottingham. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in July 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2025)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Bestwood Village School in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Bestwood Village School are Crisp Vocational Provision (1.8 miles); Endeavour Academy (2.3 miles); Longdale Lodge Outdoor Learning Centre (3.5 miles); and Woodlands Academy (4.1 miles, Good).
Crisp Vocational ProvisionEndeavour AcademyLongdale Lodge Outdoor Learning CentreWoodlands Academy
What parents say
17 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Bestwood Village School (as of September 2025): 71% would recommend the school, 71% say their child is happy there and 0% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that they are kept well informed about progress (71%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (0%).
Who goes there
Almost every pupil at Bestwood Village School has an education, health and care plan (33 of 33 in 2026).
Getting there
The nearest tram or metro stop is Butler's Hill Tram Stop, about 800 metres away (roughly a 10-minute walk).
10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Park Road (opposite), 90 metres away.
Sources: Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport)
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 1 year agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
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
Bestwood Village School excels at helping children with complex needs feel happy and safe at school. The teachers know each child well, break learning into small achievable steps, and create real-life learning experiences - like cooking lessons to practise maths skills. The school has a genuine commitment to developing confident, well-rounded young people who understand their community and their place in the world.
Key Strengths
- Well-designed curriculum tailored to each pupil's needs with three personalised pathways and small, manageable learning steps
- Strong focus on reading with phonics support and a school library that promotes love of reading
- Excellent personal development programme covering diversity, democracy, healthy living, and community contribution
- Staff who know pupils well, model positive behaviour, and step in promptly to support and keep pupils safe
- Ambitious outdoor learning activities that pupils enjoy, such as making shelters in the school garden
Areas for Improvement
- Staff do not always use effective strategies quickly enough to help pupils stay focused during lessons, which affects learning outcomes
- Occasionally, staff do not address unacceptable behaviour consistently, so some pupils do not learn which behaviours are inappropriate
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective and the school has created a positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
trips based on pupils' interests, charity fundraising, visits to local care homes, outdoor learning sessions
Bestwood Village School is an independent special school for pupils aged 7-16 with autism and other SEND needs. The school has created a caring, nurturing environment where pupils with past school difficulties now attend happily and their behaviour has improved significantly.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
17 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 Bestwood Village School
Green Mark Level 1 Accreditation
15 Sep 2026
09/01/2026 School Closure Due to Weather Conditions
9 Jan 2026
From Bestwood Village School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Keep up with Bestwood Village School
Getting There
Tube / Metro / Tram
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 3
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 3 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot.
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 Nottinghamshire is 10 (the median across 370 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
92%
Near capacity
33 pupils
36 places
3 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Nottingham
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Nottingham
Across Nottinghamshire council
Places available
9,842
Applications
9,200
Got 1st preference
92.5%
Got preferred school
98.5%
All secondary applications across Nottinghamshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(2)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
33
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Bestwood Village School is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
No need-level breakdown available
Pupil Demographics
Key Indicators
33
Total Pupils
24
Boys
9
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Bestwood Village School
Showing 10 of 15 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Bestwood Village School
What is Bestwood Village School's Ofsted rating?
Bestwood Village School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in July 2025.
Does Bestwood Village School meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in July 2025, Bestwood Village School met all the independent school standards.
How many pupils go to Bestwood Village School?
Bestwood Village School has around 33 pupils on roll.
Does Bestwood Village School have specialist SEN provision?
Bestwood Village School is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
How do I apply to Bestwood Village School?
Bestwood Village 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 Bestwood Village School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 3 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot. 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 Nottinghamshire is 10 (the median across 370 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Bestwood Village School?
Bestwood Village School is at School Walk, Bestwood Village, Nottingham, NG6 8UU.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)