Bishopswood School, Reading

Ofsted's report card from its 18 November 2025 inspection grades Bishopswood School on 6 areas: 4 strong standard and 2 expected standard. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Attendance and behaviour - Strong standard. "Leaders have high expectations for pupils' attendance."

Inclusion - Strong standard. "Overcoming barriers so that all pupils thrive is the school's core purpose."

Leadership and governance - Strong standard. "Leaders, governors and trustees are relentlessly focused on the best interests of pupils."

Personal development and wellbeing - Strong standard. "The school provides all pupils with a rich and ambitious personal development programme."

Achievement - Expected standard. "Pupils progress well from their diverse starting points."

Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "The school's curriculum is well constructed and coherent."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should review the curriculum as planned, with particular focus on how well pupils have learned what is intended and expanding the range of available qualifications and accreditations on offer"; "Leaders should build on the firm foundations of classroom practice already established to embed consistently effective approaches that promote and sustain pupils' achievement across the curriculum over time".

In its own words: "Bishopswood is a community special school in South Oxfordshire that provides specialist education for children aged 4 - 16 years with severe (SLD) or profound and multiple learning difficulties (PMLD) and complex needs, including those children with ASD. We are a school that prides itself in providing innovative learning techniques to meet the wide-ranging needs of our pupils."

From the headteacher's welcome: "At Bishopswood, families are at the heart of everything we do. We believe that partnership between home and school is vital to every pupil's success and wellbeing. We work closely with parents and carers to celebrate progress, share communication, and provide guidance and support."

The nearest other special schools to Bishopswood School are Aurora Rowan School (1.5 miles); Brookfields School (4.1 miles); Thames Valley School (4.9 miles, Good); and The Avenue Special School (4.9 miles, Good).

Bishopswood School is one of 6 schools run by The Propeller Academy Trust, an academy trust.

25 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Bishopswood School (as of April 2026): 76% would recommend the school, 88% say their child is happy there and 67% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that their child is happy at the school (88%); the weakest, that pupils behave well (64%).

Of the 6 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 100% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 83% to a further education college.

52.1% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 30.1% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are White British (49%), Asian (16%) and Mixed (14%).

Almost every pupil at Bishopswood School has an education, health and care plan (73 of 73 in 2026). The most common need among them is autism.

Bishopswood School has a resourced provision for specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, visual impairment, other difficulties or disabilities, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability, moderate learning difficulties, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties.

The nearest railway station is Tilehurst Rail Station, about 3.7 miles away in a straight line.

12 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Library (adjacent), 100 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Bishopswood School stands in is among the 10% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. On income deprivation affecting children it is in the 7th decile, where the 1st is the most deprived. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In August 2026, police recorded 15 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and burglary. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Oxfordshire (52).

In 2024/25, Bishopswood School issued 6 suspensions, 8.1 for every 100 pupils, and no permanent exclusions.