Brackenfield Special School, Nottingham
Brackenfield Special School is a special school for pupils aged 3 to 19 in Nottingham. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in November 2012. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in November 2024 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Good (2012)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Brackenfield Special School in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Brackenfield Special School are Meadowbrook School (0.6 miles); Stanton Vale School (0.8 miles, Good); Spring Valley School (0.9 miles, Good, selective); and Hemlock Stone School (2.1 miles).
Meadowbrook SchoolStanton Vale SchoolSpring Valley SchoolHemlock Stone School
What parents say
42 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Brackenfield Special School (as of September 2025): 93% would recommend the school, 100% say their child is happy there and 50% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (100%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (50%).
Where pupils go next
Of the 8 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 88% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 50% to a further education college.
Who goes there
52.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 13.4% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
Almost every pupil at Brackenfield Special School has an education, health and care plan (283 of 283 in 2026). The most common need among them is autism.
Brackenfield Special School provides for pupils with specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, visual impairment, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Long Eaton Rail Station, about 1.3 miles away in a straight line.
10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is English Martyrs (adjacent), 150 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Brackenfield Special School stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 155 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 Derbyshire (50), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
Brackenfield Special School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Sources: Ofsted Parent View; DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from November 2012, 13 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's November 2024 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Brackenfield excels at creating warm, caring relationships where every pupil flourishes regardless of their complex needs. The school's personalised approach to learning, combined with skilled staff who use a wide range of communication methods, ensures pupils achieve strong progress from their starting points and are exceptionally well prepared for adulthood. Staff celebrate every achievement, no matter how small, creating a joyful learning environment where pupils genuinely love coming to school.
Key Strengths
- Detailed understanding of each pupil's starting points leads to highly personalised learning pathways that meet complex needs exceptionally well
- Pupils' behaviour is exemplary with a calm, safe environment that promotes learning
- Strong focus on reading skills with pupils developing fluent reading from early years onwards
- Comprehensive personal development curriculum teaches life skills including safety, health, money management, and employability
- All recent leavers have successfully progressed to college or further training
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with staff well trained to support pupils showing signs of upset or distress.
Extracurricular Activities
School dogs (Teddy and Harvey), cycling on the Brack Track, sensory immersion room, soft play, school garden, cooking, enterprise education crafts, annual school production (recent production of Matilda)
Brackenfield Special School is a community special school for pupils aged 3-16 with Education, Health and Care plans. All key areas of the school have been rated Outstanding, reflecting exceptional provision across education, behaviour, personal development, and leadership.
At a Glance
52.3%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
SpLD, Vision, Hearing +6
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
42 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with Brackenfield Special School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Brackenfield Special School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Brackenfield Special School is in Derbyshire; for families living there:
- Derbyshire's school travel policy: Home to school transport policy 2026 to 2027 - 465KB
- How to apply: Apply for home to school transport assistance
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 27
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 10
- Children hurt
- 4
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 27 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 10 serious and 16 slight.
4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise.
6 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 Derbyshire is 6 (the median across 454 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
101%
Over capacity
283 pupils
280 places
3 pupils over capacity
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Nottingham
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Nottingham
Across Derbyshire council
Places available
8,818
Applications
7,971
Got 1st preference
94.5%
Got preferred school
98.5%
All secondary applications across Derbyshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(7)
Ungraded inspection: The school remains Good and may be improving; its next inspection will be a full graded one.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
283
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Brackenfield Special School provides for pupils with specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, visual impairment, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
283
Total Pupils
178
Boys
105
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
45
Teachers
6.3:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£53,536
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
7.2%
Overall absence
19.1%
Persistent absence
199
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Brackenfield Special School
Showing 10 of 15 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Brackenfield Special School
What are SATs results like at Brackenfield Special School?
Of the pupils at Brackenfield Special School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 0% reached the expected standard in reading and 0% did so in maths.
What is Brackenfield Special School's Ofsted rating?
Brackenfield Special School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in November 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in November 2012, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Brackenfield Special School?
No fixed boundary. When Brackenfield Special School is oversubscribed, Derbyshire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Brackenfield Special School?
Brackenfield Special School has around 283 pupils on roll. 52% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Brackenfield Special School have specialist SEN provision?
Brackenfield Special School provides for pupils with specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, visual impairment, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties.
What is attendance like at Brackenfield Special School?
7.2% of sessions were missed at Brackenfield Special School in 2024/25. 19.1% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Brackenfield Special School?
Apply through Derbyshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Brackenfield Special School on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
How many road collisions happen near Brackenfield Special School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 27 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 10 serious and 16 slight. 4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise. 6 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 Derbyshire is 6 (the median across 454 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Brackenfield Special School?
Brackenfield Special School is at Bracken Road, Long Eaton, Nottingham, Derbyshire, NG10 4DA.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)