Brambles School, Mottram
Brambles School is a special school for pupils aged 6 to 14 in Mottram. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in February 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2025)
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Brambles School in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Brambles School are Hawthorns School (0.3 miles, Outstanding); Peak Forest (1 mile, Requires improvement); Cromwell High School (2.6 miles); and Tame Bank (2.7 miles).
Who goes there
In 2026, 0 pupils (0%) received SEN support and 3 (75%) had an education, health and care plan.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Broadbottom Rail Station, about 1 mile away in a straight line.
16 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Back Lane (near), 20 metres away.
Sources: DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport)
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years 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 February 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Brambles School excels at helping pupils with additional needs feel safe, supported and confident. The school provides an exceptional range of experiences beyond the classroom - from educational trips to leadership opportunities - that help pupils develop important life skills and prepare them for their futures. Staff know each pupil well, set high expectations and provide the specialist support needed so pupils make good progress and typically transition successfully back into mainstream schools.
Key Strengths
- Exceptional personal development programme with a wide range of educational trips, visits, leadership roles and real-world experiences - pupils develop remarkably well from their different starting points
- Strong focus on reading across the school with well-planned opportunities for pupils to develop and practise reading and writing skills
- Effective support for pupils' social, emotional and mental health needs with staff using evidence-based strategies to help pupils manage their feelings and make positive choices
- High-quality SEND support with individual education plans frequently reviewed and specialist support from a range of professionals
- Caring, inclusive culture where pupils feel safe and develop positive attitudes to learning and school attendance
Areas for Improvement
- In a small number of subjects, the school is still determining the precise knowledge pupils should learn and when - this sometimes means staff don't emphasise important ideas and concepts enough
- Assessment information is not consistently used to plan the right next steps for pupils in all subjects - this occasionally means activities don't match pupils' needs as well as they could
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with trusted adults in place and a strong culture where pupils know they can speak about their worries.
Extracurricular Activities
Educational trips and visits, school council, litter picking, charity fundraising, leadership roles, reading sessions, careers advice and guidance
Brambles School is an independent special school for pupils aged 6-14 with SEND and social, emotional and mental health needs. The school is rated Good overall, with Outstanding personal development, and successfully supports pupils to settle in, attend regularly, and transition back to mainstream education.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with Brambles School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 11
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 5
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 11 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 11 slight.
5 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise.
3 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 Tameside is 12 (the median across 111 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
57%
Available places
4 pupils
7 places
3 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Mottram
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Mottram
Across Tameside council
Places available
3,293
Applications
2,719
Got 1st preference
86.7%
Got preferred school
96.3%
All secondary applications across Tameside council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(4)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
3
EHC Plans
75.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Brambles 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
4
Total Pupils
4
Boys
0
Girls
2026 academic year
Questions parents ask about Brambles School
What is Brambles School's Ofsted rating?
Brambles School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in February 2025.
Does Brambles School meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in February 2025, Brambles School met all the independent school standards.
How many pupils go to Brambles School?
Brambles School has around 4 pupils on roll.
Does Brambles School have specialist SEN provision?
Brambles School is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
How do I apply to Brambles School?
Brambles 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 Brambles School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 11 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 11 slight. 5 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise. 3 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 Tameside is 12 (the median across 111 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Brambles School?
Brambles School is at 29 Ashworth Lane, Mottram, Cheshire, SK14 6NT.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)