Brookways School, North Cheam
Brookways School is a special school for pupils aged 7 to 17 in North Cheam. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in January 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2025)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Brookways School in detail
Brookways School in its own words
Coming up: an admissions event on Tuesday 3 November 2026, an admissions event on Thursday 5 November 2026 and an admissions event on Friday 13 November 2026. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.
All school open days in Sutton
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Brookways School are Blossom House School (1.5 miles, Outstanding); Grove Road School (1.6 miles); Orchard Hill College (1.7 miles, Outstanding); and Linden Bridge School (1.7 miles, Good).
Blossom House SchoolGrove Road SchoolOrchard Hill CollegeLinden Bridge School
What parents say
26 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Brookways School (as of September 2025): 89% would recommend the school, 85% say their child is happy there and 50% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that the school supports their child's wider development (92%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (50%).
Who goes there
Almost every pupil at Brookways School has an education, health and care plan (78 of 78 in 2026).
Brookways 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 West Sutton, about 1 mile away in a straight line.
10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is North Cheam Sports Club, 80 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Brookways School stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 198 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and vehicle crime. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Sutton (324).
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 · 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 January 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Brookways excels at knowing each pupil as an individual and supporting their emotional wellbeing alongside learning. The school has successfully helped pupils with negative previous school experiences to re-engage, with most now attending regularly. Staff are proud to work there, parents feel well-communicated with, and the school provides enriching experiences that prepare pupils well for their next steps.
Key Strengths
- Strong relationships between staff and pupils, with high expectations and excellent emotional support
- Ambitious curriculum with clear progression of skills and knowledge, tailored to individual pupil needs
- Reading made a priority with structured phonics programme and daily protected reading time for all pupils
- Expert support helps pupils manage behaviour and build resilience and confidence
- Most pupils with previous poor attendance now attend regularly due to staff addressing barriers to attendance
Areas for Improvement
- Staff need more confidence in linking the curriculum to pupils' EHC plan targets so they can adapt teaching effectively
- In primary phase, some subjects lack clearly defined key knowledge and skills, limiting secure learning progression
- Work to align curriculum with individual EHC targets is still in early stages
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with the school ensuring suitable arrangements to promote pupils' safety.
Extracurricular Activities
Morning walks, trips to museums and London Eye, visits to Kew Gardens and Sutton Synagogue, residentials to Isle of Wight and Swanage, Berlin trip, visits to local care home, morning reading sessions, careers guidance, college visits, weekly college attendance for key stage 4
Brookways School is a special school for pupils aged 7-17 with autism and associated needs. The school has improved significantly since its previous inspection and is now rated as Good across all areas.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
Approved
Section 41
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
26 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with Brookways School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 45
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 9
- Children hurt
- 4
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 45 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 9 serious and 35 slight.
4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
4 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 Sutton is 39 (the median across 74 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
98%
Near capacity
78 pupils
80 places
2 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - North Cheam
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for North Cheam
Across Sutton council
Places available
3,505
Applications
2,870
Got 1st preference
69.5%
Got preferred school
95.7%
All secondary applications across Sutton council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(4)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
78
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Brookways 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
78
Total Pupils
55
Boys
23
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Brookways School
Showing 10 of 14 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Brookways School
What are GCSE results like at Brookways School?
The Department for Education's GCSE measures do not count IGCSEs, which many independent schools take instead of GCSEs, so the Attainment 8 and English and maths figures it publishes for Brookways School can understate its results. We do not rank or compare them; ask the school for its own GCSE and IGCSE results.
What is Brookways School's Ofsted rating?
Brookways School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in January 2025.
Does Brookways School meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in January 2025, Brookways School met all the independent school standards.
How many pupils go to Brookways School?
Brookways School has around 78 pupils on roll.
Does Brookways School have specialist SEN provision?
Brookways 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 Brookways School?
Brookways 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 Brookways School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 45 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 9 serious and 35 slight. 4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 4 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 Sutton is 39 (the median across 74 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Brookways School?
Brookways School is at 660 London Road, North Cheam, North Cheam, SM3 9BZ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)