Cherry Tree School, Walsall
Cherry Tree School is a special school for pupils aged 3 to 19 in Walsall. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in December 2024. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in November 2025 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2024)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Cherry Tree School in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Cherry Tree School are Bescot Hall (0.9 miles, Good); High Point Academy (1.1 miles, Good); West Midlands Education and Skills (1.3 miles, Good); and Jane Lane School (1.9 miles, Good).
Bescot HallHigh Point AcademyWest Midlands Education and SkillsJane Lane School
What parents say
13 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Cherry Tree School (as of September 2025): 100% would recommend the school and 100% say their child is happy there.
The strongest agreement was that the school supports their child's wider development (100%); the weakest, that the school has high expectations for their child (85%).
Who goes there
Almost every pupil at Cherry Tree School has an education, health and care plan (61 of 61 in 2026).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Bescot Stadium Rail Station, about 790 metres away (roughly a 10-minute walk).
13 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Milton Street (after), 200 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Cherry Tree 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 474 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, shoplifting and vehicle crime. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Walsall (297), as is usual near a town centre.
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 · 11 months agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
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 November 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Cherry Tree School demonstrates strong attention to pupil safety through comprehensive risk assessments covering all school activities and careful supervision strategies. The school has invested in high-quality premises with dedicated spaces including sensory rooms and medical facilities for sick pupils. Leadership has thoughtfully planned how to expand provision while maintaining safety standards and operational excellence.
Key Strengths
- Effective safeguarding arrangements with up-to-date policies available to parents
- Comprehensive health and safety policies implemented with appropriate processes and oversight
- Well-maintained fire safety compliance with clear exit routes and regular alarm testing
- High-standard renovation of upper floor with appropriate lighting, acoustics, and sensory rooms
- Robust staff vetting through single central record and auditing system
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective in line with government guidance, with an up-to-date policy available to parents on the school website.
Cherry Tree School is an independent special school for pupils aged 3-19 with autism, severe learning difficulties, and social-emotional-mental health needs. This inspection evaluated the school's plans to expand from 55 to 130 pupils.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
13 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 Cherry Tree School
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 37
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 4
- Children hurt
- 7
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 37 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 33 slight.
7 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 3 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 Walsall is 20.5 (the median across 134 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
47%
Available places
61 pupils
130 places
69 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Walsall
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Walsall
Across Walsall council
Places available
4,069
Applications
3,782
Got 1st preference
77.4%
Got preferred school
94.0%
All secondary applications across Walsall council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(3)
Independent school standard inspection - first
Met all the independent school standards.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
61
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Cherry Tree 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
61
Total Pupils
51
Boys
10
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Cherry Tree School
Showing 10 of 14 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Cherry Tree School
What is Cherry Tree School's Ofsted rating?
Cherry Tree School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in November 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in December 2024, it was rated Outstanding.
Does Cherry Tree School meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in December 2024, Cherry Tree School met all the independent school standards.
How many pupils go to Cherry Tree School?
Cherry Tree School has around 61 pupils on roll.
Does Cherry Tree School have specialist SEN provision?
Cherry Tree School is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
How do I apply to Cherry Tree School?
Cherry Tree 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 Cherry Tree School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 37 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 33 slight. 7 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 3 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 Walsall is 20.5 (the median across 134 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Cherry Tree School?
Cherry Tree School is at 72 Queen Mary Street, Palfrey, Walsall, West Midlands, WS1 4AB.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)