Darwin School, Uxbridge
Darwin School is a special school for pupils aged 8 to 18 in Uxbridge. It was rated Requires improvement at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in July 2025. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in March 2026 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Requires improvement (2025)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Darwin School in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Darwin School are The Mews (under 0.1 miles, Good); Pield Heath House RC School (1.6 miles, Good); Meadow High School (1.9 miles, Good); and Moorcroft School (2.1 miles, Outstanding).
The MewsPield Heath House RC SchoolMeadow High SchoolMoorcroft School
Who goes there
In 2026, 3 pupils (60%) received SEN support and 2 (40%) had an education, health and care plan.
Getting there
The nearest tram or metro stop is Uxbridge Station, about 440 metres away (roughly a 6-minute walk).
8 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Uxbridge High Street, 190 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Darwin School stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 340 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Shropshire (10), as is usual near a town centre.
Sources: 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 · 7 months agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Safeguarding: effective
Independent school standards
Did not meet the independent school standards in Part 3 (welfare, health and safety), Part 5 (premises and accommodation) and Part 8 (leadership and management).
- Part 1: quality of educationMet
- Part 2: pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural developmentMet
- Part 3: welfare, health and safetyNot met
- Part 4: suitability of staff and proprietorsMet
- Part 5: premises and accommodationNot met
- Part 6: information for parentsMet
- Part 7: handling of complaintsMet
- Part 8: leadership and managementNot met
Progress-monitoring inspection, 3 March 2026: The school met all the standards Ofsted checked.
Source: Ofsted, non-association independent schools inspections and outcomes (Open Government Licence)
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's March 2026 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Darwin School has made significant progress in meeting all required standards. The leadership team has worked effectively to strengthen governance and implement important improvements, such as ensuring proper shower facilities for pupils after physical education lessons. The school has put robust systems in place to maintain compliance with regulations moving forward.
Key Strengths
- Governance procedures and oversight have been significantly strengthened with more regular checks and support for leaders
- Effective action plan has been rapidly implemented by the proprietor
- Leadership team now has clear understanding of their role in ensuring all standards are met consistently
- Admissions register is now accurate and compliant with regulations
- PE facilities now include proper shower facilities for pupils over 11
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective - the school's safeguarding policy is available to parents and the single central record of pre-employment checks is in place.
Darwin School is an independent special school for pupils aged 8-18 with social, emotional and mental health needs. The school now meets all independent school standards that were checked during this progress monitoring inspection.
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 Darwin School
Getting There
Tube / Metro / Tram
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 59
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 11
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 59 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 11 serious and 48 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
12 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 Shropshire is 1 (the median across 187 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
25%
Available places
5 pupils
20 places
15 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Uxbridge
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Uxbridge
Across Shropshire council
Places available
3,213
Applications
2,845
Got 1st preference
91.0%
Got preferred school
98.7%
All secondary applications across Shropshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(9)
Independent school Progress Monitoring inspection
Outcome: the school met all the standards Ofsted checked.
Independent School standard inspection
Did not meet the independent school standards in Part 3 (welfare, health and safety), Part 5 (premises and accommodation) and Part 8 (leadership and management).
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
3
SEN Support
2
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Darwin 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
5
Total Pupils
0
Boys
5
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Darwin School
Showing 10 of 12 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Darwin School
What is Darwin School's Ofsted rating?
Darwin School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in March 2026, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in July 2025, it was rated Requires Improvement.
Does Darwin School meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in July 2025, Darwin School did not meet the independent school standards in Part 3 (welfare, health and safety), Part 5 (premises and accommodation) and Part 8 (leadership and management). At a later progress-monitoring inspection in March 2026, the school met all the standards Ofsted checked.
How many pupils go to Darwin School?
Darwin School has around 5 pupils on roll.
Does Darwin School have specialist SEN provision?
Darwin School is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
How do I apply to Darwin School?
Darwin 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 Darwin School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 59 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 11 serious and 48 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 12 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 Shropshire is 1 (the median across 187 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Darwin School?
Darwin School is at C/O 4th Floor, Parkview, 82 Oxford Road, Uxbridge, UB8 1UX.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)