Dawn House School, Nr Mansfield, Notts
Dawn House School is a special school for pupils aged 5 to 19 in Nr Mansfield, Notts. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in March 2014. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in July 2025 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2014)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Dawn House School in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Dawn House School are Horizons Academy (2.2 miles); Pollyteach Limited (2.4 miles, Good); Portland College (2.5 miles, Outstanding); and Fountaindale School (2.6 miles).
Horizons AcademyPollyteach LimitedPortland CollegeFountaindale School
What parents say
28 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Dawn House School (as of September 2025): 93% would recommend the school, 93% say their child is happy there and 82% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that the school has high expectations for their child (93%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (82%).
Where pupils go next
Of the 18 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 100% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 17% to a further education college.
Who goes there
36.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 1.8% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (82%) and Mixed (8%).
Almost every pupil at Dawn House School has an education, health and care plan (113 of 113 in 2026). The most common need among them is speech, language and communication needs.
Dawn House School provides for pupils with speech, language and communication needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Mansfield Rail Station, about 2.8 miles away in a straight line.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 61 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and criminal damage and arson. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Nottinghamshire (101).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Dawn House School issued 17 suspensions, 16.5 for every 100 pupils, and no permanent exclusions.
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 · 1 year agoThis judgement is from March 2014, 12 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
Sixth Form
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's July 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Dawn House School excels at helping pupils with speech, language and communication needs thrive academically and personally. The school combines expert teaching with dedicated therapy teams to deliver a truly personalised education that builds confidence and independence. Parents overwhelmingly praise the school's staff dedication and the significant positive impact it has on their children and families.
Key Strengths
- Expert teaching of phonics and reading, with strong collaboration from speech and language therapists
- Highly personalised curriculum tailored to individual SEND needs with clear, achievable learning targets
- Excellent behaviour and attitudes, with skilled staff helping pupils manage emotions and develop strong friendships
- Comprehensive personal development programme including life skills, community activities and leadership opportunities
- Strong careers guidance and preparation for next steps in education, training or employment
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with the school creating an open and positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Makaton choir, skiing, abseiling, Dawn's Diner (school cafe in local community), residential trips, pupil leadership group, sixth-form buddy schemes, litter picking, community performances, Shakespeare film adaptations, enterprise activities at local markets
Dawn House School is a transformative special school that provides exceptional education for pupils with speech, language and communication needs. Staff maintain consistently high expectations and help every pupil achieve them through personalised, skilled support.
About
Dawn House School is a specialist school run by the charity Speech and Language UK for children with severe or complex speech and language challenges. It is located in Rainworth, Nottinghamshire in the United Kingdom.
From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
At a Glance
36.3%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
Speech and language
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
28 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 Dawn House School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Dawn House School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Dawn House School is in Nottinghamshire; for families living there:
- Nottinghamshire's school travel policy: Under 16 Transport Policy 2026-2027
- How to apply: Apply for under 16 travel assistance
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 4
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 4 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 3 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
1 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 Nottinghamshire is 10 (the median across 370 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
94%
Near capacity
113 pupils
120 places
7 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Nr Mansfield, Notts
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Nr Mansfield, Notts
Across Nottinghamshire council
Places available
9,842
Applications
9,200
Got 1st preference
92.5%
Got preferred school
98.5%
All secondary applications across Nottinghamshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(9)
Ungraded inspection: The school remains Outstanding, but Ofsted raised concerns; its next inspection will be a full graded one.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
113
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Dawn House School provides for pupils with speech, language and communication needs.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
113
Total Pupils
72
Boys
41
Girls
2026 academic year
Pupil Absence2024/25
14.2%
Overall absence
35.3%
Persistent absence
85
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
Questions parents ask about Dawn House School
What are GCSE results like at Dawn House School?
In the 2026 results, pupils at Dawn House School achieved an Attainment 8 score of 3.8. 0% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is Dawn House School's Ofsted rating?
Dawn House School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in July 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in March 2014, it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for Dawn House School?
No fixed boundary. When Dawn House School is oversubscribed, Nottinghamshire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Dawn House School?
Dawn House School has around 113 pupils on roll. 36% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Dawn House School have specialist SEN provision?
Dawn House School provides for pupils with speech, language and communication needs.
What is attendance like at Dawn House School?
14.2% of sessions were missed at Dawn House School in 2024/25. 35.3% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Dawn House School?
Apply through Nottinghamshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Dawn House 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 Dawn House School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 4 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 3 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 1 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 Nottinghamshire is 10 (the median across 370 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Dawn House School?
Dawn House School is at Helmsley Road, Rainworth, Nr Mansfield, Notts, Nottinghamshire, NG21 0DQ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)