Dovetree School, Hinckley
Dovetree School is a special school for pupils aged 8 to 18 in Hinckley. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in December 2023. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in January 2025 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Good (2023)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Dovetree School in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Dovetree School are Dorothy Goodman School Hinckley (0.2 miles, Good); Foxglove School (0.9 miles); Aurora Charnwood School (1 mile, Good); and Sketchley School (1.7 miles, Good).
Dorothy Goodman School HinckleyFoxglove SchoolAurora Charnwood SchoolSketchley School
Who goes there
Almost every pupil at Dovetree School has an education, health and care plan (48 of 50 in 2026).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Hinckley Rail Station, about 1.2 miles away in a straight line.
18 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Preston Road (adjacent), 100 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 202 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, shoplifting and anti-social behaviour. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Leicestershire (58), 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 · 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
Dovetree School excels at creating a safe, supportive environment where pupils feel they can talk to staff about worries and concerns. Staff take time to understand each pupil's individual needs and circumstances, helping them manage challenging behaviour through calm, reflective approaches. The school works closely with other agencies to ensure pupils receive the additional support they need.
Key Strengths
- Strong safeguarding culture with effective arrangements and well-trained staff who understand their responsibilities
- Staff know pupils well and quickly notice changes in behaviour that might indicate concerns
- Effective behaviour management with staff implementing personalised behaviour support plans and using proactive emotional regulation strategies
- Anti-bullying strategy working well with low reported incidents and anti-bullying ambassadors actively involved
- Thorough risk assessments for school environment, activities and off-site visits with appropriate control measures
Safeguarding
Safeguarding is effective - the school has an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils' interests first, with well-trained staff, effective arrangements aligned to national guidance, and strong partnerships with external agencies.
Dovetree School is an independent special school for pupils aged 8-18 with social, emotional and mental health difficulties. The school meets all independent school standards checked during this emergency 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 Dovetree School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 8
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 4
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 8 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 4 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 on a bicycle.
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 Leicestershire is 3 (the median across 329 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
100%
Full
50 pupils
50 places
No spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Hinckley
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Hinckley
Across Leicestershire council
Places available
8,516
Applications
7,490
Got 1st preference
90.2%
Got preferred school
98.1%
All secondary applications across Leicestershire council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(4)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
2
SEN Support
48
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Dovetree 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
50
Total Pupils
39
Boys
11
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Questions parents ask about Dovetree School
What are GCSE results like at Dovetree 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 Dovetree School can understate its results. We do not rank or compare them; ask the school for its own GCSE and IGCSE results.
What is Dovetree School's Ofsted rating?
Dovetree School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in January 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in December 2023, it was rated Good.
Does Dovetree School meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in December 2023, Dovetree School met all the independent school standards.
How many pupils go to Dovetree School?
Dovetree School has around 50 pupils on roll.
Does Dovetree School have specialist SEN provision?
Dovetree School is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
How do I apply to Dovetree School?
Dovetree 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 Dovetree School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 8 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 4 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 on a bicycle. 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 Leicestershire is 3 (the median across 329 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Dovetree School?
Dovetree School is at Ferness Road, Hinckley, Hinckley, LE10 0TB.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)