Forest Park School, Newton Aycliffe

Special
Other independent special school
Mixed
Ages 1117

Data last updated 11 Sept 2026

Location

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Miss Jacqueline Reynolds
Pupils:33 / 50 capacity
LA:County Durham
Phone:01325965220
Address:Durham Way South, Newton Aycliffe Business Park, Newton Aycliffe, DL5 6XP
Status:open
Opened:18 January 2024

Ofsted Rating

Ofsted · 3 months ago
-

Overall

Inspected 4 June 2026View full report
URN:150376
UKPRN:10096156
Diocese:Not applicable
Constituency:Newton Aycliffe and Spennymoor
Urban/Rural:Urban: Nearer to a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

What This School Does Well

Forest Park School demonstrates excellent safeguarding practices with a strong, vigilant culture where staff are well-trained and know when and how to raise concerns. The school has skilled leadership that clearly understands pupils' needs and takes careful action to support them when they join. Facilities are of high quality, including a new building that maintains the same welfare standards as the main school, with secure outdoor spaces and proper medical provision.

Key Strengths

  • Strong safeguarding culture with vigilant staff and regular training on prevent duty and low-level concerns
  • Skilled leadership and proprietor who understand pupil needs and maintain clear compliance with independent school standards
  • High standards for health and safety with regular checks, professional fire safety advice, and well-maintained facilities
  • Thorough recruitment processes and up-to-date single central record for all staff
  • New building facilities match high standards and support increased pupil numbers while maintaining current staff-to-pupil ratios

Safeguarding

Safeguarding is effective - the school has a secure safeguarding culture with vigilant leaders and staff, timely training including prevent duty, clear record-keeping, and prompt engagement with other professionals when concerns are raised.

Extracurricular Activities

Physical education, all-weather pitch sports, outdoor socialisation spaces

Forest Park School is an independent special school for pupils aged 11-17 with social, emotional and mental health needs, autism, speech and language difficulties, and moderate learning difficulties. The school is likely to meet independent school standards following its application to increase pupil capacity.

At a Glance

No

Boarding

No

Nursery

No

Sixth Form

No

Special Measures

Class Sizes

0.0

Avg class size

0

Total classes

2024/25 academic year

Getting There

Train Stations

Heighington Rail Station (South Entrance)
965m · 16 min walk

Bus Stops

Durham Way (E-bound)
124m · 2 min walk
Moores Factory (N-bound)
161m · 3 min walk
Durham Way North (S-bound)
346m · 6 min walk
Durham Way South (N-bound)
408m · 7 min walk
North East Gate (S-bound)
513m · 8 min walk
Can you get into this school?
Enter your postcode to find out

Commute Calculator

Find out if this school is reachable from your home - before you apply

Sign up free to see your commute to this school

What are my chances?

Enter your postcode to estimate your probability of getting a place.

Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

66%

Available places

33 pupils

50 capacity

17 spare places available

Area Demand Pressure - Newton Aycliffe

Low pressure
New homes approved:817
Projected new pupils:147

Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Newton Aycliffe

Admissions Demand - County Durham

Low demand0.89x oversubscription

Places available

5,856

Applications

5,186

Got 1st preference

94.1%

Got preferred school

98.5%

Secondary admissions across County Durham (2025/26)

Inspection History(3)

4 June 2026
11 March 2025
23 November 2023

House Prices

Moving into the catchment? See what homes near this school actually cost

Sign up free to see house prices near this school

SEN Provision

How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.

Sign up free to see special needs support at this school

Pupil Demographics

The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.

Sign up free to see who goes to this school

Reviews

No reviews yet - be the first to leave one.

Leave a Review

You need to be signed in to leave a review.

Feeder Primary Schools

Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity

Nearby Schools

Do you work at this school?

Claim your profile free to get a verified badge, update your contact details, and see how many parents are viewing your page.