Furze Down School, Buckingham
Furze Down School is a special school for pupils aged 4 to 19 in Buckingham. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in March 2014. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in February 2024 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2014)
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Furze Down School in detail
Where pupils go next
Of the 24 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 96% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 33% to a further education college.
Who goes there
30.9% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 4.5% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (75%), Mixed (9%) and Asian (7%).
Almost every pupil at Furze Down School has an education, health and care plan (223 of 223 in 2026). The most common need among them is autism.
Furze Down School provides for pupils with speech, language and communication needs and autism.
Getting there
There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of Furze Down School.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Furze Down School issued 9 suspensions, 4.1 for every 100 pupils, and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoThis judgement is from March 2014, 12 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Outstanding.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Outstanding at its March 2014 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Leadership & management.
About
Furze Down School is a co-educational special education school in Winslow, Buckinghamshire. It is a community school, which takes children from the age of 4 through to the age of 19.
From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
At a Glance
30.9%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
Speech and language, Autism
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2025/26KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 1 nearby school
Latest from Furze Down School
From Furze Down School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with Furze Down School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Furze Down School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Furze Down School is in Buckinghamshire; for families living there:
- Buckinghamshire's school travel policy: Home to School Transport Policy (0 to 25 Year Olds)
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 1
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 1 road collision in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 1 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
0 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 Buckinghamshire is 4 (the median across 274 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
101%
Over capacity
223 pupils
220 places
3 pupils over capacity
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Buckingham
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Buckingham
Across Buckinghamshire council
Places available
6,847
Applications
6,535
Got 1st preference
76.7%
Got preferred school
93.9%
All secondary applications across Buckinghamshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(6)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
223
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Furze Down School provides for pupils with speech, language and communication needs and autism.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
223
Total Pupils
158
Boys
65
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
37
Teachers
6.0:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£55,560
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
13.5%
Overall absence
34.6%
Persistent absence
182
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
Furze Down School
Questions parents ask about Furze Down School
What are GCSE results like at Furze Down School?
In the 2026 results, pupils at Furze Down School achieved an Attainment 8 score of 0.8. 0% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is Furze Down School's Ofsted rating?
Furze Down School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in February 2024, 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 Furze Down School?
No fixed boundary. When Furze Down School is oversubscribed, Buckinghamshire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Furze Down School?
Furze Down School has around 223 pupils on roll. 31% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Furze Down School have specialist SEN provision?
Furze Down School provides for pupils with speech, language and communication needs and autism.
What is attendance like at Furze Down School?
13.5% of sessions were missed at Furze Down School in 2024/25. 34.6% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Furze Down School?
Apply through Buckinghamshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Furze Down 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 Furze Down School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 1 road collision in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 1 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 0 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 Buckinghamshire is 4 (the median across 274 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Furze Down School?
Furze Down School is at Verney Road, Winslow, Buckingham, Buckinghamshire, MK18 3BL.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)