Gust Independent School, Ashington
Gust Independent School is a special school for pupils aged 6 to 17 in Ashington. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in March 2024.
- Ofsted
- Good (2024)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Gust Independent School in detail
Gust Independent School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: ""Leaders have created a caring, nurturing environment. Staff's and pupils' well-being is a priority for leaders. They make sure that everyone is listened to, and that all opinions are valued." Ofsted 2022"
Headteacher's welcome (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Gust Independent School are Rosewood Independent School (under 0.1 miles, Good); NCEA Castle School (1.3 miles, Good); Cleaswell Hill School (1.7 miles, Outstanding); and Howard House School (3.9 miles, Good, selective).
Rosewood Independent SchoolNCEA Castle SchoolCleaswell Hill SchoolHoward House School
Who goes there
In 2026, 2 pupils (5.7%) received SEN support and 33 (94.3%) had an education, health and care plan.
Gust Independent School is approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014, so parents can ask for it to be named in their child's education, health and care (EHC) plan.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Ashington Railway Station, about 180 metres away (roughly a 2-minute walk).
12 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Station Road-Kenilworth Road (wb), 90 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 214 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and criminal damage and arson. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Northumberland (44), 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 · 3 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
Ofsted rated this school Good at its March 2024 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
Approved
Section 41
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Latest from Gust Independent School
Wonderful Whitehouse Farm
7 Jul 2026
Fond Farewell!
26 Jun 2026
Northumberland Zoo
24 Jun 2026
Hindu Temple Newcastle
23 Jun 2026
Beautiful Bamburgh Castle
16 Jun 2026
From Gust Independent School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with Gust Independent School
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 28
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 7
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 28 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 7 serious and 21 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
4 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 Northumberland is 3 (the median across 175 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
88%
Available places
35 pupils
40 places
5 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Ashington
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Ashington
Across Northumberland council
Places available
2,104
Applications
1,819
Got 1st preference
96.0%
Got preferred school
97.7%
All secondary applications across Northumberland council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(9)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
2
SEN Support
33
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Gust Independent School is approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014, so parents can ask for it to be named in their child's education, health and care (EHC) plan.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
No need-level breakdown available
Pupil Demographics
Key Indicators
35
Total Pupils
31
Boys
4
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Questions parents ask about Gust Independent School
What are GCSE results like at Gust Independent 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 Gust Independent School can understate its results. We do not rank or compare them; ask the school for its own GCSE and IGCSE results.
What is Gust Independent School's Ofsted rating?
Gust Independent School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in March 2024.
Does Gust Independent School meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in March 2024, Gust Independent School met all the independent school standards.
How many pupils go to Gust Independent School?
Gust Independent School has around 35 pupils on roll.
Does Gust Independent School have specialist SEN provision?
Gust Independent School is approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014, so parents can ask for it to be named in their child's education, health and care (EHC) plan.
How do I apply to Gust Independent School?
Gust Independent 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 Gust Independent School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 28 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 7 serious and 21 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 4 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 Northumberland is 3 (the median across 175 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Gust Independent School?
Gust Independent School is at 1 Haldane Street, Ashington, Northumberland, NE63 8SF.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)