Haywards Farm School, Reading
Haywards Farm School is a special school for pupils aged 6 to 14 in Reading. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in December 2024.
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2024)
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Haywards Farm School in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Haywards Farm School are The Mile House Therapeutic School (1.3 miles, Requires improvement, selective); The Avenue Special School (2.4 miles, Good); Thames Valley School (2.4 miles, Good); and The Holy Brook School (2.6 miles, Good).
The Mile House Therapeutic SchoolThe Avenue Special SchoolThames Valley SchoolThe Holy Brook School
What parents say
17 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Haywards Farm School (as of September 2025): 88% would recommend the school, 88% say their child is happy there and 60% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that the school has high expectations for their child (88%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (60%).
Who goes there
Almost every pupil at Haywards Farm School has an education, health and care plan (27 of 28 in 2026).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Theale Rail Station, about 140 metres away (roughly a 2-minute walk).
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Haywards Farm School stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. On income deprivation affecting children it is in the 7th decile, where the 1st is the most deprived. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Sources: Ofsted Parent View; 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 December 2024 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Haywards Farm provides a caring, inclusive environment where pupils thrive and regain confidence in their learning. The school excels at meeting individual needs through carefully adapted teaching, strong staff expertise, and personalised support that helps pupils catch up academically and develop positive attitudes. Staff genuinely value working at the school and receive excellent training to meet each pupil's unique requirements.
Key Strengths
- Strong relationships built by dedicated staff that help pupils' self-esteem and confidence flourish
- Highly effective procedures that dramatically improve pupils' attendance and behaviour over time
- Reading placed at the centre of the curriculum with expert teaching for early readers and engaging 'reading for joy' sessions
- Exceptional personal development offer including character building, resilience strategies, and tailored careers guidance
- Exemplary curriculum enrichment activities including trips to historical landmarks that bring learning to life
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with staff and leaders demonstrating a strong commitment to putting pupils' interests first and creating an open and positive culture around safeguarding.
Extracurricular Activities
Trips to historical landmarks such as Stonehenge, celebration assemblies, reading for joy sessions, class discussions and debates, workplace behaviours training at local stable
Haywards Farm School is an Outstanding independent special school for pupils aged 6-14 with autism and associated needs. For many pupils, the school provides a vital route back into full-time education with remarkable impact on their social and academic outcomes.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
17 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 Haywards Farm School
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
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.
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 West Berkshire is 3 (the median across 99 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
28 pupils
32 places
4 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Reading
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Reading
Across West Berkshire council
Places available
2,143
Applications
1,680
Got 1st preference
94.9%
Got preferred school
99.0%
All secondary applications across West Berkshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(2)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
27
EHC Plans
96.4%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Haywards Farm 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
28
Total Pupils
23
Boys
5
Girls
2026 academic year
Questions parents ask about Haywards Farm School
What is Haywards Farm School's Ofsted rating?
Haywards Farm School was rated Outstanding at its most recent Ofsted inspection in December 2024.
Does Haywards Farm School meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in December 2024, Haywards Farm School met all the independent school standards.
How many pupils go to Haywards Farm School?
Haywards Farm School has around 28 pupils on roll.
Does Haywards Farm School have specialist SEN provision?
Haywards Farm School is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
How do I apply to Haywards Farm School?
Haywards Farm 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 Haywards Farm 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. 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 West Berkshire is 3 (the median across 99 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Haywards Farm School?
Haywards Farm School is at Station Road, Theale, Reading, RG7 4AS.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)