Heather Field School, Burton Bank Lane
Heather Field School is a special school for pupils aged 3 to 19 in Burton Bank Lane. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in March 2024. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in November 2024 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2024)
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Heather Field School in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Heather Field School are Achieve Beyond Schools, Stafford (1.6 miles); The Haven School (2.3 miles, Good); Longridge School (3 miles, Good); and Greenhall (3.3 miles).
Achieve Beyond Schools, StaffordThe Haven SchoolLongridge SchoolGreenhall
Who goes there
Almost every pupil at Heather Field School has an education, health and care plan (129 of 129 in 2026).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Stafford Rail Station, about 1.7 miles away in a straight line.
8 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Barn Close (opposite), 60 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 136 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and other theft. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Staffordshire (86), 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 November 2024 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Heather Field School excels at creating a safe, supportive environment where children with additional needs can thrive. The school offers a broad range of enrichment activities including therapy, music and clubs that help build children's confidence and interests. Staff are experienced in working with young children with SEND and have thoughtfully planned how to adapt routines and learning to meet individual needs.
Key Strengths
- Ambitious and coherent curriculum designed specifically for children with SEND, with two pathways for different needs
- Strong focus on communication, language and emotional development to help children feel safe and secure
- Experienced and knowledgeable staff with expertise in early years and SEND
- Holistic approach to pupil development through therapy, music, clubs and enrichment activities
- Excellent safeguarding culture with strong recruitment, training and reporting systems in place
Safeguarding
Safeguarding is effective - the school has impressive and extensive knowledge, strong recruitment and induction processes, clear policies, efficient reporting systems and rigorous ongoing training to keep pupils safe from harm.
Extracurricular Activities
Therapy sessions, hobby craft clubs, music sessions
Heather Field School is expanding to accept children from age three with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The school has developed ambitious and well-structured curricula with two pathways to meet different learning needs.
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 Heather Field School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 5
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 5 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 1 serious and 3 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
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 Staffordshire is 5 (the median across 457 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
92%
Near capacity
129 pupils
140 places
11 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Across Staffordshire council
Places available
8,807
Applications
7,681
Got 1st preference
91.9%
Got preferred school
98.5%
All secondary applications across Staffordshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(5)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
129
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Heather Field 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
129
Total Pupils
99
Boys
30
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Heather Field School
Showing 10 of 13 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Heather Field School
What are GCSE results like at Heather Field 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 Heather Field School can understate its results. We do not rank or compare them; ask the school for its own GCSE and IGCSE results.
What is Heather Field School's Ofsted rating?
Heather Field School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in November 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in March 2024, it was rated Outstanding.
Does Heather Field School meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in March 2024, Heather Field School met all the independent school standards.
How many pupils go to Heather Field School?
Heather Field School has around 129 pupils on roll.
Does Heather Field School have specialist SEN provision?
Heather Field School is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
How do I apply to Heather Field School?
Heather Field 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 Heather Field School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 5 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 1 serious and 3 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 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 Staffordshire is 5 (the median across 457 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Heather Field School?
Heather Field School is at New Burton House, Burton Bank Lane, Burton Bank Lane, ST17 9JW.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)