Heaton School, Stockport
Heaton School is a special school for pupils aged 11 to 19 in Stockport. It was rated Requires improvement at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in May 2024.
- Ofsted
- Requires improvement (2024)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Heaton School in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Heaton School are Broadstones School (0.9 miles, Good); Brinksway School (1.5 miles, selective); Melland High School (1.7 miles, Outstanding); and Grange School (1.7 miles, Outstanding).
Broadstones SchoolBrinksway SchoolMelland High SchoolGrange School
Where pupils go next
Of the 11 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 100% stayed in education or training for at least two terms.
Who goes there
44.7% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 22.3% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
Almost every pupil at Heaton School has an education, health and care plan (93 of 94 in 2026). The most common need among them is autism.
Heaton School has a resourced provision for specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, visual impairment, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability, moderate learning difficulties, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties: 100 places, 100 pupils on roll.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Heaton Chapel Rail Station, about 530 metres away (roughly a 7-minute walk).
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Heaton School stands in is among the 10% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Heaton School issued 1 suspension, 1.1 for every 100 pupils, and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Sixth Form
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Requires Improvement at its May 2024 inspection.
Rated Good for
Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Sixth form.
Areas Ofsted flagged
Quality of education (Requires Improvement), Leadership & management (Requires Improvement).
At a Glance
44.7%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
Resourced provision: SpLD, Vision, Hearing +7
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Social & online
Keep up with Heaton School
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Heaton School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Heaton School is in Stockport; for families living there:
Apply to Stockport for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 3
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 1 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 Stockport is 8 (the median across 135 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
Area Demand Pressure - Stockport
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Stockport
Across Stockport council
Places available
3,325
Applications
3,368
Got 1st preference
79.9%
Got preferred school
94.2%
All secondary applications across Stockport council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(7)
Ungraded inspection: The school remains Outstanding, but Ofsted raised concerns; its next inspection will be a full graded one.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
1
SEN Support
93
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Heaton School has a resourced provision for specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, visual impairment, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability, moderate learning difficulties, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties: 100 places, 100 pupils on roll.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
94
Total Pupils
61
Boys
33
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
17
Teachers
5.5:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£51,906
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
10.6%
Overall absence
34.0%
Persistent absence
53
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
Heaton School
Showing 10 of 15 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Heaton School
What is Heaton School's Ofsted rating?
Heaton School was rated Requires Improvement at its most recent Ofsted inspection in May 2024. At its previous graded inspection in 2012 it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for Heaton School?
No fixed boundary. When Heaton School is oversubscribed, Stockport allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Heaton School?
Heaton School has around 94 pupils on roll. 45% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Heaton School have specialist SEN provision?
Heaton School has a resourced provision for specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, visual impairment, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability, moderate learning difficulties, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties: 100 places, 100 pupils on roll.
What is attendance like at Heaton School?
10.6% of sessions were missed at Heaton School in 2024/25. 34% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Heaton School?
Apply through Stockport's coordinated admissions process, naming Heaton 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 Heaton School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 1 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 Stockport is 8 (the median across 135 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Heaton School?
Heaton School is at St James Road, Heaton Moor, Stockport, Cheshire, SK4 4RE.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)