Highbury School, Brighouse
Highbury School is a special school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Brighouse. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in October 2018. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in July 2024 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2018)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Highbury School in detail
Highbury School in its own words
Coming up: an open evening on Wednesday 11 November 2026 at 6pm, an open evening on Wednesday 9 December 2026 at 6pm and an open evening on Wednesday 13 January 2027 at 6pm. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.
All school open days in Calderdale
Open days on the school's site (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Highbury School are The William Henry Smith School and Sixth Form (0.4 miles, Outstanding); William Henry Smith Specialist College (1.4 miles); Pivot Academy (1.5 miles); and Compass Community School North (1.8 miles, Good).
The William Henry Smith School and Sixth FormWilliam Henry Smith Specialist CollegePivot AcademyCompass Community School North
Who goes there
41.9% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 1.9% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (75%), Asian (15%) and Mixed (5%).
Almost every pupil at Highbury School has an education, health and care plan (155 of 155 in 2026). The most common need among them is autism.
Highbury School has a SEN unit for specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, visual impairment, other difficulties or disabilities, 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: 169 places, 169 pupils on roll.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Brighouse Rail Station, about 1.1 miles away in a straight line.
18 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Highbury School, 100 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Highbury School stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
Highbury School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
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; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from October 2018, 8 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's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
This is an inspirational school. The experience for pupils at Highbury School is one of joy and happiness. There is an overwhelming atmosphere of care and respect throughout the school. Pupils feel safe and benefit from the rich array of experiences that are planned in the school curriculum.
All pupils at Highbury School have an education, health and care (EHC) plan. Leaders consider these plans carefully to tailor an ambitious curriculum for each pupil. This is true across all aspects of provision, from the satellite sites in local primary schools to the expanding early years provision and the well-established main school site.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
The curriculum at Highbury School is carefully constructed to ensure that all pupils are considered. The overarching curriculum is carefully broken down. Staff select the knowledge, vocabulary and activity choices that will best meet the needs of the children they teach. For example, in reading lessons, adults might teach the school's phonics programme. For pupils not yet ready to access this programme, a curriculum based around phonological awareness is planned and taught. This helps all pupils move towards reading fluency.
Pupils' social development is at the heart of everything the school does. For example, 'fun with food' sessions ensure pupils encounter food of different types. In early years, this is skilfully woven into the provision. This helps pupils develop healthy attitudes to different types of food. Careful cross-curricular links are made so that what pupils learn can be applied to real-life situations. For example, learning about money in mathematics is connected to personal, social and health education (PSHE) when pupils visit and buy ingredients from a shop to make a cake.
From Ofsted's July 2024 ungraded inspection report: the opening paragraphs of each section, quoted word for word. Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Outstanding at its October 2018 inspection - up from Good.
Rated Outstanding for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
41.9%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
SEN unit: SpLD, Vision, Other +8
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Social & online
Keep up with Highbury School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Highbury School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Highbury School is in Calderdale; for families living there:
Apply to Calderdale for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 11
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 3
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 11 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 8 slight.
3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise.
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 Calderdale is 12 (the median across 114 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 - Brighouse
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Brighouse
Across Calderdale council
Places available
2,994
Applications
2,231
Got 1st preference
91.2%
Got preferred school
99.1%
All secondary applications across Calderdale council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
155
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Highbury School has a SEN unit for specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, visual impairment, other difficulties or disabilities, 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: 169 places, 169 pupils on roll.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
155
Total Pupils
102
Boys
53
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
16
Teachers
9.7:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£59,138
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
7.3%
Overall absence
20.7%
Persistent absence
140
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Linked Schools
Schools linked by geographic proximity
Highbury School
Questions parents ask about Highbury School
What are SATs results like at Highbury School?
Of the pupils at Highbury School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 0% reached the expected standard in reading and 0% did so in maths.
What is Highbury School's Ofsted rating?
Highbury School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in July 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in October 2018, it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for Highbury School?
No fixed boundary. When Highbury School is oversubscribed, Calderdale allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Highbury School?
Highbury School has around 155 pupils on roll. 42% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Highbury School have specialist SEN provision?
Highbury School has a SEN unit for specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, visual impairment, other difficulties or disabilities, 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: 169 places, 169 pupils on roll.
What is attendance like at Highbury School?
7.3% of sessions were missed at Highbury School in 2024/25. 20.7% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Highbury School?
Apply through Calderdale's coordinated admissions process, naming Highbury 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 Highbury School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 11 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 8 slight. 3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise. 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 Calderdale is 12 (the median across 114 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Highbury School?
Highbury School is at Lower Edge Road, Rastrick, Brighouse, West Yorkshire, HD6 3LD.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)