Ivy Lane School, Ivy Lane
Ivy Lane School is a special school for pupils aged 10 to 19 in Ivy Lane. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in October 2023. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in October 2025 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Good (2023)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Ivy Lane School in detail
Ivy Lane School in its own words
In its own words: "Aurora Ivy Lane School is a specialist school located on the outskirts of Wakefield city centre."
Coming up: an open day on Saturday 19 June 2027. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.
All school open days in Wakefield
Vision and values (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Ivy Lane School are Meadowcroft School (0.5 miles); Hall Cliffe Primary School (1.9 miles, Outstanding); Kingsland Primary School (2.2 miles, Outstanding); and Hammer Lane Academy (3.2 miles).
Meadowcroft SchoolHall Cliffe Primary SchoolKingsland Primary SchoolHammer Lane Academy
Who goes there
Almost every pupil at Ivy Lane School has an education, health and care plan (51 of 51 in 2026).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Wakefield Kirkgate Rail Station, about 0.8 miles away in a straight line.
10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Ivy Lane, 220 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Ivy Lane School stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 498 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and public order offences. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Wakefield (130), 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 · 1 year 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 October 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Ivy Lane School provides a calm and supportive environment specifically designed for pupils with autism and associated needs, with soft colour schemes and excellent specialist facilities like sensory and immersive rooms. The school maintains very high staff-to-pupil ratios with one-to-one support and works closely with multiple local authorities to meet the needs of pupils with education, health and care plans. Leaders have carefully planned the school's expansion while keeping the wellbeing and welfare of current pupils as the top priority.
Key Strengths
- Excellent safeguarding practices with annual staff training and thorough induction programmes for new staff
- High-quality premises with four newly renovated classrooms and specialist facilities including a sensory room and immersive room
- Strong leadership and governance with clear oversight and accountability systems in place
- Appropriate staffing levels maintained with one-to-one support and plans to increase staff alongside pupil numbers
- Comprehensive health and safety policies with effective risk assessments and routine fire safety checks
Safeguarding
Safeguarding is effective - the school has robust arrangements including annual water safety awareness campaigns for the local canal area, designated safeguarding leads who scrutinise records during multi-agency meetings, and thorough staff induction programmes.
Extracurricular Activities
Sports hall, outdoor spaces for socialisation during breaks and lunchtimes
Ivy Lane School is an independent special school in Wakefield supporting pupils aged 11-19 with special educational needs and disabilities. The school is likely to meet all relevant independent school standards as it expands from 40 to 70 pupils.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Latest from Ivy Lane School
From Ivy Lane School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Keep up with Ivy Lane School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 18
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 4
- Children hurt
- 3
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 18 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 14 slight.
3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 1 on a bicycle.
3 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 Wakefield is 13 (the median across 157 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
73%
Available places
51 pupils
70 places
19 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Across Wakefield council
Places available
4,300
Applications
3,912
Got 1st preference
90.7%
Got preferred school
97.3%
All secondary applications across Wakefield council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(4)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
51
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Ivy Lane 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
51
Total Pupils
38
Boys
13
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Ivy Lane School
Showing 10 of 15 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Ivy Lane School
What is Ivy Lane School's Ofsted rating?
Ivy Lane School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in October 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in October 2023, it was rated Good.
Does Ivy Lane School meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in October 2023, Ivy Lane School met all the independent school standards.
How many pupils go to Ivy Lane School?
Ivy Lane School has around 51 pupils on roll.
Does Ivy Lane School have specialist SEN provision?
Ivy Lane School is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
How do I apply to Ivy Lane School?
Ivy Lane 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 Ivy Lane School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 18 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 14 slight. 3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 1 on a bicycle. 3 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 Wakefield is 13 (the median across 157 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Ivy Lane School?
Ivy Lane School is at Ivy Lane School, Ivy Lane, Ivy Lane, WF1 4AZ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)