Leaways School, London
Leaways School is a special school for pupils aged 7 to 18 in London. Its most recent Ofsted inspection, in May 2026, ended in a report card: 4 strong standard and 2 expected standard. Before that it was rated Good at its last graded inspection, in May 2023.
- Ofsted report card
- 4 of 6 areas strong or better
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Leaways School in detail
What Ofsted's report card says
Ofsted's report card from its 19 May 2026 inspection grades Leaways School on 6 areas: 4 strong standard and 2 expected standard. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.
Attendance and behaviour - Strong standard. "Leaders have established a highly proactive and inclusive approach to managing attendance."
Inclusion - Strong standard. "All pupils have special educational needs and/or disabilities."
Leadership and governance - Strong standard. "Leaders and the proprietor body, including governors, provide effective oversight of the school."
Personal development and wellbeing - Strong standard. "Leaders have established a comprehensive and integrated approach to pupils' personal development and wellbeing."
Achievement - Expected standard. "Pupils achieve well across the curriculum, often from very low starting points."
Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "Leaders have established a broad curriculum and teaching approaches that support pupils with their special educational needs and/or disabilities and next steps."
Safeguarding standards were met.
Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should ensure that teaching is of consistently high quality across subjects and year groups. This should include ensuring checks on pupils' understanding are precise and that any any errors or misconceptions are swiftly identified and addressed".
Read the full report card on Ofsted's site (school website)
Source: Ofsted report card (Open Government Licence), quoted
Leaways School in its own words
Coming up: an admissions event on Tuesday 3 November 2026, an admissions event on Thursday 5 November 2026 and an admissions event on Friday 13 November 2026. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.
All school open days in Hackney
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Leaways School are Stormont House School (0.8 miles, Outstanding); The Yews School (1.1 miles); Blossom Rose School (1.1 miles); and Ickburgh School (1.3 miles, Good).
Stormont House SchoolThe Yews SchoolBlossom Rose SchoolIckburgh School
Who goes there
Almost every pupil at Leaways School has an education, health and care plan (72 of 72 in 2026).
Leaways School is approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014, so parents can ask for it to be named in their child's education, health and care (EHC) plan.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Clapton Rail Station, about 420 metres away (roughly a 5-minute walk).
11 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Mount Pleasant Hill (->s), 30 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Leaways 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 652 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and other theft. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Hackney (1215).
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 · 5 months 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's report card, in its own words
What it's like to be a pupil at Leaways School
A calm, structured start to the day enables pupils to feel safe, within clear routines. All pupils have education, health and care (EHC) plans for their social, emotional and mental health needs. Staff understand these needs well and tailor support carefully for each pupil. Staff greet pupils warmly each morning as soon as they arrive. They check how pupils are and offer support straight away if needed. Pupils who arrive unsettled spend time with a trusted member of staff, or in a quiet space, before lessons begin. Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe, including online and in the community. They trust staff and know their concerns will be listened to and acted upon. Pupils behave well overall. They show improving self-control. They respond positively to clear and consistent expectations and routines, and engage sensibly in social times and lessons. When pupils struggle to manage their emotions, staff respond quickly and sensitively. Leaders deal with any instances of bullying swiftly. Enjoyment of and engagement with learning are high because lessons are adapted to meet pupils' needs. Pupils value small class sizes and the way teachers break learning into small steps, helping them to succeed. Pupils achieve well, often from very low starting points. Many pupils improve their attendance, confidence and readiness to learn. Personalised support, including flexible timetables, tailored group sessions and individual work designed by therapists, help pupils to progress very well. A range of experiences enhances pupils' academic learning and broadens their horizons. These include visits to museums and galleries, the Duke of Edinburgh's Award scheme, sports activities and barista training. There is a notable sense of belonging among pupils. They describe the school as an understanding and supportive place, where staff know them well and help them build confidence, resilience and skills for their future.
What Ofsted says the school should do next
- Leaders should ensure that teaching is of consistently high quality across subjects and year groups. This should include ensuring checks on pupils' understanding are precise and that any any errors or misconceptions are swiftly identified and addressed.
From Ofsted's report card (inspection 19 May 2026). Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's May 2026 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Leaways School excels at supporting pupils with complex needs and challenging circumstances. The school creates a calm, structured environment where pupils feel safe and understood, with staff providing warm, responsive care from the moment they arrive. Through tailored teaching, therapeutic support and individualised pathways, pupils build confidence, develop crucial life skills and are well-prepared for their next steps.
Key Strengths
- Excellent attendance support with individualised approaches that help previously non-attending pupils re-engage with school
- Strong focus on pupils' wellbeing with tailored therapeutic provision including counselling, art and music therapy
- Highly inclusive approach with detailed understanding of each pupil's needs, enabling staff to reduce barriers to learning effectively
- Consistent, positive behaviour management through clear expectations, strong relationships and restorative practices
- Comprehensive personal development programme covering relationships, self-regulation, safety and future aspirations
Areas for Improvement
- Inconsistent use of checks to assess whether pupils are learning effectively across all subjects, lacking consistent precision in some areas
- Need for more consistent teaching approaches across the school to strengthen pupil outcomes
Safeguarding
Safeguarding standards are met - leaders have established an open culture where safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed.
Extracurricular Activities
Arts workshops, cultural and educational visits, work experience, vocational training, music therapy, art therapy, counselling, mentoring
Leaways School is a special educational needs school that provides highly individualised support to all pupils. The school has established strong inclusive practices and therapeutic provision that help pupils overcome significant barriers to learning and attendance.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
Approved
Section 41
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with Leaways School
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 136
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 14
- Children hurt
- 12
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 136 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 14 serious and 121 slight.
12 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot, 3 on a bicycle and 5 in a vehicle or otherwise.
29 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 Hackney is 169 (the median across 105 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
72%
Available places
72 pupils
100 places
28 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - London
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for London
Across Hackney council
Places available
2,489
Applications
2,029
Got 1st preference
74.6%
Got preferred school
95.8%
All secondary applications across Hackney council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(7)
Independent School standard inspection
Met all the independent school standards.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
72
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Leaways School is approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014, so parents can ask for it to be named in their child's education, health and care (EHC) plan.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
No need-level breakdown available
Pupil Demographics
Key Indicators
72
Total Pupils
65
Boys
7
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Leaways School
Showing 10 of 11 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Leaways School
What are GCSE results like at Leaways 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 Leaways School can understate its results. We do not rank or compare them; ask the school for its own GCSE and IGCSE results.
What is Leaways School's Ofsted rating?
Leaways School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in May 2026, produced a report card, which grades each area but gives no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in May 2023, it was rated Good.
Does Leaways School meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in May 2023, Leaways School met all the independent school standards.
How many pupils go to Leaways School?
Leaways School has around 72 pupils on roll.
Does Leaways School have specialist SEN provision?
Leaways School is approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014, so parents can ask for it to be named in their child's education, health and care (EHC) plan.
How do I apply to Leaways School?
Leaways 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 Leaways School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 136 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 14 serious and 121 slight. 12 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot, 3 on a bicycle and 5 in a vehicle or otherwise. 29 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 Hackney is 169 (the median across 105 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Leaways School?
Leaways School is at 18 Theydon Road, London, E5 9NZ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)