Lionheart School, Newport
Lionheart School is a pru school for pupils aged 11 to 16 in Newport. Its most recent Ofsted inspection, in January 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 February 2018.
- Ofsted report card
- 4 of 6 areas strong or better
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Lionheart School in detail
What Ofsted's report card says
Ofsted's report card from its 6 January 2026 inspection grades Lionheart 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 prioritise regular attendance at school."
Inclusion - Strong standard. "Staff at Lionheart School are committed to changing the future life chances of pupils and giving them hope for the future."
Leadership and governance - Strong standard. "Leaders have a clear vision for the school, and they ensure that this is shared by everyone involved."
Personal development and wellbeing - Strong standard. "The relationships and sex education and health education curriculum across the school is well planned and coherent."
Achievement - Expected standard. "Most pupils across the school progress well from their starting points."
Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "Leaders have an accurate understanding of the quality of the curriculum and teaching across the school."
Safeguarding standards were met.
Ofsted's next steps for the school: "• The school should continue its work to ensure that teaching is consistently effective so pupils achieve highly across the full curriculum. • Leaders and those responsible for governance should sustain the effectiveness of their rapid improvement work, overcoming barriers and challenges, in order to drive a transformational impact for all pupils".
Read the full report card on Ofsted's site (school website)
Source: Ofsted report card (Open Government Licence), quoted
Lionheart School in its own words
In its own words: "Lionheart School is a nurturing and supportive environment designed with one purpose in mind: to provide Safe, Supportive, Nurturing provision for every student who walks through our doors. At Lionheart, we believe that every child has the potential to thrive - no matter their past challenges or experiences."
Vision and values (school website)
Source: The school's own website
What parents say
22 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Lionheart School (as of April 2026): 86% would recommend the school, 86% say their child is happy there and 67% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that they would recommend the school (86%); the weakest, that pupils behave well (64%).
Where pupils go next
Of the 12 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 50% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 42% to a further education college.
Who goes there
68.1% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 0% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 14 pupils (29.8%) received SEN support and 8 (17%) had an education, health and care plan. The most common need among them is social, emotional and mental health needs.
Getting there
The nearest tram or metro stop is Wootton (Isle of Wight Steam Railway), about 2.9 miles away in a straight line.
5 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Hampshire Crescent (adjacent), 190 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 194 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Isle of Wight (125), as is usual near a town centre.
Sources: Ofsted Parent View; 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
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 9 months agoReport card - no single overall grade (Ofsted's framework since November 2025)
Safeguarding standards met
- Attendance and behaviourStrong standard
- InclusionStrong standard
- Leadership and governanceStrong standard
- Personal development and wellbeingStrong standard
- AchievementExpected standard
- Curriculum and teachingExpected standard
Safeguarding standards: met
Ofsted's report card, in its own words
What it's like to be a pupil at Lionheart School
Pupils enjoy attending the Lionheart School. Pupils value the warmth and kindness of staff. The caring relationships help pupils to develop a deep sense of belonging. Pupils feel valued by the staff. Leaders have created an environment where ‘child first and always' is at the forefront of the school's work. Pupils trust that staff will help them and will support them in any challenges they face. For many pupils, this is their first positive experience of school and education. This contributes to most pupils attending more regularly. They speak about now being hopeful for their future. Pupils across the school are skilfully supported by staff. Teachers respond quickly to provide additional support for pupils when they require it. Pupils are helped to develop strategies to manage their own behaviour. They are confident that staff will deal with bullying if it occurs. This helps them to feel happy and safe and results in a respectful and purposeful school environment. Staff are ambitious for all pupils in the school. Pupils benefit from teaching and support that is adapted to meet their needs. This enables them to learn and make suitable progress from their starting points through the curriculum. Pupils are well supported to become increasingly confident and resilient. An extensive range of enrichment opportunities are available for all pupils. Pupils feel they belong to the school community. They contribute to the wider community through organising events, such as a charity coffee morning. This is a highly inclusive school. The school is effective at identifying and addressing the wide range of barriers that pupils face. Pupils have access to high-quality careers education and support. This results in them being ambitious and aspirational. This school is successful at improving their life chances through its work with employers and local colleges. Pupils are prepared well for their next steps.
What Ofsted says the school should do next
- • The school should continue its work to ensure that teaching is consistently effective so pupils achieve highly across the full curriculum. • Leaders and those responsible for governance should sustain the effectiveness of their rapid improvement work, overcoming barriers and challenges, in order to drive a transformational impact for all pupils.
From Ofsted's report card (inspection 6 January 2026). Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's January 2026 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Lionheart School excels at giving pupils hope for their future by creating a warm, caring environment where they feel valued and belong. The school is outstanding at supporting disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs through tailored interventions and high-quality relationships. Staff are ambitious for every pupil and provide extensive opportunities to develop confidence, resilience and real-world skills through work experience and community involvement.
Key Strengths
- Strong focus on attendance and behaviour with most pupils significantly improving attendance after arrival
- Excellent pastoral support and wellbeing provision with high-quality interventions tailored to individual needs
- Inclusive culture embedded throughout the school with staff trained to meet diverse needs
- Wide range of enrichment activities, visits, clubs and trips for all pupils
- Effective leadership with clear vision and strong relationships with families and external agencies
Areas for Improvement
- Teaching quality needs to be consistently effective across the full curriculum
- Progress in mathematics and writing is slower than in reading and phonics
- Curriculum development is at an earlier stage compared to other aspects of the school's work
Safeguarding
Safeguarding standards are met with an open and positive culture of safeguarding where concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed, ensuring pupils feel safe.
Extracurricular Activities
clubs, trips, visits, work experience opportunities, charity events
Lionheart School is a highly inclusive school that has created a caring, purposeful environment where pupils feel safe and valued. The school is particularly effective at supporting pupils with low attendance histories and those facing significant barriers to learning.
At a Glance
68.1%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
22 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at April 2026 - % who strongly agree or agree
Keep up with Lionheart School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Lionheart School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Lionheart School is in Isle of Wight; for families living there:
Apply to Isle of Wight for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 15
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 15 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 12 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt.
2 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 Isle of Wight is 10 (the median across 51 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
Across Isle of Wight council
Places available
1,388
Applications
1,221
Got 1st preference
83.4%
Got preferred school
94.3%
All secondary applications across Isle of Wight council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(7)
Ungraded inspection: The school remains Good, but Ofsted raised concerns; its next inspection will be a full graded one.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
14
SEN Support
8
EHC Plans
46.8%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
47
Total Pupils
36
Boys
11
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
18
Teachers
2.6:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£40,674
Mean salary
2026 data
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Questions parents ask about Lionheart School
What is Lionheart School's Ofsted rating?
Lionheart School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in January 2026, produced a report card, which grades each area but gives no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in February 2018, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Lionheart School?
No fixed boundary. When Lionheart School is oversubscribed, Isle of Wight allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Lionheart School?
Lionheart School has around 47 pupils on roll. 68% are eligible for free school meals.
How do I apply to Lionheart School?
Apply through Isle of Wight's coordinated admissions process, naming Lionheart 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 Lionheart School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 15 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 12 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt. 2 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 Isle of Wight is 10 (the median across 51 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Lionheart School?
Lionheart School is at Albany Road, Newport, Isle of Wight, PO30 5HZ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)