New Barn School, Broadbridge Heath
New Barn School is a special school for pupils aged 7 to 15 in Broadbridge Heath. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in September 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2025)
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
New Barn School in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to New Barn School are Manor House School (1.6 miles); Aurora Vincent House School (2.3 miles); Apple Orchard School (2.7 miles, Good, selective); and Muntham House School (2.9 miles, Good).
Manor House SchoolAurora Vincent House SchoolApple Orchard SchoolMuntham House School
Who goes there
Almost every pupil at New Barn School has an education, health and care plan (103 of 103 in 2026).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Christs Hospital Rail Station, about 2 miles away in a straight line.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 9 crimes within a mile of the school, most often anti-social behaviour, other theft and public order offences. That is well below the typical figure around schools in West Sussex (103).
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 September 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
New Barn School excels at re-engaging pupils who have had negative school experiences, helping them gain confidence and progress toward further education or training. Staff provide exceptional support for pupils' mental health and well-being, creating calm, purposeful learning environments where pupils feel safe and understood. The school offers an ambitious, well-planned curriculum with strong teaching and a rich range of enrichment activities that spark pupils' interests.
Key Strengths
- Transforms pupils' attitudes to school - many pupils who had negative previous experiences now attend regularly and feel safe and understood -
- Excellent behaviour and personal development support, including strong mental health and well-being provision -
- Well-sequenced curriculum with strong teacher subject knowledge and clear progression of learning -
- Strong culture of reading with dedicated reading time and tailored phonics support for struggling readers -
- Comprehensive enrichment programme including forest exploration, museum visits, and extra-curricular clubs
Areas for Improvement
- Speed of addressing learning gaps needs to improve - some pupils not receiving quick enough support to read fluently or develop reading comprehension -
- More consistent identification and filling of knowledge gaps across all subjects, particularly in secondary phase -
- Secondary reading support could be more developed to help all pupils who need it
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with the school creating a positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Music clubs, languages clubs, sports, forest exploration, Science Museum visits
New Barn School is an independent special school for pupils aged 7-19 with autism spectrum disorder and associated difficulties. The school has been rated Good overall, with Outstanding ratings for behaviour and attitudes, and personal development.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with New Barn School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
No injury road collisions were reported to the police within 500 m of the school's mapped location in 2021 to 2025.
The typical figure for schools in West Sussex is 11 (the median across 337 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
86%
Available places
103 pupils
120 places
17 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Across West Sussex council
Places available
9,806
Applications
8,765
Got 1st preference
87.5%
Got preferred school
97.6%
All secondary applications across West Sussex council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
103
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
New Barn 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
103
Total Pupils
73
Boys
30
Girls
2026 academic year
Questions parents ask about New Barn School
What are GCSE results like at New Barn 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 New Barn School can understate its results. We do not rank or compare them; ask the school for its own GCSE and IGCSE results.
What is New Barn School's Ofsted rating?
New Barn School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in September 2025.
Does New Barn School meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in September 2025, New Barn School met all the independent school standards.
How many pupils go to New Barn School?
New Barn School has around 103 pupils on roll.
Does New Barn School have specialist SEN provision?
New Barn School is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
How do I apply to New Barn School?
New Barn 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 New Barn School?
No injury road collisions were reported to the police within 500 m of the school's mapped location in 2021 to 2025. The typical figure for schools in West Sussex is 11 (the median across 337 schools, same distance and years).
Where is New Barn School?
New Barn School is at Guildford Road, Broadbridge Heath, Broadbridge Heath, RH12 3PQ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)