New Woodlands School, Bromley
New Woodlands School is a special school for pupils aged 5 to 16 in Bromley. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in May 2019. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in December 2024 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Good (2019)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
New Woodlands School in detail
New Woodlands School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "We are a special school who support all children from 5 to 16 who have SEMH as their main need. We admit children from all Lewisham mainstream schools who are referred to us. We will support the child and the family to put in support mechanisms and strategies to help manage behaviour/learning progress."
Headteacher's welcome (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to New Woodlands School are Greenvale School (0.3 miles, Outstanding); Drumbeat School and ASD Service (0.5 miles, Good); Watergate School (1 mile, Outstanding); and The Young Women's Hub (1.1 miles, Good, selective).
Greenvale SchoolDrumbeat School and ASD ServiceWatergate SchoolThe Young Women's Hub
Where pupils go next
Of the 9 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 78% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 44% to a further education college.
Who goes there
80.2% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 0% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (45%), Mixed (31%) and Black (22%).
Almost every pupil at New Woodlands School has an education, health and care plan (101 of 101 in 2026). The most common need among them is social, emotional and mental health needs.
New Woodlands School provides for pupils with specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, other difficulties or disabilities, speech, language and communication needs, autism, social, emotional and mental health needs, moderate learning difficulties and severe learning difficulties.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Beckenham Hill Station, about 0.8 miles away in a straight line.
13 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Bonus Pastor School (->w), 140 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, New Woodlands School issued 68 suspensions, 66 for every 100 pupils, and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from May 2019, 7 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: Standards have been maintained.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's December 2024 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
New Woodlands School excels at supporting pupils' emotional wellbeing and behaviour management, with staff helping pupils regulate their emotions and stay focused on learning. The curriculum is carefully designed to build pupils' skills over time, with teachers who know their pupils well and adapt teaching to meet individual needs. The school's strong commitment to preparing pupils for adulthood, including careers education and exposure to new experiences, means all students progress successfully to further education or employment.
Key Strengths
- Excellent focus on developing pupils' personal skills and emotional regulation with calm, positive learning environments
- Strong support from well-trained staff, teaching assistants, therapists and external professionals working together effectively
- Logically structured curriculum with skilled teaching that helps all pupils access learning at their own pace
- Wide range of educational visits and enrichment activities that broaden pupils' horizons
- All pupils move to further education, training or employment when they leave
Areas for Improvement
- A small number of pupils remain persistently absent from school, missing out on the quality education provided
- Overall absence rates remain high despite considerable school efforts
- Need to evaluate which attendance strategies are most effective so successful approaches can be expanded
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with leaders creating an open and positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Visits to Tate Modern and The British Museum, careers education, relationships and sex education
New Woodlands School is a special school for pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs that has maintained good standards. The school prioritises pupils' social and emotional wellbeing while preparing them well for adulthood.
At a Glance
80.2%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
SpLD, Other, Speech and language +4
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2025/26KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Maths has improved from 0% to 9% (2024 to 2025).
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with New Woodlands School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to New Woodlands School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. New Woodlands School is in Lewisham; for families living there:
Apply to Lewisham for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 33
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 8
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 33 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 32 slight.
8 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot and 4 in a vehicle or otherwise.
9 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 Lewisham is 75 (the median across 98 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
94%
Near capacity
101 pupils
108 places
7 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Bromley
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Bromley
Across Lewisham council
Places available
2,238
Applications
2,828
Got 1st preference
63.5%
Got preferred school
91.4%
All secondary applications across Lewisham council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(7)
Ungraded inspection: Standards have been maintained.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
101
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
New Woodlands School provides for pupils with specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, other difficulties or disabilities, speech, language and communication needs, autism, social, emotional and mental health needs, moderate learning difficulties and severe learning difficulties.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
101
Total Pupils
84
Boys
17
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
17
Teachers
5.9:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£72,517
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
15.8%
Overall absence
50.4%
Persistent absence
115
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
New Woodlands School
Showing 10 of 14 linked schools
Questions parents ask about New Woodlands School
What are GCSE results like at New Woodlands School?
In the 2026 results, pupils at New Woodlands School achieved an Attainment 8 score of 2.2. 0% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is New Woodlands School's Ofsted rating?
New Woodlands School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in December 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in May 2019, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for New Woodlands School?
No fixed boundary. When New Woodlands School is oversubscribed, Lewisham allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to New Woodlands School?
New Woodlands School has around 101 pupils on roll. 80% are eligible for free school meals.
Does New Woodlands School have specialist SEN provision?
New Woodlands School provides for pupils with specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, other difficulties or disabilities, speech, language and communication needs, autism, social, emotional and mental health needs, moderate learning difficulties and severe learning difficulties.
What is attendance like at New Woodlands School?
15.8% of sessions were missed at New Woodlands School in 2024/25. 50.4% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to New Woodlands School?
Apply through Lewisham's coordinated admissions process, naming New Woodlands 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 New Woodlands School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 33 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 32 slight. 8 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot and 4 in a vehicle or otherwise. 9 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 Lewisham is 75 (the median across 98 schools, same distance and years).
Where is New Woodlands School?
New Woodlands School is at Shroffold Road, Bromley, Kent, BR1 5PD.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)