Newbury Independent School, Birmingham
Newbury Independent School is an independent school for pupils aged 11 to 19 in Birmingham. It was rated Requires improvement at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in May 2025.
- Ofsted
- Requires improvement (2025)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Newbury Independent School in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other independent schools to Newbury Independent School are Birmingham Independent College (0.3 miles, Inadequate); Birchfield Independent Girls' School (0.6 miles); The Pioneers Academy (0.8 miles, Good); and The Wisdom Academy (0.8 miles, Requires improvement).
Birmingham Independent CollegeBirchfield Independent Girls' SchoolThe Pioneers AcademyThe Wisdom Academy
Who goes there
Almost every pupil at Newbury Independent School has an education, health and care plan (18 of 18 in 2026).
Getting there
The nearest tram or metro stop is St Paul's (West Midlands Metro), about 0.9 miles away in a straight line.
15 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Alma Street North (adjacent), 60 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Newbury Independent 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 721 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, vehicle crime and criminal damage and arson. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Birmingham (435), 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 May 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Newbury provides a genuinely supportive fresh start for pupils who have faced difficulties in mainstream schools. The caring staff help rebuild confidence and resilience, while strong expectations and pastoral support foster respectful behaviour and positive relationships. The school excels at helping pupils develop real-world skills through careers guidance, work experience, and activities like rock climbing and go-karting that build teamwork and aspiration.
Key Strengths
- Strong supportive and caring environment that helps pupils rebuild confidence and resilience after negative school experiences
- Well-structured teaching in core subjects (English, mathematics, science) with clear step-by-step approaches
- Effective behaviour management and attendance improvements through building trust with pupils and families
- Strong personal, social and health education with excellent careers guidance and work-related learning opportunities
- Leadership has significantly improved with experienced governors and newly appointed senior staff driving positive change
Areas for Improvement
- No structured phonics programme in place - some pupils struggle with reading and literacy skills
- Teaching in humanities and foundation subjects is poorly implemented, making it hard for pupils to build knowledge progressively
- School does not routinely help pupils catch up on missed learning when absent or struggling to engage
- Gaps in pupils' knowledge remain too widespread, particularly affecting those who miss lessons or struggle to focus
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective.
Extracurricular Activities
Rock climbing, go-karting, careers guidance, work-related learning, trips to job fairs and workplaces, visits to local places of religious observance and museums, guest speakers
Newbury Independent School is a specialist school for pupils aged 11-19 with social, emotional, and mental health difficulties, many of whom have been excluded from previous schools. While the school shows good behaviour and personal development, overall education quality requires improvement.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Latest from Newbury Independent School
Specialist SEN Education
30 May 2026
Specialist SEN Education
29 May 2026
Specialist SEN Education
10 Mar 2026
From Newbury Independent School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Keep up with Newbury Independent School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 106
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 26
- Children hurt
- 22
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 106 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 26 serious and 79 slight.
22 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 12 on foot and 10 in a vehicle or otherwise.
14 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 Birmingham is 41 (the median across 517 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
30%
Available places
18 pupils
60 places
42 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Birmingham
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Birmingham
Across Birmingham council
Places available
14,956
Applications
14,483
Got 1st preference
75.7%
Got preferred school
97.4%
All secondary applications across Birmingham council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(10)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
18
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
No need-level breakdown available
Pupil Demographics
Key Indicators
18
Total Pupils
15
Boys
3
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Newbury Independent School
Showing 10 of 14 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Newbury Independent School
What is Newbury Independent School's Ofsted rating?
Newbury Independent School was rated Requires Improvement at its most recent Ofsted inspection in May 2025.
Does Newbury Independent School meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in May 2025, Newbury Independent School met all the independent school standards.
How many pupils go to Newbury Independent School?
Newbury Independent School has around 18 pupils on roll.
How do I apply to Newbury Independent School?
Newbury Independent 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 Newbury Independent School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 106 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 26 serious and 79 slight. 22 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 12 on foot and 10 in a vehicle or otherwise. 14 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 Birmingham is 41 (the median across 517 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Newbury Independent School?
Newbury Independent School is at Unit 6, Cuckoo Wharf, 435 Lichfield Road, Birmingham, West Midlands, B6 7SS.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)