Newbury Manor School, Frome
Newbury Manor School is a special school for pupils aged 6 to 19 in Frome. Its most recent Ofsted inspection, in May 2026, ended in a report card: 1 strong standard, 2 expected standard and 4 needs attention. Before that it was rated Good at its last graded inspection, in February 2023.
- Ofsted report card
- 4 areas need attention
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Newbury Manor School in detail
What Ofsted's report card says
Ofsted's report card from its 12 May 2026 inspection grades Newbury Manor School on 7 areas: 1 strong standard, 2 expected standard and 4 needs attention. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.
Personal development and wellbeing - Strong standard. "Leaders focus rigorously on preparing pupils for their future."
Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "Many pupils join the school having previously attended other schools."
Inclusion - Expected standard. "Leaders want the best for all pupils at the school."
Achievement - Needs attention. "Pupils following the school's formal curriculum pathway do not build on their knowledge and understanding effectively across all subject areas."
Curriculum and teaching - Needs attention. "Leaders have planned a curriculum that has 3 pathways, formal, semi-formal and informal."
Leadership and governance - Needs attention. "Since the previous inspection, the school has experienced a period of instability in leadership."
Post 16 provision - Needs attention. "Leaders carefully consider if it is in the best interests of individual students to continue into the school's post-16 provision."
Safeguarding standards were met.
Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should ensure that the formal curriculum pathway, pre- and post-16, is ambitious, well-sequenced and leads to appropriate qualifications that prepare pupils well for their next steps"; "Leaders should ensure that teaching is consistently effective across all curriculum pathways so that pupils develop a coherent body of knowledge and skills and achieve well from their individual starting points"; "The proprietor should ensure that the school consistently meets the independent school standards".
Read the full report card on Ofsted's site (school website)
Source: Ofsted report card (Open Government Licence), quoted
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Newbury Manor School are Finding Futures (2.7 miles); Fosse Way School (2.7 miles, Good); The Universal Farm (3.3 miles); and Critchill Special School (4.3 miles, Good).
Finding FuturesFosse Way SchoolThe Universal FarmCritchill Special School
Who goes there
Almost every pupil at Newbury Manor School has an education, health and care plan (62 of 62 in 2026).
Newbury Manor 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.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 3 crimes within a mile of the school, most often burglary, criminal damage and arson and violence and sexual offences. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Somerset (22).
Sources: DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 5 months agoReport card - no single overall grade (Ofsted's framework since January 2026 for independent schools)
Safeguarding standards met
- Personal development and wellbeingStrong standard
- Attendance and behaviourExpected standard
- InclusionExpected standard
- AchievementNeeds attention
- Curriculum and teachingNeeds attention
- Leadership and governanceNeeds attention
- Post 16 provisionNeeds attention
Safeguarding standards: met
Independent school standards
Did not meet the independent school standards in Part 1 (quality of education) and Part 8 (leadership and management).
- Part 1: quality of educationNot met
- 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 managementNot met
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 Newbury Manor School
Newbury Manor School is an inclusive school. Pupils quickly feel that they belong and know they are safe. Staff take the time and care required to get to know pupils' individual needs and personalities. Staff support pupils to engage in the day-to-day life of the school and build friendships with their peers. Pupils typically behave well. Bullying and unkindness are uncommon and never tolerated. Pupils trust adults to help them to resolve any concerns. Many pupils follow a well-planned curriculum that helps them to develop their knowledge and skills. However, this is not the experience of all pupils. Consequently, some pupils do not make as much progress from their starting points as they should. Some pupils are not prepared well for their next steps in education, training or employment. Pupils and post-16 students enjoy the learning and social experiences the school provides. Most pupils attend well. Pupils and their key adults greet each other warmly each morning. Where pupils experience difficulties in attending school regularly, leaders work with families and other professionals to put support in place. Leaders go to great lengths to provide pupils and post-16 students with a broad range of experiences to develop their individual characters and interests. For example, pupils enjoy activities such as bike maintenance, railway visits, yoga and chess tournaments. Whole-school events such as ‘grounds day' and celebrating Chinese New Year bring the school together. The school's 'peacock values' remind pupils about their responsibilities as citizens. Pupils volunteer in the community and fundraise for charities. Pupils run the redwood café for other pupils and staff to enjoy. Pupils are proud of the 'peacock coins' that they earn for their contributions to the school.
What Ofsted says the school should do next
- Leaders should ensure that the formal curriculum pathway, pre- and post-16, is ambitious, well-sequenced and leads to appropriate qualifications that prepare pupils well for their next steps.
- Leaders should ensure that teaching is consistently effective across all curriculum pathways so that pupils develop a coherent body of knowledge and skills and achieve well from their individual starting points.
- The proprietor should ensure that the school consistently meets the independent school standards.
From Ofsted's report card (inspection 12 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
Newbury Manor School excels at helping every pupil feel valued and included, with particularly strong pastoral support and personal development programmes. The school's careers education is a major strength, with individualised work experience and community-based activities that build pupils' confidence and employability. Staff are caring and attentive, greeting each pupil personally each day and quickly addressing any barriers to attendance or wellbeing.
Key Strengths
- Excellent pastoral support and personal development, with high-quality enrichment activities in art, sport and music
- Strong careers education that is individualised and helps pupils transition successfully to education, training or employment
- Well-designed informal and semi-formal curriculum pathways where pupils make good progress from their starting points
- Warm, caring relationships between staff and pupils with effective behaviour support
- Inclusive school culture with clear focus on preparing pupils for independent adult life
Areas for Improvement
- Formal curriculum pathway is not well designed or ambitious enough - pupils do not build knowledge effectively across all subject areas
- Recent leadership instability has negatively impacted school provision and quality of teaching
- Some curriculum pathways lack flexibility to adjust quickly when pupils' needs change
- Post-16 formal curriculum pathway needs review to offer more ambitious qualifications
Safeguarding
Safeguarding standards are met - leaders have established an open culture where safeguarding is everyone's responsibility, concerns are actively identified and managed, and pupils feel safe.
Extracurricular Activities
Art, sport, music, charity fundraising events, student council, diversity rocks group, work experience, community volunteering, art projects exploring local trees
Newbury Manor School is an inclusive school where pupils quickly feel they belong and are valued. The school provides strong personal development and wellbeing support, though recent leadership instability has impacted the quality of the formal curriculum pathway.
About
Newbury Manor School is a specialist education school for pupils with an autistic spectrum diagnosis, situated in Newbury, near Mells, seven miles from Frome, in the English county of Somerset.
From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
Approved
Section 41
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with Newbury Manor School
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 1
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 1 road collision in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 1 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
0 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 Somerset is 3 (the median across 307 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
95%
Near capacity
62 pupils
65 places
3 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Frome
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Frome
Across Somerset council
Places available
4,902
Applications
4,659
Got 1st preference
92.1%
Got preferred school
97.7%
All secondary applications across Somerset council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(9)
Independent School standard inspection
Did not meet the independent school standards in Part 1 (quality of education) and Part 8 (leadership and management).
Independent School standard inspection
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
62
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Newbury Manor 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
62
Total Pupils
50
Boys
12
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Questions parents ask about Newbury Manor School
What are GCSE results like at Newbury Manor 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 Newbury Manor School can understate its results. We do not rank or compare them; ask the school for its own GCSE and IGCSE results.
What is Newbury Manor School's Ofsted rating?
Newbury Manor 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 February 2023, it was rated Good.
Does Newbury Manor School meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in May 2026, Newbury Manor School did not meet the independent school standards in Part 1 (quality of education) and Part 8 (leadership and management).
How many pupils go to Newbury Manor School?
Newbury Manor School has around 62 pupils on roll.
Does Newbury Manor School have specialist SEN provision?
Newbury Manor 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 Newbury Manor School?
Newbury Manor 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 Manor School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 1 road collision in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 1 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 0 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 Somerset is 3 (the median across 307 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Newbury Manor School?
Newbury Manor School is at Newbury Manor, Newbury, Frome, Somerset, BA11 3RG.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)