Newman School, Rotherham
Newman School is a special school for pupils aged 2 to 19 in Rotherham, part of Venn Academy Trust.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Newman School in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Newman School are ROTHERHAM OPPORTUNITIES COLLEGE (0.8 miles, Good); Kelford School (2.8 miles, Good); The Willows School (3.3 miles); and Abbey School (3.6 miles, Outstanding).
ROTHERHAM OPPORTUNITIES COLLEGEKelford SchoolThe Willows SchoolAbbey School
The trust
Newman School is one of 16 schools run by Venn Academy Trust, an academy trust.
What parents say
20 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Newman School (as of April 2026): 60% would recommend the school, 65% say their child is happy there and 0% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (65%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (0%).
Who goes there
59.5% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 6.5% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (84%), Mixed (7%) and Asian (6%).
Almost every pupil at Newman School has an education, health and care plan (185 of 185 in 2026). The most common need among them is autism.
Getting there
The nearest tram or metro stop is Rotherham Station To Sheffield, about 2 miles away in a straight line.
11 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is East Bawtry Road/Redrock Road (at), 130 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Newman School stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. On income deprivation affecting children it is in the 7th decile, where the 1st is the most deprived. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Newman School issued 15 suspensions, 8 for every 100 pupils, and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: DfE multi-academy trust performance data; Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 7 months agoOverall
Newman School has had no graded Ofsted inspection since it took its current form in September 2024. Before that, as Newman School (URN 106966), it was rated Requires Improvement in October 2022.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's March 2026 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Newman School provides warm, individualised care for pupils with complex needs in a calm environment. The school has recently strengthened its safeguarding procedures and medical care arrangements, with staff well-trained to support each child's wellbeing and learning. Pupils benefit from carefully designed resources and reasonable adjustments that help them access learning and meet their sensory and physical needs.
Key Strengths
- Safeguarding standards are met with a secure safeguarding culture and improved strategic oversight
- Medical and personal care arrangements have been reviewed and improved with staff receiving relevant training
- Pupils benefit from individual care and support tailored to their education, health and care plans
- Calm school environment where pupils establish positive relationships with staff
- Pupils have access to resources supporting their sensory and physical needs
Areas for Improvement
- Strengthen strategic oversight of systems to monitor pupils' attendance
- Inconsistent tracking of attendance data needs to be consolidated into a single system
Safeguarding
Safeguarding standards are met - leaders have established a secure safeguarding culture where concerns are actively identified and acted upon, keeping children safer and helping them feel safe.
Newman School is a specialist SEND school serving 189 pupils with complex needs including physical disabilities, autism, and learning difficulties. Following concerns raised to Ofsted, this focused monitoring inspection found that new leadership has taken effective action to strengthen safeguarding and school provision.
At a Glance
59.5%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
20 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at April 2026 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2025/26KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with Newman School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Newman School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Newman School is in Rotherham; for families living there:
Apply to Rotherham for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 17
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 17 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 15 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
4 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 Rotherham is 13 (the median across 128 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
100%
Full
185 pupils
185 places
No spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Rotherham
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Rotherham
Across Rotherham council
Places available
3,667
Applications
2,933
Got 1st preference
92.4%
Got preferred school
97.3%
All secondary applications across Rotherham council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
185
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
185
Total Pupils
116
Boys
69
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
29
Teachers
6.4:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£48,325
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
16.2%
Overall absence
42.9%
Persistent absence
156
Enrolments
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
Newman School
Showing 10 of 15 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Newman School
What are GCSE results like at Newman School?
In the 2026 results, pupils at Newman School achieved an Attainment 8 score of 9.7. 0% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is Newman School's Ofsted rating?
Newman School has had no graded Ofsted inspection since it took its current form in September 2024. Before that, as Newman School (URN 106966), it was rated Requires Improvement in October 2022.
What is the catchment area for Newman School?
No fixed boundary. When Newman School is oversubscribed, Rotherham allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Newman School?
Newman School has around 185 pupils on roll. 60% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Newman School?
16.2% of sessions were missed at Newman School in 2024/25. 42.9% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Newman School?
Apply through Rotherham's coordinated admissions process, naming Newman 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 Newman School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 17 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 15 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 4 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 Rotherham is 13 (the median across 128 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Newman School?
Newman School is at East Bawtry Road, Rotherham, South Yorkshire, S60 3LX.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)