North Ridge Community School, Doncaster
North Ridge Community School is a special school for pupils aged 3 to 19 in Doncaster, part of Nexus Multi Academy Trust.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
North Ridge Community School in detail
North Ridge Community School in its own words
In its own words: "North Ridge Community School, part of Nexus MAT, is a special day school for pupils aged 3-19 years with severe learning difficulties; with a small cohort of Post 16 pupils being educated at our offsite provision, The Bridge. We fervently believe the children and young people are at the heart of everything we do."
Vision and values (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to North Ridge Community School are The Ridge Employability College (0.7 miles, Good); Stone Hill School (2.1 miles, Outstanding); Harrison College (4.7 miles); and Waterside School (4.8 miles, Good).
The Ridge Employability CollegeStone Hill SchoolHarrison CollegeWaterside School
The trust
North Ridge Community School is one of 23 schools run by Nexus Multi Academy Trust, an academy trust.
What parents say
12 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about North Ridge Community School (as of September 2025): 92% would recommend the school, 100% say their child is happy there and 50% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that they are kept well informed about progress (100%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (50%).
Who goes there
46.4% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 5% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
Almost every pupil at North Ridge Community School has an education, health and care plan (181 of 181 in 2026). The most common need among them is speech, language and communication needs.
North Ridge Community School provides for pupils with severe learning difficulties.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Adwick Rail Station, about 1040 metres away (roughly a 13-minute walk).
11 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Tenter Balk Lane/Great North Road (opposite), 80 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood North Ridge Community School stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, North Ridge Community School issued 3 suspensions, 1.9 for every 100 pupils, and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: 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 · 2 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Sixth Form
North Ridge Community School has had no graded Ofsted inspection since it took its current form in April 2020. Before that, as North Ridge Community School (URN 135548), it was rated Requires Improvement in October 2018.
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
North Ridge Community School is a welcoming place. Pupils are happy. They value the positive relationships that they have with staff. This means that the school is full of laughter and positivity. Pupils feel safe and enjoy attending school.
Staff have high expectations of pupils. The curriculum is ambitious and is designed to help pupils build their knowledge across individual subjects and the wider world. The quality of education that pupils receive is a constant focus of leaders. However, sometimes teachers do not always choose the most appropriate activity to deliver the curriculum. Leaders are addressing this through the training that staff receive.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
The school is growing rapidly and the range of pupils' needs has become more diverse since COVID-19 pandemic. The school has an ambitious curriculum for all pupils that builds from their starting points. Lessons follow a consistent model across the school. This is well understood and followed by all staff and supports pupils to know what to expect. For some pupils with more complex needs, there are times when staff do not choose the right activities to deliver the curriculum. This means that for these pupils, their knowledge is not secure before they move on. Where teachers do this well, pupils develop their knowledge across the curriculum. For example, in science, pupils develop their understanding of twisting motions in physics through carefully thought-out activities that allow pupils to experience the difference between various types of movement.
Children in the early years get off to a strong start. Children benefit from resources with visual cues and symbols that provide support for their communication and language development. The school uses specialist therapists to meet children's sensory needs. Staff teach children how to behave well for learning effectively and how to sustain concentration and focus. Children are well prepared for key stage 1.
From Ofsted's October 2024 ungraded inspection report: the opening paragraphs of each section, quoted word for word. Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
At a Glance
46.4%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
SLD
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
12 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Latest from North Ridge Community School
Macmillan Coffee Morning
1 Oct 2026
Easter Celebration
25 Mar 2026
Valentines Day 2026
13 Feb 2026
'Being Safe' with the PCSO's.
17 Nov 2025
Macmillan Coffee Morning.
29 Sep 2025
Sports Day and Summer Fayre 2025
27 Jun 2025
From North Ridge Community School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with North Ridge Community School
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to North Ridge Community School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. North Ridge Community School is in Doncaster; for families living there:
Apply to Doncaster for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 26
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 6
- Children hurt
- 10
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 26 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 6 serious and 20 slight.
10 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 5 on foot, 1 on a bicycle 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 Doncaster is 10 (the median across 143 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
112%
Over capacity
181 pupils
162 places
19 pupils over capacity
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Doncaster
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Doncaster
Across Doncaster council
Places available
3,913
Applications
3,506
Got 1st preference
89.9%
Got preferred school
97.4%
All secondary applications across Doncaster council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
181
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
North Ridge Community School provides for pupils with severe learning difficulties.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
181
Total Pupils
125
Boys
56
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
24
Teachers
7.5:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£49,585
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
8.8%
Overall absence
25.0%
Persistent absence
132
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
Questions parents ask about North Ridge Community School
What are SATs results like at North Ridge Community School?
Of the pupils at North Ridge Community School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 0% reached the expected standard in reading and 0% did so in maths.
What is North Ridge Community School's Ofsted rating?
North Ridge Community School has had no graded Ofsted inspection since it took its current form in April 2020. Before that, as North Ridge Community School (URN 135548), it was rated Requires Improvement in October 2018.
What is the catchment area for North Ridge Community School?
No fixed boundary. When North Ridge Community School is oversubscribed, Doncaster allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to North Ridge Community School?
North Ridge Community School has around 181 pupils on roll. 46% are eligible for free school meals.
Does North Ridge Community School have specialist SEN provision?
North Ridge Community School provides for pupils with severe learning difficulties.
What is attendance like at North Ridge Community School?
8.8% of sessions were missed at North Ridge Community School in 2024/25. 25% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to North Ridge Community School?
Apply through Doncaster's coordinated admissions process, naming North Ridge Community 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 North Ridge Community School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 26 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 6 serious and 20 slight. 10 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 5 on foot, 1 on a bicycle 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 Doncaster is 10 (the median across 143 schools, same distance and years).
Where is North Ridge Community School?
North Ridge Community School is at Tenter Balk Lane, Adwick-le-Street, Doncaster, South Yorkshire, DN6 7EF.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)