Peak Forest, Hyde
Peak Forest is a special school for pupils aged 11 to 16 in Hyde. It was rated Requires improvement at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in October 2024. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in June 2025 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Requires improvement (2024)
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Peak Forest in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Peak Forest are Hawthorns School (0.8 miles, Outstanding); Brambles School (1 mile, Good); Arnfield Independent School (2.2 miles, Good); and Cromwell High School (2.5 miles).
Hawthorns SchoolBrambles SchoolArnfield Independent SchoolCromwell High School
Who goes there
Almost every pupil at Peak Forest has an education, health and care plan (25 of 25 in 2026).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Hattersley Rail Station, about 800 metres away (roughly a 10-minute walk).
14 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Valley Road (opposite), 40 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Peak Forest stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
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
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
Ofsted also found the school was not keeping to the terms of its registration (for example its age range or pupil numbers).
Progress-monitoring inspection, 10 June 2025: The school met all the standards Ofsted checked.
Source: Ofsted, non-association independent schools inspections and outcomes (Open Government Licence)
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's June 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Peak Forest has made significant improvements to provide pupils with a properly rounded education. The school now offers the full range of subjects pupils need, with careful attention to each pupil's individual needs and abilities. Staff benefit from ongoing professional development and external specialist support to help every child learn and thrive.
Key Strengths
- Significantly improved curriculum now includes the full range of subjects, including humanities and human and social education
- Implemented comprehensive assessment systems to identify pupils' knowledge gaps and individual needs
- Strong safeguarding culture with effective systems and regular staff training
- Effective use of external consultants and professionals to support pupil learning
- Regular monitoring of curriculum implementation and pupil progress
Safeguarding
Safeguarding is effective - leaders promote a strong culture of safeguarding with effective systems in place to keep pupils safe, and staff receive training to identify and report concerns.
Peak Forest is a special school for pupils aged 11-14 with social, emotional and mental health needs and autism. The school has successfully addressed previous compliance issues and now meets all independent school standards that were checked.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with Peak Forest
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 3
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 3
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 2 slight.
3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise.
1 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 Tameside is 12 (the median across 111 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
78%
Available places
25 pupils
32 places
7 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Hyde
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Hyde
Across Tameside council
Places available
3,293
Applications
2,719
Got 1st preference
86.7%
Got preferred school
96.3%
All secondary applications across Tameside council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(3)
Independent school Progress Monitoring inspection
Outcome: the school met all the standards Ofsted checked.
Independent school standard inspection - first
Did not meet the independent school standards in Part 1 (quality of education) and Part 8 (leadership and management).
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
25
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Peak Forest is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
No need-level breakdown available
Pupil Demographics
Key Indicators
25
Total Pupils
20
Boys
5
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Peak Forest
Showing 10 of 14 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Peak Forest
What is Peak Forest's Ofsted rating?
Peak Forest's most recent Ofsted inspection, in June 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in October 2024, it was rated Requires Improvement.
Does Peak Forest meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in October 2024, Peak Forest did not meet the independent school standards in Part 1 (quality of education) and Part 8 (leadership and management). At a later progress-monitoring inspection in June 2025, the school met all the standards Ofsted checked.
How many pupils go to Peak Forest?
Peak Forest has around 25 pupils on roll.
Does Peak Forest have specialist SEN provision?
Peak Forest is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
How do I apply to Peak Forest?
Peak Forest 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 Peak Forest?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 2 slight. 3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise. 1 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 Tameside is 12 (the median across 111 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Peak Forest?
Peak Forest is at First Steps Together, Stockport Road, Hyde, SK14 3QF.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)