Ravenshall School, Dewsbury
Ravenshall School is a special school for pupils aged 5 to 19 in Dewsbury. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in February 2019. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in November 2024 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2019)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Ravenshall School in detail
Ravenshall School in its own words
In its own words: "My name is Becks Errett and I'm the Preparation for Adulthood (PfA) Leader here at Ravenshall, as well as leading the department, I teach Design and Technology, Horticulture, Crafts, Independent Living Skills and Makaton. Leader of PfA is an extremely privileged position as I am lucky enough to lead a phenomenal staff team and an amazing cohort of students."
From the headteacher's welcome: "Ravenshall School is a large day special school which caters for pupils with complex needs. In November 2024 the school was judged to be outstanding in all areas. The majority of pupils have complex learning difficulties combined with other special educational needs such as behavioural difficulties or autistic spectrum disorders."
Vision and values (school website)Headteacher's welcome (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Ravenshall School are Hollybank School (2.8 miles, Outstanding); Highfield School (3.2 miles, Good); Fairfield School (3.3 miles, Good); and Becker School (3.3 miles, Good).
Hollybank SchoolHighfield SchoolFairfield SchoolBecker School
What parents say
11 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Ravenshall School (as of September 2025): 100% would recommend the school and 100% say their child is happy there.
The strongest agreement was that the school supports their child's wider development (100%); the weakest, that the school has high expectations for their child (82%).
Where pupils go next
Of the 30 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 93% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 60% to a further education college.
Who goes there
57.1% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 14.2% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
Almost every pupil at Ravenshall School has an education, health and care plan (212 of 212 in 2026). The most common need among them is speech, language and communication needs.
Ravenshall School provides for pupils with moderate learning difficulties.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Ravensthorpe Rail Station, about 490 metres away (roughly a 6-minute walk).
5 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Ouzelwell Lane, 280 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Ravenshall 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, Ravenshall School issued 5 suspensions, 2.5 for every 100 pupils, and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: Ofsted Parent View; DfE destination measures; 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 agoThis judgement is from February 2019, 7 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: Standards have been maintained.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Outstanding at its February 2019 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
57.1%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
MLD
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
11 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
Social & online
Keep up with Ravenshall School
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Ravenshall School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Ravenshall School is in Kirklees; for families living there:
- Kirklees's school travel policy: School transport
- How to apply: Apply for school travel support
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 10
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 10 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 8 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot.
2 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 Kirklees is 12 (the median across 203 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
106%
Over capacity
212 pupils
200 places
12 pupils over capacity
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Dewsbury
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Dewsbury
Across Kirklees council
Places available
4,930
Applications
4,787
Got 1st preference
89.2%
Got preferred school
97.8%
All secondary applications across Kirklees council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(8)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
212
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Ravenshall School provides for pupils with moderate learning difficulties.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
212
Total Pupils
150
Boys
62
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
40
Teachers
5.3:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£55,660
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
8.6%
Overall absence
25.6%
Persistent absence
168
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
Ravenshall School
Showing 10 of 13 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Ravenshall School
What are SATs results like at Ravenshall School?
Of the pupils at Ravenshall School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 0% reached the expected standard in reading and 0% did so in maths.
What is Ravenshall School's Ofsted rating?
Ravenshall School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in November 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in February 2019, it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for Ravenshall School?
No fixed boundary. When Ravenshall School is oversubscribed, Kirklees allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Ravenshall School?
Ravenshall School has around 212 pupils on roll. 57% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Ravenshall School have specialist SEN provision?
Ravenshall School provides for pupils with moderate learning difficulties.
What is attendance like at Ravenshall School?
8.6% of sessions were missed at Ravenshall School in 2024/25. 25.6% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Ravenshall School?
Apply through Kirklees's coordinated admissions process, naming Ravenshall 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 Ravenshall School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 10 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 8 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot. 2 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 Kirklees is 12 (the median across 203 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Ravenshall School?
Ravenshall School is at Ravensthorpe Road, Thornhill Lees, Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, WF12 9EE.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)