Rhodes Wood Hospital School, Brookmans Park
Rhodes Wood Hospital School is a special school for pupils aged 7 to 19 in Brookmans Park. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in July 2025.
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2025)
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Rhodes Wood Hospital School in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Rhodes Wood Hospital School are Fenton Grange School (1.8 miles, Good); The Orchard School (1.8 miles, Good); Chase House School (1.8 miles, Good); and Elysium Healthcare Potters Bar Clinic School (2.3 miles, Good).
Fenton Grange SchoolThe Orchard SchoolChase House SchoolElysium Healthcare Potters Bar Clinic School
What parents say
10 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Rhodes Wood Hospital School (as of September 2025): 100% would recommend the school, 90% say their child is happy there and 0% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that the school supports their child's wider development (100%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (0%).
Who goes there
In 2026, 32 pupils (91.4%) received SEN support and 3 (8.6%) had an education, health and care plan.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Brookmans Park Rail Station, about 1.4 miles away in a straight line.
2 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Ramsey Close (near), 230 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Rhodes Wood Hospital School stands in is among the 10% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 19 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and other theft. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Hertfordshire (138).
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
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 1 year agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Sixth Form
Safeguarding: effective
Independent school standards
Met all the independent school standards.
- Part 1: quality of educationMet
- 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 managementMet
Source: Ofsted, non-association independent schools inspections and outcomes (Open Government Licence)
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's July 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
This school transforms lives for young people facing serious health challenges. Staff are highly skilled at supporting pupils emotionally while maintaining expert teaching across the curriculum, helping pupils continue learning from their home schools during treatment. The school goes far beyond academics, offering meaningful experiences like farm visits, animation studios and student business projects that rebuild confidence and help pupils successfully return to their ordinary lives.
Key Strengths
- Teachers are subject experts who explain concepts with clarity and provide ongoing feedback to close learning gaps
- The school creates highly personalised individual support plans that meticulously address each pupil's learning and emotional needs
- Staff use exceptionally well-designed strategies tailored to each pupil, resulting in excellent behaviour and positive attitudes to learning
- A rich personal development programme including visits, business projects and entrepreneurial activities helps pupils build confidence and resilience
- High-quality careers advice and meticulous integration planning ensures smooth transitions back to home schools
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with leaders maintaining an open and positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Farm visits, animation studio visits, student business projects (jewellery and mug making), enrichment activities, careers support, sixth form mentoring
Rhodes Wood Hospital School is an outstanding independent special school for pupils with eating disorders and associated mental health needs. Pupils receive exceptional education and personal development support during their hospital treatment.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
10 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with Rhodes Wood Hospital School
Getting There
Bus Stops
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.
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 Hertfordshire is 9 (the median across 590 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
90%
Near capacity
35 pupils
39 places
4 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Across Hertfordshire council
Places available
15,222
Applications
13,456
Got 1st preference
77.5%
Got preferred school
94.9%
All secondary applications across Hertfordshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
32
SEN Support
3
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Rhodes Wood Hospital School 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
35
Total Pupils
1
Boys
34
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Questions parents ask about Rhodes Wood Hospital School
What is Rhodes Wood Hospital School's Ofsted rating?
Rhodes Wood Hospital School was rated Outstanding at its most recent Ofsted inspection in July 2025.
Does Rhodes Wood Hospital School meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in July 2025, Rhodes Wood Hospital School met all the independent school standards.
How many pupils go to Rhodes Wood Hospital School?
Rhodes Wood Hospital School has around 35 pupils on roll.
Does Rhodes Wood Hospital School have specialist SEN provision?
Rhodes Wood Hospital School is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
How do I apply to Rhodes Wood Hospital School?
Rhodes Wood Hospital 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 Rhodes Wood Hospital 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. 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 Hertfordshire is 9 (the median across 590 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Rhodes Wood Hospital School?
Rhodes Wood Hospital School is at Shepherds Way, Brookmans Park, Brookmans Park, AL9 6NN.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)