Ryecroft School, Walsall
Ryecroft School is a special school for pupils aged 4 to 18 in Walsall.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Ryecroft School in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Ryecroft School are West Midlands Education and Skills (0.6 miles, Good); Castle School (0.9 miles, Outstanding); Phoenix Academy (0.9 miles, Good); and Elmwood School (1.1 miles).
West Midlands Education and SkillsCastle SchoolPhoenix AcademyElmwood School
Who goes there
Almost every pupil at Ryecroft School has an education, health and care plan (57 of 57 in 2026).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Walsall Rail Station, about 1 mile away in a straight line.
20 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Forest Lane (adjacent), 110 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Ryecroft School stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 540 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, shoplifting and criminal damage and arson. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Walsall (297), as is usual near a town centre.
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 GIASISI Inspection Reports
Independent schools in England are inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI), not Ofsted. Ofsted last inspected this school in 8 April 2025, before the latest ISI inspection.
View full ISI report pageOfsted Insights
From Ofsted's April 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Ryecroft School is truly a place where children flourish. Staff share an unwavering belief that all pupils can succeed, and this shows in everything they do - from the personalised learning tailored to each child's needs to the exceptional focus on building character and life skills. Parents have very positive views, and children develop wonderful empathy and understanding through activities like caring for the school guinea pigs and helping make important decisions through the Junior Executive Team.
Key Strengths
- Exceptional personal development programme with 112 character-building opportunities tailored to pupils' interests
- Highly personalised approach to learning that carefully builds on each pupil's starting point
- Strong focus on communication skills development using a range of methods and strategies
- Excellent behaviour management through patient, proactive staff support and carefully tailored activities
- Outstanding relationships built on kindness and respect between staff and pupils
Areas for Improvement
- Need to further develop the range of musical, sporting and creative activities as the school expands
- Physical, aesthetic and creative curriculum elements are still being developed
- Some pupils not yet experiencing the full breadth of learning opportunities intended by the school
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with robust systems in place to ensure statutory duties are met.
Extracurricular Activities
Easter egg hunt, vegetable garden planning, chicken coop project, Junior Executive Team (Jets), leadership roles and responsibilities, therapy dog Belle
Ryecroft School is a special school where all pupils have SEND and complex needs. The school is rated Good overall, with an Outstanding rating for personal development.
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 Ryecroft School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 20
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 6
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 20 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 2 serious and 17 slight.
6 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 4 in a vehicle or otherwise.
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 Walsall is 20.5 (the median across 134 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
57 pupils
63 places
6 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Walsall
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Walsall
Across Walsall council
Places available
4,069
Applications
3,782
Got 1st preference
77.4%
Got preferred school
94.0%
All secondary applications across Walsall council (2026/27), not just this school.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
57
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Ryecroft 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
57
Total Pupils
48
Boys
9
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Ryecroft School
Showing 10 of 14 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Ryecroft School
When was Ryecroft School last inspected?
Ryecroft School is inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) rather than Ofsted. Its most recent ISI inspection was a non-routine inspection in July 2026.
How many pupils go to Ryecroft School?
Ryecroft School has around 57 pupils on roll.
Does Ryecroft School have specialist SEN provision?
Ryecroft School is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
How do I apply to Ryecroft School?
Ryecroft 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 Ryecroft School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 20 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 2 serious and 17 slight. 6 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 4 in a vehicle or otherwise. 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 Walsall is 20.5 (the median across 134 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Ryecroft School?
Ryecroft School is at Kent Street, Walsall, WS2 7AN.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)