Samuel Rhodes MLD School, London

Outstanding
Special
Community special school
Mixed
Ages 1119

Data last updated 11 Sept 2026

Location

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Mrs Cerys Normanton
Pupils:130 / 140 capacity
LA:Islington
Phone:02077047490
Address:11 Highbury New Park, London, N5 2EG
Admissions:Not applicable
Status:open

Ofsted Rating

Ofsted · 4 years ago
-

Overall

Inspected 24 May 2022View full report
URN:100469
UKPRN:10016381
Diocese:Not applicable
Constituency:Islington North
Urban/Rural:Urban: Nearer to a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

What This School Does Well

Samuel Rhodes School has created a calm, structured learning environment where students feel safe and supported. The consistent routines and fair behaviour management system have led to remarkable improvements in behaviour, with exclusions dropping significantly. Staff are excellent role models who understand each student's individual needs and help them develop independence and respect for others.

Key Strengths

  • Very high standard of behaviour both in lessons and around school, with impressive student attitudes to learning
  • Firmly embedded and consistently implemented routines that reduce student anxiety and build independence
  • Excellent understanding of individual student needs by all staff, with calm, supportive approaches to behaviour management
  • Comprehensive behaviour monitoring systems showing significant improvements over time, with fixed-term exclusions decreasing from 24 to 11
  • Effective rewards system with most students earning gold certificates each week

Areas for Improvement

  • Limited outdoor space at secondary site restricting break-time activities and leading to some boisterous behaviour in designated quiet areas
  • Need to extend the range of monitoring strategies for behaviour at less formal times such as break times to identify and address any issues more rapidly

Safeguarding

Safeguarding is effective - staff are vigilant in their supervision of students at break times and during lesson changes, standing at key points to provide supportive presence while enabling student independence.

Extracurricular Activities

Football, basketball, bikes, cricket, climbing frame, quiet areas, student-run tuck shop

Samuel Rhodes MLD School caters for students with moderate learning difficulties aged 5-18 and is split across two sites, one at a mainstream primary and one at a mainstream secondary school. Inspectors found that leaders have taken effective action to maintain high standards of behaviour and attitudes.

At a Glance

72.8%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

No

Nursery

Yes

Sixth Form

MLD - Moderate Learning Difficulty

SEN Provision

No

Special Measures

Primary Performance (KS2)

Academic year 2024/25

KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)

Reading0%
Maths0%
Writing0%

2024/25 academic year

Class Sizes

0.0

Avg class size

0

Total classes

2024/25 academic year

Getting There

Train Stations

Canonbury Rail Station
389m · 6 min walk
Canonbury Station (Entrance)
406m · 7 min walk
Highbury & Islington Station (Entrance)
501m · 8 min walk

Tube / Metro / Tram

Highbury & Islington Underground Station
482m · 8 min walk

Bus Stops

Highbury Grove Sch /Baalbec Rd (Stop CW)
28m · 0 min walk
Highbury New Pk / Highbury Grove School (Stop CS)
81m · 1 min walk
Highbury Grove (Stand T)
128m · 2 min walk
Aberdeen Park (Stop CX)
176m · 3 min walk
Highbury Grove School / Aberdeen Park (Stop CZ)
200m · 3 min walk
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Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

93%

Near capacity

130 pupils

140 capacity

10 spare places available

Area Demand Pressure - London

Medium pressure
New homes approved:104,823
Projected new pupils:18,868

Based on MHCLG housing supply data for London

Admissions Demand - Islington

Low demand1.04x oversubscription

Places available

1,530

Applications

1,585

Got 1st preference

68.6%

Got preferred school

94.8%

Secondary admissions across Islington (2025/26)

Inspection History(8)

24 May 2022
7 March 2017
Outstanding
Leadership & ManagementOutstanding
7 March 2017
OutstandingReport
Quality of EducationOutstanding
Behaviour & AttitudesOutstanding
Personal DevelopmentOutstanding
Leadership & ManagementOutstanding
Sixth FormOutstanding

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SEN Provision

How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.

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Pupil Demographics

The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.

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Teachers & Staff

Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.

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Pupil Absence
2024/25

10.48098%

Overall absence

33.67347%

Persistent absence

98

Enrolments

Authorised8.69465%
Unauthorised1.78633%
Persistent (10%+)33.67347%
Severe (50%+)3.06122%

Absence trend

8.99361%
18/19
31.74107%
20/21
14.7869%
21/22
13.43047%
22/23
10.50736%
23/24
10.48098%
24/25
Overall absence rate

Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.

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