Sketchley School, Burbage
Sketchley School is a special school for pupils aged 7 to 19 in Burbage. Its most recent Ofsted inspection, in February 2026, ended in a report card: 1 expected standard, 5 needs attention and 1 urgent improvement. Before that it was rated Good at its last graded inspection, in February 2023.
- Ofsted report card
- 6 areas need attention
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Sketchley School in detail
What Ofsted's report card says
Ofsted's report card from its 10 February 2026 inspection grades Sketchley School on 7 areas: 1 expected standard, 5 needs attention and 1 urgent improvement. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.
Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "Pupils benefit from a broad personal development programme."
Achievement - Needs attention. "The school has recently introduced mechanisms to check on pupils' achievement over time."
Attendance and behaviour - Needs attention. "Too many pupils miss too much school."
Curriculum and teaching - Needs attention. "Teaching is inconsistent."
Inclusion - Needs attention. "The school takes account of the provision required by pupils' education, health and care (EHC) plans."
Post 16 provision - Needs attention. "The sixth-form curriculum is incomplete."
Leadership and governance - Urgent improvement. "The proprietor has not ensured that safeguarding arrangements have been effective, or that the independent school standards have been consistently met over time."
Safeguarding standards were NOT met.
Ofsted's next steps for the school: "The proprietor must ensure that its safeguarding policy and procedures are fully understood and implemented so that pupils get the help and support that they need"; "The proprietor must ensure that all of the independent school standards are consistently met"; "Leaders should ensure that the curriculum is coherently planned across all age ranges and subjects, to build pupils' and students' knowledge cumulatively"; "Leaders should continue to embed their systems to monitor and evaluate the school's provision so that they can be sure their work is making a positive difference for all pupils"; "Leaders should ensure that phonics is taught consistently, including for older pupils who still need this help and support"; "Leaders should ensure that teaching takes account of pupils' needs and starting points, including the targets in their education, health and care plans"; "Leaders should ensure that gaps in pupils' foundational knowledge, especially in writing, are identified and addressed"; "Leaders should reinforce their efforts to increase rates of attendance and reduce the high level of persistent absenteeism".
Read the full report card on Ofsted's site (school website)
Source: Ofsted report card (Open Government Licence), quoted
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Sketchley School are Foxglove School (0.9 miles); Aurora Charnwood School (0.9 miles, Good); Dovetree School (1.7 miles, Good); and Dorothy Goodman School Hinckley (1.7 miles, Good).
Foxglove SchoolAurora Charnwood SchoolDovetree SchoolDorothy Goodman School Hinckley
What parents say
25 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Sketchley School (as of April 2026): 60% would recommend the school, 64% say their child is happy there and 25% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (68%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (25%).
Who goes there
Almost every pupil at Sketchley School has an education, health and care plan (65 of 65 in 2026).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Hinckley Rail Station, about 1040 metres away (roughly a 13-minute walk).
3 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Sketchley Old Village (adjacent), 110 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Sketchley 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 106 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and criminal damage and arson. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Leicestershire (58), as is usual near a town centre.
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 · 8 months agoReport card - no single overall grade (Ofsted's framework since January 2026 for independent schools)
Safeguarding standards not met
- Personal development and wellbeingExpected standard
- AchievementNeeds attention
- Attendance and behaviourNeeds attention
- Curriculum and teachingNeeds attention
- InclusionNeeds attention
- Post 16 provisionNeeds attention
- Leadership and governanceUrgent improvement
Safeguarding standards: not met
Independent school standards
Did not meet the independent school standards in Part 1 (quality of education), Part 3 (welfare, health and safety) 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 safetyNot met
- 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
Source: Ofsted, non-association independent schools inspections and outcomes (Open Government Licence)
Ofsted's report card, in its own words
What it's like to be a pupil at Sketchley School
Pupils at this school have not been kept safe effectively in the past. Some staff do not understand how to respond when pupils raise concerns. The school has not followed up robustly when disclosures have been made, or shared important information with relevant agencies. Over time, this has put pupils at risk of harm. More recently, some of these weaknesses have been addressed. Pupils are safer at school than they have previously been. Pupils' experiences at the school are inconsistent. In lessons, pupils work hard, listen attentively and take pride in their achievements. Many learn well. However, weaknesses in the curriculum mean that pupils' knowledge does not build up steadily over time. Pupils' disjointed experience of learning identified at the previous inspection has not been fully addressed. As a result, pupils do not achieve as well as they could. Despite their short time in post, current leaders have had a positive impact. Behaviour has improved significantly. Relationships between pupils and staff are typically positive. Pupils know the school's values of kindness, resilience and respect, and understand why these matter. They know what bullying is and what to do if it occurs. Most pupils enjoy school, although too many are absent too often. Despite shortcomings in safeguarding, provision for pupils' personal development is effective. Well‑organised programmes for personal, social and health education and relationships and sex education help pupils and students to develop the knowledge and skills needed for life beyond school. They are prepared for their adult lives. Pupils value the wide range of clubs, trips and enrichment opportunities. Their recent visit to the city council offices, where they debated mobile phone use with the mayor, was particularly memorable. The school ensures that all pupils can access the full range of enrichment activities.
What Ofsted says the school should do next
- The proprietor must ensure that its safeguarding policy and procedures are fully understood and implemented so that pupils get the help and support that they need.
- The proprietor must ensure that all of the independent school standards are consistently met.
- Leaders should ensure that the curriculum is coherently planned across all age ranges and subjects, to build pupils' and students' knowledge cumulatively.
- Leaders should continue to embed their systems to monitor and evaluate the school's provision so that they can be sure their work is making a positive difference for all pupils.
- Leaders should ensure that phonics is taught consistently, including for older pupils who still need this help and support.
- Leaders should ensure that teaching takes account of pupils' needs and starting points, including the targets in their education, health and care plans.
- Leaders should ensure that gaps in pupils' foundational knowledge, especially in writing, are identified and addressed.
- Leaders should reinforce their efforts to increase rates of attendance and reduce the high level of persistent absenteeism.
From Ofsted's report card (inspection 10 February 2026). Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's February 2026 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Sketchley School has a strong personal development programme that helps pupils understand their emotions and manage challenges in their lives. The school provides excellent enrichment opportunities through Friday afternoon activities, swimming lessons, and regular visits to local attractions, ensuring all pupils can access these experiences. The new behaviour policy is working well, with pupils clear about expectations and showing positive attitudes towards each other.
Key Strengths
- Personal development programme is well-organised with good support for pupils' social, emotional and mental health needs
- New behaviour policy is effective, well-understood and consistently applied, rooted in school values
- Wide range of enrichment activities and trips help pupils develop their talents and interests
- Most pupils show positive attitudes and treat each other with kindness
Areas for Improvement
- Safeguarding procedures have not been effective - staff did not take pupils' concerns seriously and failed to report serious issues to relevant authorities
- Curriculum is underdeveloped with inconsistent teaching quality and gaps in pupils' foundational knowledge, particularly in writing
- Achievement tracking systems are too new to show how well pupils are progressing, especially for different pupil groups
- Attendance is a significant concern with many pupils regularly absent from school
- Leadership and governance have not ensured independent school standards are being met
Safeguarding
Safeguarding standards not met - the school failed to take pupils' concerns seriously, did not report injuries or concerns to social workers and parents, and failed to refer concerns about staff to the Disclosure and Barring Service, placing pupils at risk of harm. Recent management changes have begun to improve this situation.
Extracurricular Activities
ACE Friday afternoon activities including cooking, sports, gaming, languages, Dungeons and Dragons group, swimming, visits to local attractions and theme parks, cultural days
Sketchley School is an independent school that has experienced significant safeguarding failures, though recent leadership changes have begun addressing these serious issues. The school serves pupils with additional needs across three sites in Leicestershire.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
25 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at April 2026 - % who strongly agree or agree
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with Sketchley School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 2
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 2 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 2 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
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 Leicestershire is 3 (the median across 329 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
81%
Available places
65 pupils
80 places
15 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Burbage
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Burbage
Across Leicestershire council
Places available
8,516
Applications
7,490
Got 1st preference
90.2%
Got preferred school
98.1%
All secondary applications across Leicestershire council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(6)
Independent School standard inspection
Did not meet the independent school standards in Part 1 (quality of education), Part 3 (welfare, health and safety) and Part 8 (leadership and management).
Independent School standard inspection
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
65
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Sketchley 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
65
Total Pupils
50
Boys
15
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Questions parents ask about Sketchley School
What are GCSE results like at Sketchley School?
The Department for Education's GCSE measures do not count IGCSEs, which many independent schools take instead of GCSEs, so the Attainment 8 and English and maths figures it publishes for Sketchley School can understate its results. We do not rank or compare them; ask the school for its own GCSE and IGCSE results.
What is Sketchley School's Ofsted rating?
Sketchley School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in February 2026, produced a report card, which grades each area but gives no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in February 2023, it was rated Good.
Does Sketchley School meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in February 2026, Sketchley School did not meet the independent school standards in Part 1 (quality of education), Part 3 (welfare, health and safety) and Part 8 (leadership and management).
How many pupils go to Sketchley School?
Sketchley School has around 65 pupils on roll.
Does Sketchley School have specialist SEN provision?
Sketchley School is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
How do I apply to Sketchley School?
Sketchley 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 Sketchley School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 2 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 2 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 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 Leicestershire is 3 (the median across 329 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Sketchley School?
Sketchley School is at Manor Way, Sketchley, Burbage, Leicestershire, LE10 3HT.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)