Spring Valley School, Breaston
Spring Valley School is a special school for pupils aged 5 to 16 in Breaston. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in February 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2025)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Spring Valley School in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Spring Valley School are Brackenfield Special School (0.9 miles, Good); Stanton Vale School (1.4 miles, Good); Meadowbrook School (1.5 miles); and Hemlock Stone School (2.7 miles).
Brackenfield Special SchoolStanton Vale SchoolMeadowbrook SchoolHemlock Stone School
Who goes there
In 2026, 2 pupils (16.7%) received SEN support and 10 (83.3%) had an education, health and care plan.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Long Eaton Rail Station, about 1.6 miles away in a straight line.
5 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is The Navigation (outside), 170 metres away.
Sources: DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport)
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
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 February 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Spring Valley excels at helping pupils who have struggled with education before. Staff really know each child well and provide teaching at exactly the right level so pupils experience success. The school is genuinely nurturing - pupils develop confidence and resilience in a warm, respectful environment where behaviour improves over time.
Key Strengths
- Creates a positive, welcoming environment where pupils feel safe and valued, helping them develop confidence and self-esteem
- Provides highly personalised learning tailored to each pupil's needs, resulting in good progress from their starting points
- Prioritises reading and has transformed many pupils' attitudes to books through exciting texts and skilled phonics teaching
- Offers extensive enrichment activities including trips, visitors from various professions, and musical opportunities
- Staff model compassion and respect, with strong relationships that help pupils manage their emotions and behaviour
Areas for Improvement
- Staff occasionally fail to identify and correct pupils' mistakes and misconceptions, leading to repeated errors that slow progress
- The school is too slow to identify reasons for some pupils' low attendance, meaning poor attendance continues longer than necessary
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective and the school has created a positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Musical instruments, recording songs, trips to different places of worship, visits from police officers and firefighters, meetings with local member of parliament
Spring Valley School is a warm, nurturing specialist school for pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs. It has improved from its previous 'Requires improvement' rating to 'Good' across all areas.
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 Spring Valley School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 7
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 7 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 6 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was 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 Derbyshire is 6 (the median across 454 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
50%
Available places
12 pupils
24 places
12 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Breaston
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Breaston
Across Derbyshire council
Places available
8,818
Applications
7,971
Got 1st preference
94.5%
Got preferred school
98.5%
All secondary applications across Derbyshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(5)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
2
SEN Support
10
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Spring Valley 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
12
Total Pupils
10
Boys
2
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Spring Valley School
Showing 10 of 11 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Spring Valley School
What is Spring Valley School's Ofsted rating?
Spring Valley School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in February 2025.
Does Spring Valley School meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in February 2025, Spring Valley School met all the independent school standards.
How many pupils go to Spring Valley School?
Spring Valley School has around 12 pupils on roll.
Does Spring Valley School have specialist SEN provision?
Spring Valley School is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
How do I apply to Spring Valley School?
Spring Valley 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 Spring Valley School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 7 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 6 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was 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 Derbyshire is 6 (the median across 454 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Spring Valley School?
Spring Valley School is at Spring Valley, The Old Rectory, Breaston, DE72 3AU.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)