St Rose's Special School, Stroud
St Rose's Special School is a special school for pupils aged 2 to 19 in Stroud. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in April 2014. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in June 2025 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Good (2014)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
St Rose's Special School in detail
St Rose's Special School in its own words
In its own words: "St Rose’s is a Catholic School. The Christian ethos, where we aim to follow the teachings of the Gospels, encompasses all aspects of the life of the school, although we welcome children of all faiths and no faith."
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include athletics, swimming and yoga.
Vision and values (school website)Clubs (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to St Rose's Special School are St Martins Centre (St Roses School) (under 0.1 miles, Good); Sladewood Academy (1.2 miles); The Shrubberies School (2.7 miles, Good); and Cotswold Chine School (3.2 miles, Good).
St Martins Centre (St Roses School)Sladewood AcademyThe Shrubberies SchoolCotswold Chine School
What parents say
17 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about St Rose's Special School (as of September 2025): 100% would recommend the school and 100% say their child is happy there.
The strongest agreement was that the school supports their child's wider development (100%); the weakest, that their child is happy at the school (100%).
Who goes there
18.7% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 8% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (80%) and Mixed (7%).
In 2026, 13 pupils (17.3%) received SEN support and 55 (73.3%) had an education, health and care plan. The most common need among them is a profound and multiple learning difficulty.
St Rose's Special School provides for pupils with visual impairment, speech, language and communication needs and physical disability.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Stroud (Glos) Rail Station, about 340 metres away (roughly a 4-minute walk).
17 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Health Centre (corner of), 120 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
St Rose's Special School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Sources: Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 1 year agoThis judgement is from April 2014, 12 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's June 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
St Rose's creates a caring, inclusive environment where pupils with complex needs thrive emotionally and academically. Staff know each child exceptionally well and provide personalised support that helps pupils develop confidence, strong friendships, and skills for adult life. The school's integration of therapy and education, combined with outstanding behaviour support, means pupils love attending and make strong progress.
Key Strengths
- Outstanding behaviour and attitudes - staff meticulously monitor pupils' engagement and implement highly effective approaches to support behavioural needs
- Exceptional personal development programme that prepares pupils well for adulthood, including visits to colleges and learning about work and volunteering
- Strong focus on communication and reading as the bedrock of the curriculum, with pupils building incrementally on prior learning
- Highly caring relationships between pupils and staff, with pupils developing strong friendships and social skills
- Comprehensive support for staff well-being, resulting in staff pride and commitment to the school
Areas for Improvement
- Teaching of reading is not consistently well adapted to meet learning needs in all curriculum areas, limiting progress for some pupils
- Subject leadership is still relatively new in some areas, with curriculum implementation incomplete in a minority of subjects
- Need to ensure subject leaders receive continued support to develop their subject areas with consistent sequencing and planning
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with school maintaining open and positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Scouts, swimming, boccia, sign language learning, student council, college visits, work experience at local fishing lake, end of year prom
St Rose's Special School is a non-maintained Roman Catholic school for pupils aged 2 to 19 with severe, complex, profound and multiple learning difficulties. All pupils flourish through the seamless integration of therapy and education, with exceptional behaviour and personal development.
At a Glance
18.7%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
Vision, Speech and language, Physical
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
17 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Latest from St Rose's Special School
2026/02/25 - Education Health Care
24 Sep 2026
2026/03/04 - Full Governing Board
24 Sep 2026
2026/04/15 - Premises, Staffing & Finance
24 Sep 2026
2026/04/29 - Education Health Care
24 Sep 2026
2026/05/06 - Full Governing Board
24 Sep 2026
2026/06/10 - Premises, Staffing & Finance
24 Sep 2026
From St Rose's Special School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Keep up with St Rose's Special School
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St Rose's Special School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St Rose's Special School is in Gloucestershire; for families living there:
Apply to Gloucestershire for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 29
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 6
- Children hurt
- 3
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 29 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 6 serious and 22 slight.
3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 1 on a bicycle.
8 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 Gloucestershire is 5 (the median across 338 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
136%
Over capacity
75 pupils
55 places
20 pupils over capacity
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Stroud
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Stroud
Across Gloucestershire council
Places available
7,977
Applications
6,517
Got 1st preference
86.8%
Got preferred school
97.0%
All secondary applications across Gloucestershire council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(8)
Ungraded inspection: The school remains Good, but Ofsted raised concerns; its next inspection will be a full graded one.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
13
SEN Support
55
EHC Plans
90.7%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
St Rose's Special School provides for pupils with visual impairment, speech, language and communication needs and physical disability.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
75
Total Pupils
40
Boys
35
Girls
2026 academic year
Pupil Absence2024/25
11.1%
Overall absence
40.5%
Persistent absence
37
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
St Rose's Special School
Showing 10 of 13 linked schools
Questions parents ask about St Rose's Special School
What is St Rose's Special School's Ofsted rating?
St Rose's Special School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in June 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in April 2014, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for St Rose's Special School?
No fixed boundary. When St Rose's Special School is oversubscribed, Gloucestershire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to St Rose's Special School?
St Rose's Special School has around 75 pupils on roll. 19% are eligible for free school meals.
Does St Rose's Special School have specialist SEN provision?
St Rose's Special School provides for pupils with visual impairment, speech, language and communication needs and physical disability.
What is attendance like at St Rose's Special School?
11.1% of sessions were missed at St Rose's Special School in 2024/25. 40.5% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Rose's Special School?
Apply through Gloucestershire's coordinated admissions process, naming St Rose's Special School on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
How many road collisions happen near St Rose's Special School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 29 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 6 serious and 22 slight. 3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 1 on a bicycle. 8 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 Gloucestershire is 5 (the median across 338 schools, same distance and years).
Where is St Rose's Special School?
St Rose's Special School is at Stratford Lawn, Stroud, Gloucestershire, GL5 4AP.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)