Stubbin Wood School has closed (Monday 31 August 2026).
The information below is kept for reference. The school at this address is now Stubbin Wood School.
Stubbin Wood School, Mansfield
Stubbin Wood School is a special school for pupils aged 2 to 19 in Mansfield. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in May 2022. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in February 2026 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Good (2022)
Data last updated 8 Oct 2026
Stubbin Wood School in detail
Stubbin Wood School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "We warmly welcome you to Stubbin Wood School. We are a multi-sited special school for children and young people, all of whom have an Education Health Care Plan. We have 4 sites across north Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, including a community nursery. Our school is a place where children and young people are at the centre of everything we do."
Headteacher's welcome (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Stubbin Wood School are Stubbin Wood School (under 0.1 miles); Jasmine Grove School (2.9 miles, Good); Yeoman Park Academy (3.4 miles, Outstanding); and The Beech Academy (4 miles, Good).
Stubbin Wood SchoolJasmine Grove SchoolYeoman Park AcademyThe Beech Academy
What parents say
36 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Stubbin Wood School (as of April 2026): 50% would recommend the school, 69% say their child is happy there and 20% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child is happy at the school (69%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (20%).
Where pupils go next
Of the 12 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 100% stayed in education or training for at least two terms.
Who goes there
54.8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 6.3% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 3 pupils (1.2%) received SEN support and 223 (88.5%) had an education, health and care plan. The most common need among them is autism.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Shirebrook Rail Station, about 1.1 miles away in a straight line.
8 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is School (adjacent), 100 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Stubbin Wood School stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Stubbin Wood School issued 28 suspensions, 10.7 for every 100 pupils, and 1 permanent exclusion.
Sources: Ofsted Parent View; DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 8 months agoOverall
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's February 2026 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Stubbin Wood School has made strong progress in improving safeguarding practices through better record-keeping, staff training, and clearer reporting systems. The school is now using communication tools like core boards and communication stations to help pupils express their needs, and staff are receiving training in relational approaches to help pupils regulate emotions. Leadership has also improved significantly with a new school improvement board and better local authority support helping the school focus on the right priorities.
Key Strengths
- Leaders have strengthened safeguarding leadership and improved record-keeping, with clearer systems for reporting concerns and more robust oversight
- Staff training in relational approaches and safer physical intervention is helping staff respond more appropriately when pupils become distressed
- A clearer curriculum structure has been introduced with improved communication tools (communication stations and core boards) to help pupils express their needs
- Governance has improved through the introduction of a school improvement board providing clearer oversight
- Parental confidence is beginning to show early signs of improvement as leaders increase communication with families
Areas for Improvement
- Safeguarding routines are not yet consistently effective across all sites - daily premises checks and accurate registration are not implemented reliably
- The curriculum is at an early stage of implementation with quality varying significantly - some work is too easy or too difficult for pupils
- Early reading instruction is inconsistent with some staff not modeling letter sounds accurately and not addressing misconceptions promptly
- Behaviour routines are not firmly established across all sites, and high levels of temporary staffing limit consistency in applying expectations
- Post-16 curriculum lacks coherence and careers education and work-related experiences are still developing
Safeguarding
Safeguarding has improved significantly but is not yet consistently effective across all sites - leaders have strengthened systems, training and record-keeping, though some basic routines and temporary staff training remain inconsistent.
Stubbin Wood School is a special school in Derbyshire that was placed in special measures following a graded inspection in July 2025 due to significant weaknesses in safeguarding, curriculum design, and leadership capacity. This monitoring inspection in February 2026 shows that leaders are taking effective action to improve, though continued work is needed to remove the special measures designation.
At a Glance
54.8%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
SpLD - Specific Learning Difficulty, VI - Visual Impairment, OTH - Other Difficulty/Disability, HI - Hearing Impairment
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
36 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at April 2026 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with Stubbin Wood School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Stubbin Wood School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Stubbin Wood School is in Derbyshire; for families living there:
- Derbyshire's school travel policy: Home to school transport policy 2026 to 2027 - 465KB
- How to apply: Apply for home to school transport assistance
Commute and house prices
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
112%
Over capacity
252 pupils
225 places
27 pupils over capacity
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Mansfield
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Mansfield
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(4)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
3
SEN Support
223
EHC Plans
89.7%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
252
Total Pupils
186
Boys
66
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
30
Teachers
8.4:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£50,171
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
11.9%
Overall absence
28.6%
Persistent absence
189
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about Stubbin Wood School
What are SATs results like at Stubbin Wood School?
Of the pupils at Stubbin Wood School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 0% reached the expected standard in reading and 0% did so in maths.
What is Stubbin Wood School's Ofsted rating?
Stubbin Wood School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in February 2026, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in May 2022, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Stubbin Wood School?
No fixed boundary. When Stubbin Wood School is oversubscribed, Derbyshire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Stubbin Wood School?
Stubbin Wood School has around 252 pupils on roll. 55% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Stubbin Wood School?
11.9% of sessions were missed at Stubbin Wood School in 2024/25. 28.6% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Stubbin Wood School?
Apply through Derbyshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Stubbin Wood 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.
Where is Stubbin Wood School?
Stubbin Wood School is at Common Lane, Shirebrook, Mansfield, Derbyshire, NG20 8QF.