The Avenue Special School, Reading
The Avenue Special School is a special school for pupils aged 2 to 19 in Reading, part of The Avenue School Special Needs Academy Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in May 2023.
- Ofsted
- Good (2023)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
The Avenue Special School in detail
The Avenue Special School in its own words
In its own words: "The Avenue Special Needs Academy is a day special school for boys and girls from the age of 2 - 19 with complex Special Educational Needs. Pupils at The Avenue School vary greatly in their needs, personalities and academic abilities."
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football, hockey, basketball and art.
Vision and values (school website)Clubs (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to The Avenue Special School are Thames Valley School (under 0.1 miles, Good); The Holy Brook School (0.8 miles, Good); Brookfields School (1.7 miles); and Haywards Farm School (2.4 miles, Outstanding).
Thames Valley SchoolThe Holy Brook SchoolBrookfields SchoolHaywards Farm School
The trust
The Avenue Special School is run by its own single-school academy trust.
Where pupils go next
Of the 15 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 93% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 7% to a further education college.
Who goes there
37.2% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 35.2% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are Asian (31%), White British (25%) and Black (14%).
Almost every pupil at The Avenue Special School has an education, health and care plan (253 of 253 in 2026). The most common need among them is a severe learning difficulty.
The Avenue Special School has a SEN unit for severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties: 249 places, 249 pupils on roll.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Tilehurst Rail Station, about 1.4 miles away in a straight line.
14 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Church End Lane (adjacent), 200 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, The Avenue Special School issued 11 suspensions, 4.5 for every 100 pupils, and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Sixth Form
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its May 2023 inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Behaviour & attitudes.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Personal development, Leadership & management, Sixth form.
At a Glance
37.2%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
SEN unit: SLD, PMLD
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with The Avenue Special School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to The Avenue Special School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. The Avenue Special School is in Reading; for families living there:
- How to apply: apply for school transport
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 13
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 3
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 13 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 10 slight.
3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise.
7 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 Reading is 21 (the median across 71 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
102%
Over capacity
253 pupils
249 places
4 pupils over capacity
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Reading
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Reading
Across Reading council
Places available
1,744
Applications
1,794
Got 1st preference
73.1%
Got preferred school
95.4%
All secondary applications across Reading council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(4)
Ungraded inspection: The school remains Outstanding, but Ofsted raised concerns; its next inspection will be a full graded one.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
253
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
The Avenue Special School has a SEN unit for severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties: 249 places, 249 pupils on roll.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
253
Total Pupils
167
Boys
86
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
36
Teachers
7.0:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£45,684
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
13.5%
Overall absence
38.4%
Persistent absence
203
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
The Avenue Special School
Showing 10 of 14 linked schools
Questions parents ask about The Avenue Special School
What are SATs results like at The Avenue Special School?
Of the pupils at The Avenue Special School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 0% reached the expected standard in reading and 0% did so in maths.
What is The Avenue Special School's Ofsted rating?
The Avenue Special School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in May 2023. At its previous graded inspection in 2011 it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for The Avenue Special School?
No fixed boundary. When The Avenue Special School is oversubscribed, Reading allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to The Avenue Special School?
The Avenue Special School has around 253 pupils on roll. 37% are eligible for free school meals.
Does The Avenue Special School have specialist SEN provision?
The Avenue Special School has a SEN unit for severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties: 249 places, 249 pupils on roll.
What is attendance like at The Avenue Special School?
13.5% of sessions were missed at The Avenue Special School in 2024/25. 38.4% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to The Avenue Special School?
Apply through Reading's coordinated admissions process, naming The Avenue 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 The Avenue Special School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 13 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 10 slight. 3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise. 7 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 Reading is 21 (the median across 71 schools, same distance and years).
Where is The Avenue Special School?
The Avenue Special School is at The Avenue Centre, Conwy Close, Tilehurst, Reading, Berkshire, RG30 4BZ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)