The Pines Special School, Birmingham
The Pines Special School is a special school for pupils aged 3 to 16 in Birmingham, part of Birmingham Special Schools Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in July 2019. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in February 2025 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Good (2019)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
The Pines Special School in detail
The Pines Special School in its own words
In its own words: "Please click on the links below to listen to our school song:"
From the headteacher's welcome: "I am delighted to introduce myself as the newly appointed Headteacher of The Pines School. It is an honour to join such a dynamic and compassionate community, and I feel privileged to lead a school that makes such a profound difference to the lives of children and young people."
Vision and values (school website)Headteacher's welcome (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to The Pines Special School are Wilson Stuart School (0.6 miles, Outstanding); The Hive College (0.6 miles, Outstanding); Oscott Manor School (0.7 miles); and New Horizon Academy (0.9 miles, Requires improvement).
Wilson Stuart SchoolThe Hive CollegeOscott Manor SchoolNew Horizon Academy
The trust
The Pines Special School is one of 6 schools run by Birmingham Special Schools Trust, an academy trust.
What parents say
35 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about The Pines Special School (as of September 2025): 94% would recommend the school, 89% say their child is happy there and 50% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that they are kept well informed about progress (94%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (50%).
Where pupils go next
Of the 25 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 96% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 4% to a further education college.
Who goes there
55.1% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 20.2% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
Almost every pupil at The Pines Special School has an education, health and care plan (287 of 287 in 2026). The most common need among them is autism.
The Pines Special School provides for pupils with speech, language and communication needs and autism.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Gravelly Hill Rail Station, about 1120 metres away (roughly a 14-minute walk).
10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Bleak Hill Road (adjacent), 140 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood The Pines Special 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, The Pines Special School issued 3 suspensions, 1.1 for every 100 pupils, and no permanent exclusions.
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 · 2 years agoThis judgement is from July 2019, 7 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: Standards have been maintained.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's February 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
The Pines is a big school with an even bigger heart where pupils are happy and proud to attend. Staff build strong relationships with every child, understanding their individual needs and creating a calm, supportive environment where good behaviour is the norm. The school goes beyond academics to develop the whole child, with outstanding support for communication, mental health and preparation for life after school.
Key Strengths
- Strong approach to developing pupils' communication skills using pictures and symbols from Reception onwards
- High quality teaching that is sensitive, clear and well-adapted to pupils' diverse needs
- Ambitious and intelligently structured curriculum with personalised learning pathways (pre-formal and formal)
- Excellent focus on wider development including mental health support, careers education and life skills from Reception through to Year 11
- Calm, orderly lessons with positive pupil behaviour and strong staff-pupil relationships
Areas for Improvement
- Inconsistency in how the curriculum is implemented - some teachers could better emphasise key vocabulary and make more effective use of teaching time
- School needs to strengthen quality assurance processes to ensure teachers have consistent support in maximising pupil learning in every lesson
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective.
Extracurricular Activities
Visits, visitors, work experience programme
The Pines Special School is a welcoming and popular special school for pupils with autism, judged good at its previous inspection. It has maintained high standards and is characterised by positive relationships and infectious positivity.
At a Glance
55.1%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
Speech and language, Autism
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
35 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2025/26KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has declined from 15% to 5% (2024 to 2025), while maths has declined from 15% to 10% (2024 to 2025).
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
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From The Pines Special School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with The Pines Special School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to The Pines Special School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. The Pines Special School is in Birmingham; for families living there:
- How to apply: Travel passes for 5 to 16 year olds
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 50
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 11
- Children hurt
- 9
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 50 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 11 serious and 38 slight.
9 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 8 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
9 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 Birmingham is 41 (the median across 517 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
106%
Over capacity
287 pupils
270 places
17 pupils over capacity
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Birmingham
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Birmingham
Across Birmingham council
Places available
14,956
Applications
14,483
Got 1st preference
75.7%
Got preferred school
97.4%
All secondary applications across Birmingham council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
287
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
The Pines Special School provides for pupils with speech, language and communication needs and autism.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
287
Total Pupils
222
Boys
65
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
40
Teachers
7.2:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£51,086
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
8.6%
Overall absence
22.7%
Persistent absence
269
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 Pines Special School
Showing 10 of 15 linked schools
Questions parents ask about The Pines Special School
What are GCSE results like at The Pines Special School?
In the 2026 results, pupils at The Pines Special School achieved an Attainment 8 score of 2.7. 0% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is The Pines Special School's Ofsted rating?
The Pines Special School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in February 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in July 2019, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for The Pines Special School?
No fixed boundary. When The Pines Special School is oversubscribed, Birmingham allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to The Pines Special School?
The Pines Special School has around 287 pupils on roll. 55% are eligible for free school meals.
Does The Pines Special School have specialist SEN provision?
The Pines Special School provides for pupils with speech, language and communication needs and autism.
What is attendance like at The Pines Special School?
8.6% of sessions were missed at The Pines Special School in 2024/25. 22.7% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to The Pines Special School?
Apply through Birmingham's coordinated admissions process, naming The Pines 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 Pines Special School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 50 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 11 serious and 38 slight. 9 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 8 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 9 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 Birmingham is 41 (the median across 517 schools, same distance and years).
Where is The Pines Special School?
The Pines Special School is at Marsh Hill, Birmingham, West Midlands, B23 7EY.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)