The Poplars, Houghton le Spring
The Poplars is a special school for pupils aged 8 to 18 in Houghton le Spring. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in January 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2025)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
The Poplars in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to The Poplars are Columbia Grange School (2.1 miles); Portland Academy (2.6 miles, Good); Sunningdale School (2.7 miles, Outstanding); and North View Academy (3.1 miles, Good).
Columbia Grange SchoolPortland AcademySunningdale SchoolNorth View Academy
Who goes there
Almost every pupil at The Poplars has an education, health and care plan (4 of 4 in 2026).
Getting there
The nearest tram or metro stop is South Hylton (Tyne and Wear Metro Station), about 2.8 miles away in a straight line.
11 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is St Aidans Terrace-Nursing Home (sw-bound), 80 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood The Poplars stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Sources: DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime
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 January 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
The Poplars creates a calm, nurturing environment where pupils with complex needs thrive. Staff are highly skilled at understanding each child's individual needs and adjusting teaching to match - whether through one-to-one sessions, small groups, or specialist sensory support. Beyond the classroom, the school builds vital life skills and confidence through practical activities like cooking and cycling, while maintaining a clear routine that reassures pupils.
Key Strengths
- Broad and ambitious curriculum with strong focus on early language, communication and mathematics
- Staff know pupils extremely well and support them effectively to manage emotions and behaviour
- High-quality one-to-one and small group teaching tailored to sensory and physical needs
- Reading is a priority with daily story time and effective phonics teaching
- Pupils develop important life skills through daily walks, cycling, cookery sessions and educational visits
Areas for Improvement
- Some inconsistencies in how staff teach the curriculum and their behaviour management expectations
- Inconsistencies in the way staff guide pupils in handwriting formation
- Some staff have not yet received the full professional development offer available
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with clear processes and a strong culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Daily walks, cycling sessions with community charity, cookery sessions, educational visits focused on building confidence and life skills
The Poplars is a specialist school for pupils with autism and complex needs that has been rated Good. The school provides a calm, welcoming environment where pupils' safety and well-being are prioritised, and staff know each pupil extremely well.
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 The Poplars
Getting There
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 8
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 8 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 8 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
1 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 Sunderland is 13 (the median across 125 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
100%
Full
4 pupils
4 places
No spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Houghton le Spring
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Houghton le Spring
Across Sunderland council
Places available
3,305
Applications
2,921
Got 1st preference
92.9%
Got preferred school
97.9%
All secondary applications across Sunderland council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(2)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
4
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
The Poplars 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
4
Total Pupils
4
Boys
0
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
The Poplars
Questions parents ask about The Poplars
What is The Poplars's Ofsted rating?
The Poplars was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in January 2025.
Does The Poplars meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in January 2025, The Poplars met all the independent school standards.
How many pupils go to The Poplars?
The Poplars has around 4 pupils on roll.
Does The Poplars have specialist SEN provision?
The Poplars is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
How do I apply to The Poplars?
The Poplars 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 The Poplars?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 8 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 8 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 1 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 Sunderland is 13 (the median across 125 schools, same distance and years).
Where is The Poplars?
The Poplars is at Miners Lodge, Market Crescent, New Herrington, Houghton le Spring, DH4 7AP.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)