The Rowan School, Sheffield
The Rowan School is a special school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Sheffield. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in December 2013. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in October 2024 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2013)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
The Rowan School in detail
The Rowan School in its own words
In its own words: "Rowan school is located on Durvale Court, just off Furniss Avenue in Dore. It is on an extremely pleasant site with playing fields and a small area of woodland. The school was built in 1976. We currently offer 99 places with children grouped into 12 classes."
Vision and values (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to The Rowan School are Bents Green School (2.2 miles); Mossbrook School (3 miles, Good); Phoenix School of Therapeutic Education (3.3 miles, Outstanding); and Kenwood Academy (3.4 miles).
Bents Green SchoolMossbrook SchoolPhoenix School of Therapeutic EducationKenwood Academy
What parents say
13 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about The Rowan School (as of September 2025): 54% would recommend the school, 62% say their child is happy there and 0% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that they are kept well informed about progress (92%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (0%).
Who goes there
52.1% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 25% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
Almost every pupil at The Rowan School has an education, health and care plan (96 of 96 in 2026). The most common need among them is autism.
The Rowan School provides for pupils with speech, language and communication needs and autism.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Dore & Totley Rail Station, about 0.8 miles away in a straight line.
5 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Furniss Avenue/King Ecgbert Road (near), 140 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood The Rowan School stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 52 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and other theft. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Sheffield (267).
Suspensions and exclusions
The Rowan 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); 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 December 2013, 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
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
Pupils receive high-quality nurture and support. The school is aspirational for what pupils can accomplish. There is a strong and genuine desire to ensure that pupils achieve the school's aim to 'build a secure foundation for learning and life'.
Pupils are exceptionally well cared for by highly skilled staff in a supportive environment. The ambitious curriculum has been thoughtfully designed around the needs of pupils. Pupils' education, health and care (EHC) plans are used effectively in order to inform their individual learning and support. Pupils attend well and achieve well. The school constantly strives to offer the very best for pupils. This includes close and effective work with specialist therapeutic professionals.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
The curriculum is clearly set out across four different pathways. It is designed to grow pupils' knowledge and skills from the 'roots' to the 'leaves' pathways. It is broad and ambitious. From the early years, content for different curriculum subjects has been carefully chosen. Learning is personalised to each pupils' stage of development. The school plans with precision to meet pupils' special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) effectively.
Learning and support are linked well to pupils' EHC plans. Targets for pupils to achieve are broken down into small manageable steps. The school gains an in-depth knowledge of pupils. Pupils are encouraged to do well. Those with high anxiety and sensory needs learn in a way that is suitable for them. Staff are excellent role models for pupils. They promote respectful relationships and positive interactions with others.
From Ofsted's October 2024 ungraded inspection report: the opening paragraphs of each section, quoted word for word. Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Outstanding at its December 2013 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
52.1%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
Speech and language, Autism
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
13 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % 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 The Rowan School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to The Rowan School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. The Rowan School is in Sheffield; for families living there:
- Sheffield's school travel policy: Home to School Travel and Transport Policy September 2023
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 1
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 1 road collision in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 1 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
0 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 Sheffield is 17 (the median across 193 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
107%
Over capacity
96 pupils
90 places
6 pupils over capacity
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Sheffield
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Sheffield
Across Sheffield council
Places available
6,421
Applications
6,416
Got 1st preference
88.7%
Got preferred school
96.6%
All secondary applications across Sheffield council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(7)
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
96
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
The Rowan 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
96
Total Pupils
76
Boys
20
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
23
Teachers
4.2:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£55,726
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
8.2%
Overall absence
22.4%
Persistent absence
98
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Linked Schools
Schools linked by geographic proximity
The Rowan School
Questions parents ask about The Rowan School
What are SATs results like at The Rowan School?
Of the pupils at The Rowan 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 Rowan School's Ofsted rating?
The Rowan School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in October 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in December 2013, it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for The Rowan School?
No fixed boundary. When The Rowan School is oversubscribed, Sheffield allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to The Rowan School?
The Rowan School has around 96 pupils on roll. 52% are eligible for free school meals.
Does The Rowan School have specialist SEN provision?
The Rowan School provides for pupils with speech, language and communication needs and autism.
What is attendance like at The Rowan School?
8.2% of sessions were missed at The Rowan School in 2024/25. 22.4% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to The Rowan School?
Apply through Sheffield's coordinated admissions process, naming The Rowan 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 Rowan School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 1 road collision in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 1 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 0 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 Sheffield is 17 (the median across 193 schools, same distance and years).
Where is The Rowan School?
The Rowan School is at 4 Durvale Court, Furniss Avenue, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, S17 3PT.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)