Waterside School, Coventry
Waterside School is a special school for pupils aged 9 to 18 in Coventry.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Waterside School in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Waterside School are Park View (1.5 miles, Good); Sherbourne Fields School (1.9 miles, Outstanding); Kingsbury Academy (1.9 miles, Requires improvement); and Castle Wood Special School (2.1 miles, Requires improvement).
Park ViewSherbourne Fields SchoolKingsbury AcademyCastle Wood Special School
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Coventry Rail Station, about 1.3 miles away in a straight line.
10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Honeyfield Road (after), 160 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Waterside School stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 1061 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, shoplifting and public order offences. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Coventry (253), as is usual near a town centre.
Sources: NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 1 month agoOverall
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's September 2026 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Waterside School is designed specifically for pupils with SEND and demonstrates excellent planning to meet their individual needs. The school combines strong academic provision with practical preparation for adulthood, including careers guidance and work experience opportunities with local employers. Leadership shows genuine expertise in adaptive teaching, positive behaviour support, and creating an inclusive community where pupils feel safe and supported.
Key Strengths
- Specialist SEND provision with experienced senior leaders who understand how to tailor support through individualised timetables and regular reviews
- Comprehensive curriculum covering required areas with structured phonics programmes and both GCSE and vocational pathways
- Strong safeguarding systems aligned with statutory guidance, with staff trained in safer recruitment and plans for weekly updates
- High staff-to-pupil ratios and small class sizes ensuring appropriate supervision and safety
- Rich enrichment programme including trips, community engagement, and weekly themed enrichment activities
Safeguarding
Safeguarding is likely to be effective - the school has established systems aligned with statutory guidance, staff have received appropriate training, and leaders plan routine analysis of safeguarding information to identify emerging concerns.
Extracurricular Activities
Enrichment afternoons, local charity work, visits to places of worship, library visits, theatre visits, work experience with local employers, school council
Waterside School is a proposed specialist independent school for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities. The pre-registration inspection found the school is likely to meet all independent school standards if registered.
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 Waterside School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 43
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 13
- Children hurt
- 7
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 43 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 13 serious and 30 slight.
7 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 5 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 Coventry is 14 (the median across 130 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
Area Demand Pressure - Coventry
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Coventry
Across Coventry council
Places available
4,567
Applications
4,348
Got 1st preference
82.1%
Got preferred school
94.6%
All secondary applications across Coventry council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History
Special educational needs provision
Waterside School is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
Source: Get Information about Schools (GIAS), Department for Education.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Waterside School
Showing 10 of 14 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Waterside School
Does Waterside School have specialist SEN provision?
Waterside School is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
How do I apply to Waterside School?
Waterside School 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 Waterside School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 43 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 13 serious and 30 slight. 7 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 5 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 Coventry is 14 (the median across 130 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Waterside School?
Waterside School is at 65b George Eliot Road, Foleshill, Coventry, West Midlands, CV1 4HT.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)