Willow School, Sleaford
Willow School is a special school for pupils aged 7 to 14 in Sleaford. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in July 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2025)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Willow School in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Willow School are Holton Sleaford Independent School (0.1 miles, Good); and Compass Community School Lincolnshire (4.4 miles, Good).
Holton Sleaford Independent SchoolCompass Community School Lincolnshire
Who goes there
Almost every pupil at Willow School has an education, health and care plan (20 of 20 in 2026).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Sleaford Rail Station, about 210 metres away (roughly a 3-minute walk).
15 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Yorkshire Trading (adjacent), 120 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 161 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Lincolnshire (33), as is usual near a town centre.
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 · 1 year 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 July 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Willow School excels at helping pupils who have missed significant schooling to re-engage with learning in a calm, caring environment. The school's greatest strength is its focus on emotional well-being and building independence through daily life skills teaching and celebration of small progress. Staff provide highly individualized support, helping pupils overcome anxieties and develop positive relationships with peers.
Key Strengths
- Strong relationships and pastoral support help pupils feel safe and re-engage with education
- Significant improvements in pupil behaviour and attendance through clear behaviour curriculum and emotional regulation strategies
- Comprehensive personal development programme including life skills, self-care, and meaningful careers exploration in the local community
- Individualized support for pupils' emotional needs and anxieties, with staff working together to identify and meet each pupil's requirements
- High-quality accommodation and resources in a nurturing environment
Areas for Improvement
- Insufficient opportunities for pupils to rehearse reading and writing skills, limiting their independence and ability to overcome negative attitudes towards literacy
- Inconsistent curriculum implementation across subjects, causing varied pupil progress and slower learning
- Need for staff to deliver curriculum more consistently in each subject and check pupils' long-term recall of important knowledge
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with strong leadership commitment and clear procedures to keep pupils safe.
Extracurricular Activities
Careers exploration, local business visits, emergency services visits, soothe your senses assemblies, phonics practice, sensory activities
Willow School is a special school for pupils aged 7-14 with communication, interaction, cognition and learning needs. Most pupils arrive after prolonged periods out of school, and the school makes a positive difference by building strong relationships and creating a calm, caring environment where each child is seen as an individual.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 2 nearby schools
Keep up with Willow School
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 43
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 8
- Children hurt
- 8
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, 8 serious and 35 slight.
8 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 7 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
13 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 Lincolnshire is 6 (the median across 401 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
38%
Available places
20 pupils
52 places
32 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Sleaford
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Sleaford
Across Lincolnshire council
Places available
9,247
Applications
7,828
Got 1st preference
84.7%
Got preferred school
96.4%
All secondary applications across Lincolnshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(2)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
20
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Willow School 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
20
Total Pupils
17
Boys
3
Girls
2026 academic year
Questions parents ask about Willow School
What is Willow School's Ofsted rating?
Willow School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in July 2025.
Does Willow School meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in July 2025, Willow School met all the independent school standards.
How many pupils go to Willow School?
Willow School has around 20 pupils on roll.
Does Willow School have specialist SEN provision?
Willow School is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
How do I apply to Willow School?
Willow 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 Willow 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, 8 serious and 35 slight. 8 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 7 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 13 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 Lincolnshire is 6 (the median across 401 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Willow School?
Willow School is at 25 Jermyn Street, North Kesteven, Sleaford, Lincolnshire, NG34 7RU.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)