The Rowan School

The Rowan School is a community special school for pupils aged 4 to 11 with autism, speech, language and communication needs, and associated complex learning needs; all pupils have an education, health and care plan. Inspectors found high-quality nurture and support, strong aspiration, and exceptionally good care. Pupils attend and achieve well, and the curriculum is broad, ambitious and carefully personalised around pupils’ special educational needs and/or disabilities and their EHC plans. Behaviour and relationships are strong, pupils feel safe and are supported to become more independent, and personal development is central to the school’s work. Enrichment, communication and language support, reading and phonics, governance, staff development and outreach work are notable strengths. Safeguarding arrangements are effective. The main area for improvement is assessment. In some curriculum subjects, checks on pupils’ learning are not precise or well aligned to the knowledge and skills being taught, so teachers cannot always be sure that pupils are knowing and remembering more. The school is already redeveloping its assessment system to address this.

Strengths

• High-quality nurture and support with a strong aspiration for what pupils can achieve.
• Exceptional care from highly skilled staff in a supportive environment.
• An ambitious curriculum thoughtfully designed around pupils’ needs.
• Effective use of EHC plans to inform individual learning and support.
• Strong communication and language work, including signing, pictures, core boards and digital devices.
• Reading is prioritised and phonics is taught well from the early years and roots pathway.
• Personal development is at the centre of the school’s work.
• An extensive range of enrichment activities, including swimming, cooking, music and outdoor education.
• Excellent relationships and effective support for pupils’ resilience, independence and behaviour.
• Strong governance, leadership and high-quality professional development for staff.
• Effective safeguarding arrangements.

Areas for Improvement

• Assessment in some curriculum subjects is not yet precise or well aligned to the knowledge and skills pupils learn.
• Teachers cannot always be sure that pupils are knowing and remembering more in these subjects.
• The school is still redeveloping its assessment system so that checks on learning inform teaching effectively.

In 2024–25 pupils at The Rowan School attended 91.8% of sessions (the national figure for special schools was 87.2%). 22.4% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 35.3%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 0.0% of pupils at The Rowan School were suspended at least once (nationally 5.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 The Rowan School had 5.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for special schools was 6.6). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 0.0% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.5%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26 The Rowan School had 96 pupils, 100.0% of them with an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 99.5%).

It says it provides for: speech, language and communication needs; autistic spectrum disorder; other difficulty or disability.

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded special school schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 The Rowan School received £36,099 and spent £36,549 for each of its 96 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £101,000 (£1,057 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

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What is The Rowan School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for The Rowan School is Good, from an inspection in November 2024.

When was The Rowan School last inspected by Ofsted?

The Rowan School was last inspected in November 2024.

How many pupils does The Rowan School have?

The Rowan School has 96 pupils on roll.

What age range does The Rowan School cover?

The Rowan School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are The Rowan School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 0% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is The Rowan School?

The Rowan School is at 4 Durvale Court, Furniss Avenue, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, S17 3PT.