Newfield School

Newfield School is a welcoming special school where pupils are known and celebrated as individuals. Inspectors found strong, caring relationships between pupils and staff, calm behaviour, and a curriculum that is highly personalised to pupils’ needs and sequenced from early years through to the sixth form. Pupils, including those with profound and complex needs, make timely progress towards personal goals, and staff use sensory and therapeutic approaches effectively to help pupils regulate their behaviour. Reading, language and communication are prioritised, and pupils benefit from a well-considered personal development programme, enrichment activities and careers preparation. The school has improved since its previous inspection. Governance has been significantly strengthened, staff are well trained and feel supported, and safeguarding arrangements are effective. All pupils have an EHC plan, and the school identifies and supports additional SEND needs well. The main areas for improvement are that in a small number of subjects, including the sixth form, staff sometimes choose activities that do not help pupils learn new concepts as well as they could, and in the early years the use of indoor and outdoor spaces and resources is not consistently strong enough to support play, curiosity and active learning. This was a graded inspection, and the school was judged good in each key judgement and in early years and sixth-form provision. There is no overall effectiveness grade under the current inspection framework. The inspection took place after several leadership changes, including a new headteacher and new governors, and inspectors noted that leaders have raised expectations and strengthened oversight.

Strengths

• Welcoming, inclusive school where pupils are known and celebrated as individuals
• Strong, caring relationships between pupils and staff help pupils feel happy and safe
• Calm behaviour in lessons and around school, supported by sensory and therapeutic approaches
• Highly personalised curriculum sequenced from early years to sixth form
• High expectations for academic and social achievement across learning pathways
• Effective staff training and assessment to support pupils with SEND
• Strong focus on reading, language and communication, including skilful phonics teaching
• Pupils read books matched to the sounds they know and become confident, fluent readers
• Personal development is central, with rich enrichment, trips and celebration of differences
• Carefully crafted careers programme and sixth-form independent living and work-related learning
• Pupils attend school regularly and understand the importance of attendance
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective
• Governance has been significantly strengthened and provides effective oversight
• Staff receive relevant training and feel their well-being and workload are considered

Areas for Improvement

• In a small number of subjects, including sixth form, staff sometimes choose activities that are not the most appropriate for helping pupils learn new concepts
• Some pupils lose focus when activities do not clearly reflect what staff expect them to do
• In early years, indoor and outdoor spaces are not used carefully enough to support play
• Early years children have variable opportunities to develop curiosity, exploration and active learning through play

In 2024–25 pupils at Newfield School attended 89.3% of sessions (the national figure for special schools was 87.2%). 34.5% 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, 0.4% of pupils at Newfield 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 Newfield School had 7.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for special schools was 6.6). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 7.9% 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 Newfield School had 242 pupils, 100.0% of them with an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 99.5%).

It says it provides for: specific learning difficulty; moderate learning difficulty; severe learning difficulty; profound and multiple learning difficulty; social, emotional and mental health; speech, language and communication needs; hearing impairment; vision impairment; physical disability; 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 Newfield School received £31,995 and spent £31,921 for each of its 242 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £902,000 (£3,727 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).

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What is Newfield School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Newfield School is Good, from an inspection in January 2025.

When was Newfield School last inspected by Ofsted?

Newfield School was last inspected in January 2025.

How many pupils does Newfield School have?

Newfield School has 242 pupils on roll.

What age range does Newfield School cover?

Newfield School for pupils aged 4 to 19.

What are Newfield School's SATs (KS2) results?

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

Where is Newfield School?

Newfield School is at Old Bank Lane, Off Shadsworth Road, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB1 2PW.