Brooke School

Brooke School is a special school for pupils with severe learning difficulties, including autism, sensory and medical needs and profound and multiple learning difficulties; all pupils have an education, health and care plan. Since its previous inspection, the school has improved significantly. Leaders have focused sharply on an ambitious curriculum, expectations for pupils have risen, and pupils’ achievement has improved. The school is calm, most pupils are settled, and relationships between staff and pupils are positive and caring. Inspectors found notable strengths in reading, communication and the use of assistive technology, as well as strong community and local industry links that raise pupils’ aspirations. The sixth-form living flat helps students prepare for independent living, and safeguarding arrangements are effective. Trustees are ambitious and know the school well. The main areas for further work are embedding newer curriculum areas, making sure all staff consistently follow agreed expectations for learning and communication support, and matching early years activities more precisely to some children’s needs. There has been significant leadership change, including several headteachers since the last inspection and the establishment of an interim executive board by the trust. The current interim headteacher has been in post since April 2024, and staff have worked tirelessly through the changes. Leaders recognise the impact on staff workload and have plans to address it. Overall, this is a school that has moved strongly forward, with clear next steps to secure consistency and long-term impact.

Strengths

• Ambitious curriculum clearly sequenced from early years through to sixth form
• Pupils’ achievement has improved since the previous inspection
• Pupils behave well in a calm school environment
• Staff understand pupils’ behaviour and build positive, caring relationships
• Pupils are respectful and tolerant of others
• Strong community and local industry links raise pupils’ aspirations
• The sixth-form living flat prepares students well for independent living
• Teaching pupils to read is a high priority, with effective support for gaps
• A wide range of communication strategies supports pupils’ interaction needs
• Assistive technology is used effectively to help pupils access learning and record work
• Pupils benefit from wider opportunities, including clubs and a pupil-run cafe
• Trustees are ambitious, focus on the right things and know the school well
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective

Areas for Improvement

• Some curriculum areas have been implemented more recently, so the school does not yet know their impact over time
• Staff do not always consistently follow agreed expectations for supporting pupils’ learning needs in lessons
• Agreed communication aids and strategies are not always used consistently by all staff
• Early years activities do not always accurately match the needs of some children, leaving some unsettled

In 2024–25 pupils at Brooke School attended 87.6% of sessions (the national figure for special schools was 87.2%). 36.2% 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, 7.5% of pupils at Brooke 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 Brooke School had 9.3 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for special schools was 6.6). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 13.0% 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 Brooke School had 213 pupils, 99.1% 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; multi-sensory 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 2024–25 Brooke School received £28,356 and spent £28,732 for each of its 200 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £159,000 (£795 per pupil).

Across all 3 schools of Unity Mat, income was £27,323 and spending £29,114 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). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Rugby · Warwickshire local authority: places and applications

Brooke School is part of Unity Mat, which runs 3 schools. The nearest others:

• Woodlands Birmingham
• Welcombe Hills School Stratford-Upon-Avon

What is Brooke School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Brooke School is Good, from an inspection in April 2025.

When was Brooke School last inspected by Ofsted?

Brooke School was last inspected in April 2025.

How many pupils does Brooke School have?

Brooke School has 213 pupils on roll.

What age range does Brooke School cover?

Brooke School for pupils aged 4 to 19.

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

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

Where is Brooke School?

Brooke School is at Overslade Lane, Rugby, Warwickshire, CV22 6DY.