Birch Wood (Melton Area Special School)
Birch Wood (Melton Area Special School) is an academy special converter in Melton Mowbray for pupils aged 4 to 19. It has 246 pupils on roll. The latest Ofsted rating for Birch Wood (Melton Area Special School) is Good, from an inspection in April 2024 of its predecessor, Birch Wood (Melton Area Special School).
Ofsted inspection: December 2025.
| Type | Special School / Academy special converter |
| Age Range | 4-19 |
| Religion | Does not apply |
| Address | Grange Drive Melton Mowbray Leicestershire LE13 1HA |
| Reference Number | 152239 |
General Makeup
| Number of pupils | 246 |
| Boy/Girl ratio |
Boys: 66.26%
Girls: 33.74% |
| Percentage of students eligible for free school meals | 41.5% |
| Percentage of students where English is not their first language | 2% |
Year Groups
| Year | Boys | Girls | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7 | 4 | 11 |
| 2 | 6 | 1 | 7 |
| 3 | 11 | 7 | 18 |
| 4 | 7 | 2 | 9 |
| 5 | 6 | 6 | 12 |
| 6 | 19 | 3 | 22 |
| 7 | 8 | 4 | 12 |
| 8 | 19 | 11 | 30 |
| 9 | 18 | 6 | 24 |
| 10 | 20 | 10 | 30 |
| 11 | 17 | 10 | 27 |
| 12 | 6 | 4 | 10 |
| 13 | 8 | 7 | 15 |
Ethnicities
| Ethnicity | Percentage |
|---|---|
| White, British | 88.6% |
| White & Asian | 2.4% |
| Indian | 2% |
| White, Other | 1.6% |
| White & Black (Caribbean) | 1.6% |
| White & Black (African) | 0.8% |
| Mixed, Other | 0.8% |
| Asian, Other | 0.8% |
| Chinese | 0.4% |
| African | 0.4% |
This school has not been graded since it changed URN, usually on converting to an academy. The rating shown is from its predecessor, Birch Wood (Melton Area Special School), inspected in April 2024.
| Overall Ofsted Rating | Good |
| Last Report Date | This school has not had an inspection yet. |
| Date | Report |
|---|---|
| 05 Dec 2025 | Academy conversion letter |
Destinations after GCSE's
| Staying in Education | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| > Further Education | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| > School Sixth Form | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| > Sixth Form College | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| > Other Education | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| Apprenticeships | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| Employment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| Not in education or employment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| Unknown | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
In 2025–26 Birch Wood (Melton Area Special School) had 246 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; multi-sensory impairment; physical disability; autistic spectrum disorder; other difficulty or disability.
Pupils by main type of need
| EHC plan | |
|---|---|
| Autistic spectrum disorder | 73 |
| Speech, language and communication needs | 53 |
| Social, emotional and mental health | 30 |
| Severe learning difficulty | 27 |
| Moderate learning difficulty | 25 |
| Specific learning difficulty | 11 |
| Physical disability | 8 |
| Multi-sensory impairment | 4 |
| Profound and multiple learning difficulty | 4 |
| Vision impairment | 4 |
| Hearing impairment | 3 |
| Other difficulty or disability | 3 |
| Down's syndrome | 1 |
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.
| Name | Distance |
|
Sherard Primary School
Grange Drive, Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, LE13 1HA |
0.26 miles |
|
Brownlow Primary School
Limes Avenue, Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, LE13 1QL |
0.86 miles |
|
Saint Francis Catholic Primary School
Dalby Road, Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, LE13 0BP |
0.88 miles |
|
Swallowdale Primary School and Community Centre
Dalby Road, Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, LE13 0BJ |
0.96 miles |
|
The Grove Primary School
Asfordby Road, Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, LE13 0HN |
1.29 miles |
|
St Mary's Church of England Primary School
Brampton Road, Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, LE13 0NA |
2.04 miles |
|
Asfordby Hill Primary School
Melton Road, Asfordby Hill, Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, LE14 3QX |
2.45 miles |
|
Great Dalby School
Top End, Great Dalby, Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, LE14 2HA |
2.84 miles |
|
Scalford Church of England Primary School
School Lane, Scalford, Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, LE14 4DT |
3.53 miles |
|
Captains Close Primary School
Saxelby Road, Asfordby, Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, LE14 3TU |
3.81 miles |
|
Ab Kettleby Primary School
Wartnaby Road, Ab Kettleby, Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, LE14 3JJ |
3.91 miles |
|
Frisby Church of England Primary School
Hall Orchard Lane, Frisby-on-the-Wreake, Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, LE14 2NH |
4.29 miles |
|
Waltham on the Wolds Church of England Primary School
Melton Road, Waltham-on-the-Wolds, Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, LE14 4AJ |
4.63 miles |
|
Whissendine Church of England Primary School
Main Street, Whissendine, Oakham, Rutland, LE15 7ET |
4.83 miles |
|
Somerby Primary School
High Street, Somerby, Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, LE14 2PZ |
4.93 miles |
| Name | Distance |
|
Melton Vale Sixth Form College
Burton Road, Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, LE13 1DN |
0.31 miles |
|
Long Field Spencer Academy
Ambleside Way, Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, LE13 0BN |
1.34 miles |
|
John Ferneley College
Scalford Road, Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, LE13 1LH |
1.81 miles |
|
Include-Welby Grange
Welby Grange, Welby Grange Farm, Welby, Melton Mowbray, LE14 3EF |
2.75 miles |
All schools in Melton Mowbray · Leicestershire local authority: places and applications
Birch Wood (Melton Area Special School) is part of Discovery Schools Academies Trust Ltd, which runs 21 schools. The nearest others:
- Captains Close Primary School Melton Mowbray
- Sileby Redlands Community Primary School Loughborough
- Keyham Lodge School Leicester
- Merrydale Junior School Leicester
- Ash Field Academy Leicester
- Mowmacre Hill Primary School Leicester
- Leighfield Primary School Oakham
- Uppingham Community College Uppingham
- Woolden Hill Primary School Leicester
- Millgate School Leicester
What is Birch Wood (Melton Area Special School)'s Ofsted rating?
The latest Ofsted rating for Birch Wood (Melton Area Special School) is Good, from an inspection in April 2024 of its predecessor, Birch Wood (Melton Area Special School).
When was Birch Wood (Melton Area Special School) last inspected by Ofsted?
Birch Wood (Melton Area Special School) was last inspected in December 2025.
How many pupils does Birch Wood (Melton Area Special School) have?
Birch Wood (Melton Area Special School) has 246 pupils on roll.
What age range does Birch Wood (Melton Area Special School) cover?
Birch Wood (Melton Area Special School) for pupils aged 4 to 19.
Where is Birch Wood (Melton Area Special School)?
Birch Wood (Melton Area Special School) is at Grange Drive, Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, LE13 1HA.