School Chooser

Halesbury School

Special · ages 4-19MixedFoundation special school174 pupilsSixth formHalesowenDudley
School Chooser ScoreNot scoredWe don't score this type of school.
OfstedAs expected teachingOfsted report card, March 2026
Strong pass in English and maths0%England 46%
Attendance89.9%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families44%Far more than most schools
Parents would recommend91%23 Parent View responses
PlacesFull174 pupils, 117 places

Halesbury School is a foundation special school in Halesowen for boys and girls aged 4 to 19. It has 174 pupils, 57 more than it has places for. About 44 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. Ofsted visited in March 2026 and gave it a report card, which is below.

Feldon Lane, Halesowen, B62 9DR01384 984000halesbury.dudley.sch.ukMrs Amanda Appleby Payne headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted visited on 10 March 2026. Instead of one overall word, it now gives a grade for each part of school life. Read the full report on Ofsted's website.

TeachingOfsted calls this “curriculum and teaching”
As expected
Achievement
As expected
Behaviour and attendanceOfsted calls this “attendance and behaviour”
Strong
Support for every childOfsted calls this “inclusion”
Strong
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development and wellbeing”
Strong
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and governance”
As expected
Early years
As expected
Sixth formOfsted calls this “post-16”
As expected
SafeguardingAre pupils kept safe?
Pupils are kept safe
Met
Ofsted's scale:ExceptionalStrong standardExpected standardNeeds attentionUrgent improvement

Ofsted says these new grades can't be lined up against the old one-word grades.

Earlier inspections (1)
DateTypeOutcome
10 October 2023S5 InspectionRequires improvement

Results

GCSE results, summer 2025

8 pupils sat their GCSEs. Here is how they did against every state secondary in England.

Average GCSE score2.1
England 46.8
Official name: Attainment 8
Strong pass in English and maths0%
England 46%
Official name: Grade 5+ in English and maths
Standard pass in English and maths0%
England 66%
Official name: Grade 4+ in English and maths
Progress from age 11-1.75In each subject, pupils here finished well over a grade behind children across England who started secondary school at the same level. (From 2023/24, the latest year there is. The government didn't work it out for the 2025 year group.)Official name: Progress 8
Trend
Average GCSE score
2018 to 2025
2018: 4.04.020182019: 2.82.820192022: 0.50.520222023: 0.20.220232024: 0.80.820242025: 2.12.12025
Since 2018: -1.9
All GCSE measures, year by year
Measure202520242023202220192018DudleyEngland
Pupils at the end of Year 11813614126
Average GCSE scoreAttainment 82.10.80.20.52.84.044.346.8
Progress from age 11Progress 8-1.75-1.57-1.80-1.31-1.03
Strong pass in English and mathsGrade 5+ in English and maths0%0%0%0%0%0%42%46%
Standard pass in English and mathsGrade 4+ in English and maths0%0%0%0%0%0%63%66%
Core subjects scoreEBacc average point score0.100.040.000.010.100.143.794.15
Taking the core subjectsEBacc entry0%0%0%0%0%0%29%41%
Average GCSE score: pupils who started behindAttainment 8, low prior attainers0.10.20.52.84.0

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

18 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England. With a year group this small, a couple of children can move the percentages a long way.

Reached the expected level at 110%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level0%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading scoreOfficial name: Reading average scaled score
Maths scoreOfficial name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 0%0%20172018: 0%0%20182019: 0%0%20192023: 0%0%20232024: 0%0%20242025: 0%0%2025
Since 2017: +0%
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017DudleyEngland
Pupils tested18131813816
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths0%0%0%0%0%0%63%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths0%0%0%0%0%0%8%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score105.0105.0105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score99.0104.0104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score100.0105.0105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard0%0%6%0%0%0%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard0%0%0%0%0%0%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)0%0%0%0%0%0%
Reading progressReading progress score-5.5-2.8-2.7-1.4
Maths progressMaths progress score-5.3-3.9-3.2-2.6
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged0%0%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged0%0%

There are no progress figures for 2025. That year group missed their Year 2 tests during Covid, so there was no starting point to measure from. Progress figures come back with the December 2026 results. Tests were cancelled altogether in 2020 and 2021.

Does every child do well here?

A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. Every gap at this school is smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.

At the end of primary school, 2025

Reached the expected level at 11Low-income pupils vs other pupils
0%0%
No gapEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
0%0%
No gapEngland 5 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
0%0%
No gapEngland 5 pts
First groupSecond groupEngland, each group

Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published.

Each council publishes its own figures on how many families applied and how far away the last child to get a place lived. We are adding councils one at a time. If you have a link to Dudley council's admissions booklet, send it to us.

What parents say

Would recommend the school91%England 84%
My child is happy here96%agree or strongly agree
My child feels safe100%
Positive overall86%
My child is happy at this school
96%England 85%
My child feels safe at this school
100%England 86%
Pupils are well behavedThe school makes sure its pupils are well behaved
91%England 79%
Has your child been bullied here?Parents answering yes
9% yesEngland 20%
Bullying was dealt with quickly and effectivelyOnly parents whose child was bullied
100%England 49%
My child gets the right support to learn well
91%England 81%
Does your child have SEND?Parents answering yes
100% yesEngland 32%
The school gives them the support they needOnly parents of children with SEND
91%England 68%
The school communicates well with me
91%England 78%
My concerns have been dealt with properlyWhen I have raised concerns
91%England 66%
Decisions put the child's best interests first
100%England 78%
I would recommend this school
91%England 84%
Overall view of the school is positive
86%England 79%
Strongly agreeAgreeDon't knowDisagreeStrongly disagreeEngland, agree or yes

From Ofsted's Parent View survey: 23 parents answered in the year to 6 April 2026. Parents choose whether to fill it in, and many only do so when an inspection is coming, so don't read too much into small differences. The England figures are the average for all schools with enough answers to publish.

Who goes here

Who the school teaches, from the latest school census.

Pupils on roll174Census January 2026
Places117149% full
Pupils from low-income families44%44% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English10%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support0%0 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan100%174 pupils with a plan
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)43%£92,300 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls139 / 35
White British pupils71%

Specialist SEND provision. A special school for pupils with autism, hearing impairment, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability, social, emotional and mental health, speech, language and communication, severe learning difficulties, specific learning difficulties, visual impairment.

To get a place in the unit or resourced provision, a child normally needs an education, health and care plan (EHCP) that names the school. Other schools in Dudley with autism provision.

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (90), Autistic spectrum disorder (58), Moderate learning difficulty (16), emotional and mental health (5), Physical disability (3), Severe learning difficulty (2).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll174174170165155148
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals44%43%41%41%44%46%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language10%10%11%10%11%11%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support0%0%0%3%3%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans100%100%100%97%97%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 89.9% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance89.9%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school31.8%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils3.52024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission2.9%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence10.1%10.1%12.0%10.6%15.2%6.3%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence7.3%7.5%10.3%8.2%13.6%4.9%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence2.9%2.6%1.7%2.4%1.6%1.4%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence31.8%32.9%38.7%36.9%56.2%13.2%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate3.54.75.56.50.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00100

What pupils do next

After GCSEs

Where the 6 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.

Still in education, work or training83%and stayed there for at least six months
Earlier years
Destination2022/23 leavers2021/22 leavers2020/21 leavers2019/20 leavers
Still in education, work or training83%93%100%100%
Education83%93%100%100%
Apprenticeship0%0%0%0%
Work0%0%0%0%
Not in education, work or training0%7%0%0%

Staff and money

From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.

Teachers24.0full-time equivalent, 24 people
Pupils per teacher7.3Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers88%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants39.6full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£51,158
Teachers who left in the year14%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher8.12024/25

Money

From the council school accounts, year to March 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other special schools in England that report their accounts the same way.

Spend per pupil£25,297England £32,258. Total £4.4m
Income per pupil£24,326England £32,367. Total £4.2m
Spent on teachers per pupil£8,044England £11,930
Money in reserve-12%In the red: -£486k, -£2,792 per pupil. England 7%
Money in against money out-£169kit spent more than it took in this year
Where the money goes£25,297spent per pupil

Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.

The area around the school

Crimes within 500 m24112 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate51 per 1,000 people44% lower than the England average
Typical house price£236,000Dudley

Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.

Nearby schools

The closest schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Hurst Green Primary SchoolCouncil150 m420Good 202336Compare
Olive Hill Primary AcademyAcademy430 m454Report card 202659Compare
Leasowes High SchoolAcademy860 m1,043No overall grade 202427Compare
Perryfields Primary SchoolCouncil0.7 miles316Report card 202625Compare
Perryfields AcademyAcademy0.7 miles682Good 202425Compare
Coombswood Special SchoolIndependent0.7 miles33Not inspectedCompare
Highfields Primary SchoolCouncil0.8 miles403Good 202426Compare
Quinton Church Primary SchoolAcademy0.9 miles208Not inspected67Compare

Questions parents ask

Is Halesbury School a good school?

Halesbury School doesn't have a score yet. Ofsted's report card from March 2026 rated its teaching as as expected.

What is Halesbury School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted no longer gives schools one overall grade. When it visited on 10 March 2026 it rated teaching as as expected, achievement as as expected, behaviour and attendance as strong, leadership as as expected.

How good are Halesbury School's GCSE results?

In summer 2025, 0% of pupils got a grade 5 or better in both English and maths. Across England it was 46%. Its Attainment 8 score, which is the average grade across a pupil's best eight subjects times ten, was 2.1, against 46.8 for England. In each subject, pupils here finished well over a grade behind children across England who started secondary school at the same level.

How good are Halesbury School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 0% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 0% went further and reached the higher level. The year group was small, so the percentages jump around a lot from year to year.

How many pupils does Halesbury School have?

174 pupils aged 4 to 19 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 117 places, so it is 149% full.

What is attendance like at Halesbury School?

Pupils were in school 89.9% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 32% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

What do parents say about Halesbury School?

91% of the 23 parents who answered Ofsted's Parent View survey would recommend it to other parents, and 96% say their child is happy there. Across England, 84% of parents would recommend their child's school.

Does Halesbury School have specialist SEND provision?

Yes. It is a special school for autism, hearing impairment, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability, social, emotional and mental health, speech, language and communication, severe learning difficulties, specific learning difficulties, visual impairment. To get a place there, a child normally needs an education, health and care plan (EHCP) that names the school.

Does Halesbury School have a sixth form?

Yes.

These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.

Contact and details

Address
Feldon Lane, Halesowen, B62 9DR
Telephone
01384 984000
Website
www.halesbury.dudley.sch.uk
Headteacher
Mrs Amanda Appleby Payne
Type of school
Foundation special school (Foundation special school, special schools)
Phase
Special school, ages 4-19, with sixth form
Gender
Mixed
Trust
Peoples Field Trust
Local authority
Dudley
Ward
Halesowen North
Constituency
Halesowen
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
URN
103881 · LAESTAB 3327005 · UKPRN 10015540

Recent changes

  • New KS4 results for 2024/25

Where these figures come from