Access School
Holbrook Villa Farm, Harmer Hill, Broughton, Shrewsbury, SY4 3EWOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)
Access School is a special school in Shrewsbury for ages 5 to 16. It is one of the 183 schools in Shropshire. Its latest Ofsted rating is Good, from an inspection in April 2024.
Ofsted inspection
Inspected 30 April 2024, report published 9 June 2024
- Overall effectiveness
- Good
- Quality of education
- Good
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Good
- Personal development
- Good
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Safeguarding
- Met
What Ofsted said
From the inspection on 30 April 2024
Building positive relationships to support pupils to re-engage with learning is the key focus of Access School. Pupils appreciate the fact that the staff understand them. As a result, they trust the staff, and this helps them to feel safe. When pupils join the school, many have been out of education for some time. Pupils often have no interest in learning and struggle to work alongside their peers. Staff, supported by leaders, work well as a team to help pupils manage their behaviour. They work tirelessly to get pupils to a point where pupils are ready to learn. The school is aware that pupils need to experience high-quality teaching and learning, underpinned by a therapeutic approach, to prepare them for the next stage of their education and training. As a result, with the backing of the proprietor body, they have made many improvements to improve the curriculum and wider enrichment activities that pupils experience. Nonetheless, the school is keen to improve the quality of education even more. Parents and carers are overwhelmingly positive about the school. They value the fact that the staff understand their children and never give up on them.
What the school should improve
- Some teachers lack the subject knowledge they need when teaching outside of their area of specialism. In these instances, work is not as well matched to pupils' needs as it could be. Leaders should ensure that relevant support and training are put in place for these staff to improve their subject knowledge.
- In a small number of subjects, the curriculum is not well sequenced. In these instances, pupils do not achieve as well as they could. The school should identify and map out the knowledge and skills that pupils will learn in these subjects so that they build well over time.
- In some cases, pupils' targets are too general and lack specificity. As a result, teachers are not clear on how best to support pupils. The school should ensure that pupils' targets are specific and closely matched to pupils' needs.
Pupil numbers and mix
30 pupils on roll, with places for 30
Schools near Access School
| School | Distance | Ofsted | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smallbrook School | 1 mile | No Ofsted inspection | Attainment 8: 2.7 |
| Woodlands School | 2 miles | Report card: Needs attention to expected standard | Attainment 8: 4.9 |
| Harlescott House School | 5 miles | Ofsted: Good | Not published |
| Acorn Wood | 7 miles | No Ofsted inspection | Not published |
| Severndale Specialist Academy | 7 miles | Ofsted judgements: Good | Attainment 8: 0.8 |
School details
- School type
- Other independent special school
- Sector
- Independent
- Age range
- 5 to 16
- Gender
- Mixed
- Headteacher
- Mrs Sarah Earing
- Phone
- 01939220797
- Address
- Holbrook Villa Farm, Harmer Hill, Broughton, Shrewsbury, SY4 3EW
- Local authority
- Shropshire
- URN
- 132772
School details from Get Information about Schools, 17 September 2026. Ofsted outcomes published to 31 August 2026. Pupil mix from the school census, 2025/26.