The Forest School
Park Lane, Knaresborough, HG5 0DQOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)
The Forest School is a special school in Knaresborough for ages 2 to 16. It is one of the 376 schools in North Yorkshire. Its latest Ofsted inspection, in April 2025, graded each key judgement and gave no overall Ofsted rating.
Ofsted inspection
Inspected 23 April 2025, report published 10 June 2025
This inspection graded each key judgement and gave no overall effectiveness grade.
- Quality of education
- Good
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Outstanding
- Personal development
- Good
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Safeguarding
- Met
What Ofsted said
From the inspection on 23 April 2025
Pupils have positive and trusting relationships with staff. Pupils greet visitors warmly, showing politeness and respect. One pupil, reflecting the views of many, said, 'It's a nice friendly place here, we welcome everyone.' The school provides an inclusive, well-structured curriculum. Staff understand pupils' needs well. Expectations for learning and growth are ambitious and highly personalised to pupils' individual needs. These are underpinned by pupils' education, health and care (EHC) plans. Pupils are well supported to thrive academically and personally, competently guided by advice from specialists. Pupils' attitudes to learning are exemplary. They are focused and settled in lessons. Pupils follow consistent routines that help them to access learning successfully. When pupils need space or time to regulate, they are skilfully supported. Pupils enjoy coming to school. They speak positively about staff and appreciate the help they receive. Attendance is closely checked with support provided for pupils to attend regularly. The personal development programme is a strength of the school. Pupils develop their leadership skills by taking on roles such as school councillors and supporting younger peers. They learn about online safety and managing money. They understand the importance of equality and respect. Events celebrating diversity, including 'the Pride parade', help pupils feel safe, valued and included.
What the school should improve
- The school does not teach pupils reading skills beyond word reading effectively enough. This means that some pupils do not learn to read as fluently and confidently as they could. The school must continue to refine the reading curriculum and ensure that all staff have the skills and expertise so that pupils develop the necessary reading skills to become confident, fluent readers.
- The writing curriculum does not give enough attention to the technical aspects of writing. This includes spelling, punctuation, grammar and handwriting. This means that some pupils are not able to write with accuracy. The school should ensure that the curriculum for writing gives sufficient attention to building pupils' fluency in the basic skills of writing, so that pupils are able to write independently across all areas of the curriculum.
Pupil numbers and mix
155 pupils on roll, with places for 127
Schools near The Forest School
| School | Distance | Ofsted | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| Springwater Academy | 2 miles | Ofsted: Good | Not published |
| Strive for Education | 4 miles | Ofsted: Good | Attainment 8: 0.5 |
| St John's Catholic Specialist School, Boston Spa | 9 miles | Ofsted: Good | Not published |
| Cambian Spring Hill | 10 miles | Ofsted: Good | Attainment 8: 13.0 |
| Forest Moor School | 11 miles | Ofsted: Good | Attainment 8: 1.5 |
School details
- School type
- Academy special converter
- Sector
- Academy
- Trust
- WELLSPRING ACADEMY TRUST
- Age range
- 2 to 16
- Gender
- Mixed
- Headteacher
- Mrs Shona Crichton
- Phone
- 01423864583
- Address
- Park Lane, Knaresborough, HG5 0DQ
- Local authority
- North Yorkshire
- URN
- 147819
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.