The Willows School
Special school school · Academy special converter · ages 7 to 19 · Mixed
Locksley Drive, Thurcroft, Rotherham, S66 9NT
- Pupils197
- Ages7 to 19
- Latest Ofsted25 Nov 2025
- FundingState-funded
Ofsted inspections
Shown exactly as Ofsted published them, each with its own date.
Report card · 25 Nov 2025
- InclusionExpected standard
- Curriculum and teachingNeeds attention
- AchievementExpected standard
- Attendance and behaviourStrong standard
- Personal development and well-beingStrong standard
- Leadership and governanceExpected standard
- Post-16 (sixth form)Expected standard
- SafeguardingMet
Report card grades run from Exceptional to Urgent improvement (five steps, left to right). Ofsted says “expected standard” means the school is doing everything it should — “It’s a high standard”. What the grades mean.
S5 Inspection · report published 28 May 2026
Read the full reports on Ofsted’s website (opens in a new tab) — they explain the reasons behind each grade.
Source: Ofsted, state-funded school inspections and outcomes: management information (latest inspections as at 30 September 2026). Newer inspections may be on Ofsted’s website. How Ofsted inspections work.
Results
Primary results (end of Year 6, key stage 2)
2024/25 · 12 pupils. What these mean
Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Pupils who scored 100 or more in both the reading and maths tests and were assessed by teachers as working at the expected standard (or greater depth) in writing.
2024/25
Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
A high score (110 or more) in the reading and maths tests and working at greater depth in writing.
2024/25
Each subject separately
Expected standard in reading
2024/25
Expected standard in writing (teacher assessment)
2024/25
Expected standard in maths
2024/25
Expected standard in grammar, punctuation and spelling
2024/25
Expected standard in science (teacher assessment)
2024/25
No progress scores for 2024/25: the DfE couldn’t calculate them because there was no key stage 1 data for these pupils (COVID-19 disruption). They return with the 2025/26 results.
GCSE results (end of Year 11, key stage 4)
Latest: 2025/26 (provisional) · 25 pupils. Each figure shows its year. What these mean
2025/26 results are provisional: the DfE will revise them (next update due February 2027). The provisional data has no EBacc figures, so EBacc is from an earlier year.
Attainment 8 score
Each pupil’s results across 8 qualifications (maths counts double, and English usually does too), averaged across the school. It partly reflects pupils’ starting points.
2024/25
Grade 5 or above in English and maths GCSEs
Often called a “strong pass” in both subjects.
2024/25
Grade 4 or above in English and maths GCSEs
Often called a “standard pass” in both subjects.
2024/25
Progress 8 score
Compares pupils’ Attainment 8 results with pupils across England who had similar results at the end of primary school. 0 means about the same; above 0 means more progress, below 0 less. How to read Progress 8.
No Progress 8 score
2023/24: No pupils entered.
The Department for Education says Progress 8 can’t be calculated for 2024/25 or 2025/26, because those pupils had no key stage 2 test results (the tests were cancelled in 2020 and 2021 because of COVID-19).
Entered for the English Baccalaureate (EBacc)
Pupils entered for all 5 EBacc “pillars”: English, maths, science, history or geography, and a language.
2024/25
EBacc average point score
Pupils’ point scores across the 5 EBacc pillars.
2024/25
Earlier years
| Year | Attainment 8 | Grade 5+ English & maths | Grade 4+ English & maths | Progress 8 | EBacc entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025/26 (provisional) | Not available | Not available | Not available | Not available | – |
| 2024/25 | No entries | No entries | No entries | Not available | No entries |
| 2023/24 | No entries | No entries | No entries | No entries | No entries |
Results describe a different group of pupils each year. Progress 8 is a relative measure and can’t be compared year on year.
Results describe one group of pupils in one year, so they can change a lot — especially in small schools. The DfE says “conclusions should not be drawn on a single piece of data alone.” This school on the DfE’s performance tables (opens in a new tab).
Source: Department for Education, school performance tables and Explore education statistics (key stage 4, 2025/26 provisional). England and local authority figures are the DfE’s own, for the same year.
Pupils and attendance
- Pupils
- 197 (capacity 150)
70 girls, 127 boys - Eligible for free school meals
- 57.5% (currently eligible, census of January 2026)
Pupils with SEN support
Special educational needs, without an education, health and care (EHC) plan.
2024/25
Pupils with an EHC plan
An education, health and care plan sets out the support a child must get.
2024/25
Eligible for free school meals at any time in the last 6 years
2024/25
First language not English
This is not a measure of how well pupils speak English.
2024/25
Attendance
Overall absence
The share of possible mornings and afternoons missed, for any reason (authorised or not).
2024/25
Persistent absence
Pupils who missed 10% or more of their possible sessions.
2024/25
Sources: Get Information about Schools; DfE school census and absence statistics via the performance tables. What these figures mean.
About the school
- Type
- Academy special converter (Academies)
- Trust
- NEXUS MULTI ACADEMY TRUST
- Sponsor
- Nexus Multi Academy Trust
- Boys, girls or mixed
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Does not apply
- Sixth form
- Has a sixth form
- Special needs catered for
- SLCN - Speech, language and Communication; MLD - Moderate Learning Difficulty
- Opened
- 1 September 2023
- Local authority
- Rotherham
- Parliamentary constituency
- Rother Valley
- URN
- 149642 (the DfE’s reference number for the school)
Source: Get Information about Schools (Department for Education). See the full record (opens in a new tab).
Admissions
A school named in a child’s education, health and care (EHC) plan must give them a place. Ask your council about places at special schools.
How school admissions work: deadlines, oversubscription and appeals.