SchoolScoresIndependent school guide

Rosewood Free School

Special free school · All-through, ages 2 to 19 · Mixed · Nursery class · Sixth form

Part of SPECIALIST SCHOOLS TRUST LTD

Aldermoor Road, Southampton, SO16 5NA

023 8057 1050 · School website · Map and directions

OfstedOutstandingInspected 15 July 2014; confirmed 2023
Pupils77Room for 77
Free school meals26%of pupils eligible now

Ofsted inspection

Ofsted rated this school Outstanding at the inspection that started on 15 July 2014.

This inspection used Ofsted's older format with four grades: Outstanding, Good, Requires improvement and Inadequate. Newer inspections use report cards. What changed.

AreaGrade
Quality of educationOutstanding
Outcomes for pupilsOutstanding
Leadership and managementOutstanding

Since then, a shorter ungraded inspection on 12 October 2023: Ofsted found the school was still Outstanding.

Read the full Ofsted reports for this school

Source: Ofsted state-funded schools inspection data.

What parents say

13 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey between 4 September 2023 and 2 September 2024.

StatementThis schoolEngland
My child is happy at this school 92% 88%
My child feels safe at this school 92% 90%
The school makes sure pupils are well behaved 85% 84%
I would recommend this school to another parent 92%said yes 84%

Parents choose whether to take part, so these answers may not represent all families. Figures are the share who agree or strongly agree. England figures are all parents answering the same questions over the same period, for state-funded schools. The scales run from lower (left) to higher (right) agreement, and the dot marks this school among state schools of the same phase that used the same survey questions. The third it falls in is coloured: green for the top third, amber the middle, red the bottom. This survey used Ofsted's previous Parent View questions, which changed in November 2025. Source: Ofsted Parent View management information.

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Results

Key stage 2 (SATs, age 11), 2024/25

3 pupils in this year group.

Only 3 pupils took these tests, so results can change a lot from year to year. Compare with care.

MeasureThis schoolSouthamptonEngland
Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths Not published 57% 62%
Reached the higher standard in reading, writing and maths Not published 7% 8%
Met the expected standard in reading Not published 71% 75%
Met the expected standard in writing Not published 70% 72%
Met the expected standard in maths Not published 69% 74%
Average reading scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 is the expected standard. Not published 105 106
Average maths scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 is the expected standard. Not published 104 105

"Not published": Not published: too few pupils, so individual pupils could be identified.

Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths, over time

2022/232023/242024/25
Not published0%Not published

Source: DfE key stage 2 performance tables, 2024/25. England figures are for state-funded schools.

Admissions

Apply through the council where you live, even if the school is in a different council area. This school is in Southampton. The national closing date for secondary applications is 31 October, and offers are sent on 1 March.

Admissions dates and schools in Southampton

Pupils, staff and SEND

This is a special school for children with an education, health and care plan (EHCP). Places are arranged through the council's SEND team, not the normal admissions round. It caters for: Other difficulties or disabilities; Multi-sensory impairment; Physical disability; Profound and multiple learning difficulties.

PupilsThis schoolSouthamptonEngland
Eligible for free school meals in the last 6 years 23.3% 65.1%* 51.9%
With an education, health and care plan 82.9% 98.2%* 99.5%
Receiving special educational needs support 17.1% 1.8%* 0.5%
English as an additional language 27.1% 20.5%* 14.4%
Overall absence (sessions missed) 9.9% 11.8%* 12.8%
Persistently absent (missed 10% or more) 35.7% 35.0%* 35.3%
Suspensions per 100 pupils 0.0 19.5 12.3
Pupils suspended at least once 0.0% 7.1% 5.1%
Pupils permanently excluded0 pupils 0.00% 0.00% 0.08%
Pupils per teacher 5.3 5.7 6.6
Pupils per adult (teachers and support staff) 1.4 2.1 2.3
Teachers who left during the year 0.0% 11.2%* 14.3%*

Comparisons are with special schools. * Calculated by SchoolScores from the council's or England's schools, weighted by pupils (or teachers, for turnover); other figures are published by DfE. Sources: DfE school census 2024/25; DfE pupil absence 2024/25; DfE suspensions and permanent exclusions 2024/25; DfE school workforce census 2025/26; DfE teacher turnover 2024/25.

SEND provision: Get Information about Schools (DfE).

Nearby special schools

Straight-line distance. Distance isn't the same as a catchment area.

Questions parents ask

What is Rosewood Free School's Ofsted rating?

Rosewood Free School was rated Outstanding by Ofsted at its inspection in 15 July 2014. At a shorter ungraded inspection in 12 October 2023, Ofsted found the school was still Outstanding.

Would parents recommend Rosewood Free School?

92% of the 13 parents who answered Ofsted's Parent View survey between 4 September 2023 and 2 September 2024 said they would recommend Rosewood Free School to another parent. Parents choose whether to respond, so this may not represent all families.

Sources

Spotted a mistake? Report it and we'll check it against the source.

Page updated 26 September 2026.