Forest Way School is a special academy in Coalville, Leicestershire, for children and young people aged 3 to 19. It supports vision, hearing, speech and language and 6 other needs.
- Ages 3–19
- 293 pupils
- Ofsted report card (2026)
School details
- Type
- Special academy
- Ages
- 3 to 19
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Pupils
- 293 (places for 265)
- Headteacher
- Mrs Kelly Dryden (Headteacher)
- Part of
- Open Thinking Partnership
- Opened
- 1 March 2012
- Free school meals
- 39.3% of pupils eligible
- Council
- Leicestershire
- School reference (URN)
- 137905
Needs it supports
9 needs: vision, hearing and 7 more
As listed by the Department for Education, grouped the way EHC plans describe needs.
Communication and interaction
- Autism Other schools for this in Leicestershire (19)
- Speech, language and communication Other schools for this in Leicestershire (14)
Cognition and learning
- Moderate learning difficulty Other schools for this in Leicestershire (11)
- Severe learning difficulty Other schools for this in Leicestershire (6)
- Profound and multiple learning difficulties Other schools for this in Leicestershire (4)
Sensory and physical
- Hearing impairment Other schools for this in Leicestershire (5)
- Visual impairment Other schools for this in Leicestershire (5)
- Multi-sensory impairment Other schools for this in Leicestershire (6)
- Physical disability Other schools for this in Leicestershire (4)
How to get a place
4 steps, starting with an EHC plan
- An EHC plan
Places at schools like this usually come through an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan. If your child doesn’t have one yet, you can ask the council for an assessment yourself.
- Visit and ask questions
See whether the school feels right and whether it can meet your child’s needs. Our list of questions below can help.
- Ask for the school to be named
Tell the council that looks after the plan (often Leicestershire council) that this is the school you want, and ask them to consult it.
- Named in the plan
If the school is named in your child’s plan, it must admit your child. Free home-to-school transport is often part of the arrangement.
Questions to ask when you visit
8 questions to tick off as you go
Ticks stay on this device, so you can use them on the day.
Ofsted
Report card, March 2026: Strong standard in every area
Inspected in March 2026 under Ofsted’s new report cards, which grade each area separately, from Exceptional to Urgent improvement, instead of one overall grade.
- InclusionStrong standard
- Curriculum and teachingStrong standard
- AchievementStrong standard
- Attendance and behaviourStrong standard
- Personal development and wellbeingStrong standard
- Early yearsStrong standard
- Post-16Strong standard
- Leadership and governanceStrong standard
- SafeguardingMet
Since then: School remains Outstanding (ungraded inspection, December 2021).
Contact and getting there
Warren Hills Road, Coalville, LE67 4UU
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Directions: Walk Public transport Drive
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The school’s details, how to get a place and the questions to ask, in your inbox.
Other SEND schools nearby
- Hugglescote Community Primary School Mainstream + base · Ages 4–11 · Ofsted: Good 2.3 miles
- Nanpantan Hall Nurture Centre Independent · Ages 5–14 · Ofsted: Outstanding 3.1 miles
- St Botolph's Church of England Primary School Mainstream + base · Ages 4–11 · Ofsted report card (2026) 3.3 miles
All SEND schools in Leicestershire
By need in Leicestershire: Autism (20) · Speech and language (15) · Moderate learning (12) · SEMH (8) · Severe learning (7) · Multi-sensory (7) · Hearing (6) · Vision (6) · PMLD (5) · Dyslexia and SpLD (5) · Physical (5)
Questions about Forest Way School
How do I get a place at Forest Way School?
There’s no catchment area or application round. Places usually come through an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan: ask the council that looks after the plan to consult Forest Way School. If it is named in the plan, the school must admit your child.
What needs does Forest Way School support?
Visual impairment, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication, autism, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability, moderate learning difficulty, severe learning difficulty and profound and multiple learning difficulties. Every child is different, so ask the school how it would meet your child’s needs.
What ages does Forest Way School take?
Aged 3 to 19, boys and girls.
What is Forest Way School’s Ofsted rating?
Rated Outstanding by Ofsted in March 2026 at its last graded inspection. Newer inspections no longer give a single overall grade, so read the latest report for the full picture.
Where is Forest Way School?
Warren Hills Road, Coalville, LE67 4UU, in Leicestershire.
School data: DfE Get Information About Schools, under the Open Government Licence. Postcode lookups by postcodes.io: contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right, Royal Mail data © Royal Mail copyright and database right, and National Statistics data © Crown copyright and database right. Distances are as the crow flies. Always check details and admissions with the school and your council.