The Forest School is a special academy in Knaresborough, North Yorkshire, for children and young people aged 2 to 16. It supports dyslexia and SpLD, vision, hearing and 6 other needs.
- Ages 2–16
- 155 pupils
School details
- Type
- Special academy
- Ages
- 2 to 16
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Pupils
- 155 (places for 127)
- Headteacher
- Mrs Shona Crichton (Headteacher)
- Part of
- Wellspring Academy Trust
- Opened
- 1 April 2020
- Free school meals
- 40.6% of pupils eligible
- Council
- North Yorkshire
- School reference (URN)
- 147819
Needs it supports
9 needs: dyslexia and SpLD, vision 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 North Yorkshire (16)
- Speech, language and communication Other schools for this in North Yorkshire (14)
Cognition and learning
- Specific learning difficulty (such as dyslexia) Other schools for this in North Yorkshire (1)
- Moderate learning difficulty Other schools for this in North Yorkshire (6)
- Severe learning difficulty Other schools for this in North Yorkshire (7)
Social, emotional and mental health
- Social, emotional and mental health Other schools for this in North Yorkshire (13)
Sensory and physical
- Hearing impairment Other schools for this in North Yorkshire (3)
- Visual impairment Other schools for this in North Yorkshire (3)
- Physical disability Other schools for this in North Yorkshire (5)
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 North Yorkshire 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
Graded by area, April 2025; school remains Outstanding (Concerns) - S5 Next (December 2019)
Inspected in April 2025. Inspections from September 2024 to November 2025 graded each area but gave no overall grade.
- Quality of educationGood
- Behaviour and attitudesOutstanding
- Personal developmentGood
- Leadership and managementGood
- SafeguardingEffective
Since then: School remains Outstanding (Concerns) - S5 Next (ungraded inspection, December 2019).
Contact and getting there
Park Lane, Knaresborough, HG5 0DQ
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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
- Knaresborough St John's Church of England Primary School Mainstream + base · Ages 4–11 · Ofsted: Good 0.4 miles
- Springwater Academy Special school · Ages 2–19 · Ofsted: Good 1.8 miles
- Henshaws College Independent · Ages 16–25 2.1 miles
All SEND schools in North Yorkshire
By need in North Yorkshire: Autism (17) · Speech and language (15) · SEMH (14) · Severe learning (8) · Moderate learning (7) · Physical (6) · PMLD (5) · Hearing (4) · Vision (4) · Multi-sensory (4) · Dyslexia and SpLD (2)
Questions about The Forest School
How do I get a place at The Forest 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 The Forest School. If it is named in the plan, the school must admit your child.
What needs does The Forest School support?
Specific learning difficulty (such as dyslexia), visual impairment, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication, autism, social, emotional and mental health, physical disability, moderate learning difficulty and severe learning difficulty. Every child is different, so ask the school how it would meet your child’s needs.
What ages does The Forest School take?
Aged 2 to 16, boys and girls.
What is The Forest School’s Ofsted rating?
Rated Outstanding by Ofsted in April 2025 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 The Forest School?
Park Lane, Knaresborough, HG5 0DQ, in North Yorkshire.
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.