Bishopswood School is a special academy in Reading, Oxfordshire, for children and young people aged 2 to 16. It supports dyslexia and SpLD, vision, hearing and 7 other needs.
- Ages 2–16
- 73 pupils
- Ofsted report card (2025)
School details
- Type
- Special academy
- Ages
- 2 to 16
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Pupils
- 73 (places for 72)
- Headteacher
- Mrs Priya Bhagrath
- Part of
- The Propeller Academy Trust
- Opened
- 1 January 2023
- Free school meals
- 52.1% of pupils eligible
- Council
- Oxfordshire
- School reference (URN)
- 149322
Needs it supports
11 needs: dyslexia and SpLD, vision and 9 more
As listed by the Department for Education, grouped the way EHC plans describe needs.
Communication and interaction
- Autism Other schools for this in Oxfordshire (19)
- Speech, language and communication Other schools for this in Oxfordshire (13)
Cognition and learning
- Specific learning difficulty (such as dyslexia) Other schools for this in Oxfordshire (5)
- Moderate learning difficulty Other schools for this in Oxfordshire (8)
- Severe learning difficulty Other schools for this in Oxfordshire (9)
- Profound and multiple learning difficulties Other schools for this in Oxfordshire (9)
Sensory and physical
- Hearing impairment Other schools for this in Oxfordshire (6)
- Visual impairment Other schools for this in Oxfordshire (4)
- Multi-sensory impairment Other schools for this in Oxfordshire (3)
- Physical disability Other schools for this in Oxfordshire (6)
It also lists other needs. Ask the school what these are.
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 Oxfordshire 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, November 2025: Strong standard in 4 of 6 areas
Inspected in November 2025 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 teachingExpected standard
- AchievementExpected standard
- Attendance and behaviourStrong standard
- Personal development and wellbeingStrong standard
- Leadership and governanceStrong standard
- SafeguardingMet
Contact and getting there
Grove Road, Sonning Common, Reading, RG4 9RH
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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
- Aurora Rowan School Independent · Ages 5–19 · Ofsted report card (2026) 1.5 miles
- Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre Mainstream + base · Ages 11–18 · Ofsted: Good 2.3 miles
- New Bridge Nursery School Mainstream + base · Ages 2–5 · Ofsted: Outstanding 3.5 miles
All SEND schools in Oxfordshire
By need in Oxfordshire: Autism (20) · Speech and language (14) · SEMH (10) · Severe learning (10) · PMLD (10) · Moderate learning (9) · Hearing (7) · Physical (7) · Dyslexia and SpLD (6) · Vision (5) · Multi-sensory (4)
Questions about Bishopswood School
How do I get a place at Bishopswood 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 Bishopswood School. If it is named in the plan, the school must admit your child.
What needs does Bishopswood School support?
Specific learning difficulty (such as dyslexia), 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 Bishopswood School take?
Aged 2 to 16, boys and girls.
What is Bishopswood School’s Ofsted rating?
Rated Inadequate by Ofsted in November 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 Bishopswood School?
Grove Road, Sonning Common, Reading, RG4 9RH, in Oxfordshire.
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.