Birch Wood (Melton Area Special School) is a special academy in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, for children and young people aged 4 to 19. It supports dyslexia and SpLD, vision, hearing and 8 other needs.
- Ages 4–19
- 246 pupils
- Ofsted: Good
School details
- Type
- Special academy
- Ages
- 4 to 19
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Pupils
- 246 (places for 240)
- Headteacher
- Mr Philip Leaney (Headteacher)
- Part of
- Discovery Schools Academies Trust LTD
- Opened
- 1 December 2025
- Free school meals
- 41.5% of pupils eligible
- Council
- Leicestershire
- School reference (URN)
- 152239
Needs it supports
12 needs: dyslexia and SpLD, vision and 10 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
- Specific learning difficulty (such as dyslexia) Other schools for this in Leicestershire (4)
- 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)
Social, emotional and mental health
- Social, emotional and mental health Other schools for this in Leicestershire (7)
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)
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 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
Rated Good, last graded April 2024
Rated Good.
Contact and getting there
Grange Drive, Melton Mowbray, LE13 1HA
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Directions: Walk Public transport Drive
Email me these details
The school’s details, how to get a place and the questions to ask, in your inbox.
Other SEND schools nearby
- Sherard Primary School Mainstream + base · Ages 2–11 · Ofsted: Good 0.0 miles
- Include-Welby Grange Independent · Ages 11–16 2.7 miles
- Captains Close Primary School Mainstream + base · Ages 3–11 3.7 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 Birch Wood (Melton Area Special School)
How do I get a place at Birch Wood (Melton Area Special 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 Birch Wood (Melton Area Special School). If it is named in the plan, the school must admit your child.
What needs does Birch Wood (Melton Area Special School) support?
Specific learning difficulty (such as dyslexia), visual impairment, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication, autism, social, emotional and mental health, 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 Birch Wood (Melton Area Special School) take?
Aged 4 to 19, boys and girls.
What is Birch Wood (Melton Area Special School)’s Ofsted rating?
Rated Good by Ofsted in April 2024 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 Birch Wood (Melton Area Special School)?
Grange Drive, Melton Mowbray, LE13 1HA, 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.