Furze Down School, based in Buckingham, provides not applicable education, serving pupils aged 4 to 19. The school is a community special school and operates as a mixed school. It follows a not applicable admissions policy. It does not have a designated religious character, which may suit families looking for a non-faith school. The school also offers a sixth form, allowing students to continue into post-16 education on site.
Furze Down School currently has around 219 pupils on roll, which is about 100% of its capacity. The gender split is relatively balanced, with approximately 71.2% boys and 28.8% girls. Around 33.7% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which gives an indication of the socio-economic mix. The student population reflects a mixed community across different backgrounds and needs.
Overall absence at the school is 12.4%. Persistent absence is recorded at 39.2%.
The majority of pupils are from a white british background (78.1%).
At its latest Ofsted inspection, the school was rated Outstanding. This indicates exceptional performance across all areas. Safeguarding was judged to be effective, which is a key consideration for many parents.
Around 100% of pupils move on to sustained destinations after Year 11. Most continue into education (100%) , including 0% who stay in school sixth forms and 27% progressing to further education , while 0% enter apprenticeships .
| Address: | Verney Road, Buckingham, MK18 3BL |
| Website: | www.fds.org.uk |
| Telephone: | 01296711380 |
| School Type: | Community special school |
| Education phase: | Not applicable |
| Local authority: | Buckinghamshire |
| Headteacher / Principal: | Mrs Alison Rooney |
| Religious character: | Does not apply |
| Admissions policy: | Not applicable |
| Unique reference: | 110585 |
Ofsted inspection date: 27/03/2014
Safeguarding is effective
| Age Range: | 4 - 19 |
| Gender: | Mixed |
| School Capacity: | 220 |
| Number of Pupils: | 219 |
| Number of Boys: | 156 |
| Number of Girls: | 63 |
| School | England state-funded schools: | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall absence: | 12.4% | 4% |
| Persistent absence: | 39.2% | 8.2% |
| White British | 78.10% | 171 |
| White and Black Caribbean | 4.10% | 9 |
| White and Asian | 2.70% | 6 |
| African | 2.30% | 5 |
| Other White | 2.30% | 5 |
| Pakistani | 2.30% | 5 |
| Indian | 1.80% | 4 |
| White and Black African | 1.40% | 3 |
| Other Asian | 0.90% | 2 |
| Caribbean | 0.90% | 2 |
| Other (any other ethnic group) | 0.90% | 2 |
| Unclassified | 0.90% | 2 |
| Irish | 0.50% | 1 |
| Irish Traveller (Traveller of Irish heritage) | 0.50% | 1 |
| Other Black | 0.50% | 1 |
| Other Mixed | 0.00% | 0 |
| Gypsy/Roma | 0.00% | 0 |
| Bangladeshi | 0.00% | 0 |
| Chinese | 0.00% | 0 |
Progress scores show how pupils performed compared with pupils nationally who had similar prior attainment. Scores above 0 are better than average; below 0 are worse than average.
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winslow Church of England School Lowndes Way , Winslow MK18 3EN | - not rated | 1,188 yd | Voluntary controlled school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rushmead CofE Middle School Lowndes Way , Winslow MK18 3EN | - not rated | 1,188 yd | Voluntary controlled school | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sir Thomas Fremantle School Buckingham Road , MK18 3GH | 3out of 4 | 641 yd | Free schools | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Winslow County Secondary School Park Road , Winslow MK18 3DN | - not rated | 723 yd | Community school | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Furze Down School Verney Road , Winslow MK18 3BL | 4out of 4 | 0 yd | Community special school | No | Mixed | More About School |
School statistics for this postcode are based on Ofsted rankings.