St John's Catholic Specialist School, Boston Spa
St John's Catholic Specialist School, Boston Spa is a non-maintained special school in Wetherby for pupils aged 3 to 19. It has 89 pupils on roll. The latest Ofsted rating for St John's Catholic Specialist School, Boston Spa is Good, from an inspection in April 2024.
Ofsted inspection: April 2024.
| Type | Special School / Non-maintained special school |
| Age Range | 3-19 |
| Religion | Does not apply |
| Address | Church Street Boston Spa Wetherby West Yorkshire LS23 6DF |
| Phone | 01937842144 |
| Reference Number | 108120 |
General Makeup
| Number of pupils | 89 |
| Boy/Girl ratio |
Boys: 66.29%
Girls: 33.71% |
| Percentage of students eligible for free school meals | 25.5% |
| Percentage of students where English is not their first language | 2.2% |
Year Groups
| Year | Boys | Girls | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
| 2 | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
| 3 | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
| 4 | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
| 5 | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
| 6 | Unknown | 1 | 1 |
| 7 | 7 | Unknown | 7 |
| 8 | 8 | 4 | 12 |
| 9 | 10 | 5 | 15 |
| 10 | 5 | 6 | 11 |
| 11 | 7 | 3 | 10 |
| 12 | 13 | 6 | 19 |
| 13 | 4 | 3 | 7 |
Ethnicities
| Ethnicity | Percentage |
|---|---|
| White, British | 92.1% |
| White & Black (Caribbean) | 2.2% |
| White & Asian | 1.1% |
| Indian | 1.1% |
| Unclassified | 1.1% |
| Mixed, Other | 1.1% |
St John's Catholic Specialist School in Boston Spa has demonstrated notable improvement since its last inspection and is now considered good overall. The school fosters a nurturing and caring atmosphere where students can thrive, thanks to strong leadership and dedicated staff who prioritize individual needs. The curriculum is designed to be broad and ambitious, supporting students with diverse special educational needs and preparing them for future independence and vocational opportunities. Students enjoy a variety of extracurricular activities and feel valued within the school community.
| Overall Ofsted Rating | Good |
| > Quality of education | Good |
| > Behaviour & Attitude | Good |
| > Personal Development | Good |
| > Leadership & Management | Good |
| > Sixth Form Provision | Good |
| Last Report Date | 07 Feb 2024 |
| Date | Report |
|---|---|
| 07 Feb 2024 | School inspection: |
| 06 Feb 2024 | Education and residential inspection summary |
| 11 Feb 2020 | School inspection: |
| 29 Nov 2018 | Short inspection |
| 11 Feb 2015 | Full inspection: |
| 29 Feb 2012 | Full inspection: |
| 20 Jan 2009 | Full inspection: |
| 14 Oct 2008 | Full inspection: |
| 28 Jun 2006 | Full inspection: |
| 04 Jun 2001 | Full inspection |
Strengths
- Nurturing ethos and warm relationships foster a happy school environment.
- Strong focus on developing pupils' independence and preparing them for adulthood.
- Broad and ambitious curriculum tailored to meet the needs of all pupils.
- Effective support for communication difficulties and the provision of sensory rooms.
- High priority given to reading, with effective phonics instruction.
- Pupils achieve well academically and progress to further education or employment.
- Strong encouragement of pupils' participation in school improvement initiatives.
Areas for Improvement
- Curriculum designs are still being refined in some subjects, hindering assessment of pupil knowledge.
In 2024–25 pupils at St John's Catholic Specialist School, Boston Spa attended 84.2% of sessions (the national figure for special schools was 87.2%). 27.9% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 35.3%).
Sessions missed
Pupils persistently absent
| 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Authorised absence | 4.9% | 4.3% | 4.1% | 3.9% | 10.5% | 11.5% | 9.9% | 11.6% | 15.1% |
| Unauthorised absence | 0.3% | 0.4% | 0.2% | 0.0% | 0.4% | 1.0% | 0.7% | 1.3% | 0.7% |
| Severely absent pupils | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 6.3% | 2.9% | 5.0% | 6.8% | 9.8% |
Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.
In 2024–25, 4.9% of pupils at St John's Catholic Specialist School, Boston Spa were suspended at least once (nationally 5.1%). One pupil was permanently excluded.
Pupils suspended at least once
| 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suspensions per 100 pupils | 32.9 | 27.6 | 16.9 | 13.6 | 4.5 | 8.1 | 11.9 | 19.3 | 12.7 | 12.5 | 5.4 | 1.8 | 1.8 | 1.8 | 8.0 | 4.9 |
| Permanent exclusions | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.
In 2025–26 St John's Catholic Specialist School, Boston Spa had 89 pupils, 100.0% of them with an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 98.6%).
It says it provides for: specific learning difficulty; moderate learning difficulty; severe learning difficulty; profound and multiple learning difficulty; social, emotional and mental health; speech, language and communication needs; hearing impairment; vision impairment; multi-sensory impairment; physical disability; autistic spectrum disorder; other difficulty or disability.
Pupils by main type of need
| EHC plan | |
|---|---|
| Autistic spectrum disorder | 35 |
| Speech, language and communication needs | 16 |
| Hearing impairment | 12 |
| Down's syndrome | 6 |
| Social, emotional and mental health | 6 |
| Physical disability | 3 |
| Severe learning difficulty | 3 |
| Vision impairment | 3 |
| Other difficulty or disability | 2 |
| Moderate learning difficulty | 1 |
| Multi-sensory impairment | 1 |
| Specific learning difficulty | 1 |
Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded non-maintained special school schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.
| Name | Distance |
|
Primrose Lane Primary School
Westwood Way, Boston Spa, Wetherby, West Yorkshire, LS23 6DX |
0.21 miles |
|
St Mary's Church of England Controlled Primary School Boston Spa
Clifford Road, Boston Spa, Clifford Road, Boston Spa, Select, West Yorkshire, LS23 6DB |
0.21 miles |
|
St Edward's Catholic Primary School, Boston Spa
Westwood Way, Boston Spa, Wetherby, West Yorkshire, LS23 6DX |
0.29 miles |
|
Lady Elizabeth Hastings' CofE VA Primary School, Thorp Arch
Dowkell Lane, Thorp Arch, Wetherby, West Yorkshire, LS23 7AQ |
0.8 miles |
|
Bramham Primary School
Clifford Road, Bramham, Wetherby, West Yorkshire, LS23 6JQ |
0.9 miles |
|
St James' Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School
Hallfield Lane, Wetherby, West Yorkshire, LS22 6JS |
2.43 miles |
|
Crossley Street Primary School
Crossley Street, Wetherby, West Yorkshire, LS22 6RT |
2.63 miles |
|
Collingham Lady Elizabeth Hastings Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School
Linton Road, Collingham, Wetherby, West Yorkshire, LS22 5BS |
2.78 miles |
|
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Wetherby
Barley Fields Road, Wetherby, West Yorkshire, LS22 6PR |
2.81 miles |
|
Deighton Gates Primary School
Deighton Road, Wetherby, West Yorkshire, LS22 7XL |
3.22 miles |
|
Riverside School, Tadcaster
Wetherby Road, Tadcaster, North Yorkshire, LS24 9JN |
3.47 miles |
|
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy
Station Road, St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Tadcaster, North Yorkshire, LS24 9JG |
3.59 miles |
|
Thorner Church of England Primary School
Kirkhills, Thorner, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS14 3JD |
3.97 miles |
|
Bardsey Primary Academy
Woodacre Lane, Bardsey, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS17 9DG |
4.07 miles |
|
Tadcaster Primary Academy
Grange Avenue, Tadcaster, North Yorkshire, LS24 8AN |
4.1 miles |
|
Sicklinghall Community Primary School
MAIN STREET, SICKLINGHALL, WETHERBY, NORTH YORKSHIRE, LS22 4BD |
4.71 miles |
|
Aberford Church of England Primary School
School Lane, Aberford, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS25 3BU |
4.99 miles |
|
Tockwith Church of England Primary Academy
Southfield Lane, Tockwith, York, North Yorkshire, YO26 7RP |
4.99 miles |
| Name | Distance |
|
Boston Spa Academy
Clifford Moor Road, Boston Spa, Wetherby, West Yorkshire, LS23 6RW |
0.46 miles |
|
Tadcaster Grammar School
Toulston, Tadcaster, North Yorkshire, LS24 9NB |
2.34 miles |
|
Wetherby High School
Hallfield Lane, Wetherby, West Yorkshire, LS22 6JS |
2.38 miles |
All schools in Wetherby · Leeds local authority: places and applications
What is St John's Catholic Specialist School, Boston Spa's Ofsted rating?
The latest Ofsted rating for St John's Catholic Specialist School, Boston Spa is Good, from an inspection in April 2024.
When was St John's Catholic Specialist School, Boston Spa last inspected by Ofsted?
St John's Catholic Specialist School, Boston Spa was last inspected in April 2024.
How many pupils does St John's Catholic Specialist School, Boston Spa have?
St John's Catholic Specialist School, Boston Spa has 89 pupils on roll.
What age range does St John's Catholic Specialist School, Boston Spa cover?
St John's Catholic Specialist School, Boston Spa for pupils aged 3 to 19.
Where is St John's Catholic Specialist School, Boston Spa?
St John's Catholic Specialist School, Boston Spa is at Church Street, Boston Spa, Wetherby, West Yorkshire, LS23 6DF.