Batchwood School
| Type | Special School / Community special school |
| Age Range | 11-16 |
| Religion | Does not apply |
| Address | Townsend Drive St Albans Hertfordshire AL3 5RP |
| Phone | 01727868021 |
| Reference Number | 117674 |
Batchwood School demonstrates a strong overall performance, with pupils achieving well from various starting points, including those with special educational needs and those receiving pupil premium. The school provides effective support in reading and ensures that most pupils leave with qualifications in English and mathematics, aiding their transition to post-16 education. Attendance and behaviour have shown notable improvements, with tailored strategies helping students, particularly those with social, emotional, and mental health challenges, to maintain engagement and reduce absenteeism. While the school has several strengths, such as a calm and purposeful learning environment and positive relationships between staff and pupils, there are areas for further development. The effectiveness of the curriculum has been identified as needing improvement, particularly in ensuring high expectations and a clearer mapping of knowledge progression. Additionally, leaders are urged to refine systems for tracking pupil progress to enhance oversight of educational standards more efficiently.
General Makeup
| Number of pupils | 111 |
| Boy/Girl ratio |
Boys: 56.76%
Girls: 43.24% |
| Percentage of students eligible for free school meals | 53.2% |
| Percentage of students where English is not their first language | 0.9% |
Year Groups
| Year | Boys | Girls | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 12 | 9 | 21 |
| 8 | 11 | 10 | 21 |
| 9 | 13 | 8 | 21 |
| 10 | 17 | 7 | 24 |
| 11 | 10 | 14 | 24 |
Ethnicities
| Ethnicity | Percentage |
|---|---|
| White, British | 87.4% |
| White & Black (Caribbean) | 2.7% |
| Mixed, Other | 2.7% |
| White & Asian | 1.8% |
| White & Black (African) | 1.8% |
| White, Other | 0.9% |
| Indian | 0.9% |
| Caribbean | 0.9% |
| Overall Ofsted Rating | Needs attention |
| > Leadership & Governance | Expected standard |
| > Personal Development & Wellbeing | Expected standard |
| > Achievement | Expected standard |
| > Attendance & Behaviour | Expected standard |
| > Curriculum & Teaching | Needs attention |
| > Inclusion | Expected standard |
| Last Report Date | 14 Apr 2026 |
| Date | Report |
|---|---|
| 14 Apr 2026 | School inspection |
| 01 Feb 2022 | School inspection |
| 06 Feb 2018 | Full inspection |
| 27 Mar 2014 | Full inspection |
| 26 Apr 2012 | Full inspection |
| 04 Mar 2009 | Full inspection |
| 02 Feb 2006 | Full inspection |
| 18 Sep 2000 | Full inspection |
Strengths
- Pupils achieve well from their various starting points.
- Strong focus on reading catch-up support.
- Most pupils leave with qualifications in English and mathematics.
- Sustained improvement in attendance rates.
- Excellent staff-pupil relationships.
- Effective safeguarding practices.
- Therapeutic and mental health support available on-site.
- Well-structured PSHE curriculum tailored to pupil needs.
Areas for Improvement
- Curriculum expectations are not high enough in some subjects.
- Monitoring systems for tracking pupil progress are cumbersome.
Attainment 8 Score
Attaimenment 8 is a measure of a pupil's average grade across a set of 8 subjects. The 8 subjects which make up Attainment 8 are:
- English
- Maths
- 3 subjects from qualifications that count towards the English Baccalaureate (EBacc), like sciences, language and history
- 3 more GCSE qualifications (including EBacc subjects) or technical awards from a list approved by the Department for Education
Each grade a pupil gets is assigned a point score from 9 (the highest) to 1 (the lowest). These scores are added up, with English and maths counted twice.
| School Score | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|
| 11.8 |
GCSE Results
| Metric | School Score | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 8.7% | ||
| 5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4 (or A-C) | 13% |
Attainment 8 Score
Attaimenment 8 is a measure of a pupil's average grade across a set of 8 subjects. The 8 subjects which make up Attainment 8 are:
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