Watling View School

Watling View School has shown significant improvement in its overall performance since the last inspection. Pupils at the school thrive in a supportive and engaging environment that fosters their emotional well-being and personal growth. The commitment of the staff to individualize learning experiences and create an atmosphere of safety contributes positively to student engagement and behavior. The curriculum is thoughtfully constructed to meet diverse needs, enabling many students to progress successfully into further education or vocational opportunities.

Strengths

• Strong, trusting relationships between staff and pupils.
• Effective communication strategies that aid pupil learning.
• A variety of broad and balanced learning pathways tailored to pupil needs.
• Engaging extracurricular activities that build confidence and life skills.
• Proactive approaches to attendance and family support.

In 2024–25 pupils at Watling View School attended 84.2% of sessions (the national figure for special schools was 87.2%). 33.7% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 35.3%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

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, 1.8% of pupils at Watling View School were suspended at least once (nationally 5.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

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 Watling View School had 6.5 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for special schools was 6.6). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 13.7% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.5%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26 Watling View School had 115 pupils, 100.0% of them with an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 99.5%).

It says it provides for: severe learning difficulty; profound and multiple learning difficulty; hearing impairment; vision impairment; multi-sensory impairment; physical disability; autistic spectrum disorder; other difficulty or disability.

Pupils by main type of need

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 special school schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 Watling View School received £33,930 and spent £34,345 for each of its 115 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £297,000 (£2,582 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in St Albans · Hertfordshire local authority: places and applications

What is Watling View School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Watling View School is Good, from an inspection in June 2025.

When was Watling View School last inspected by Ofsted?

Watling View School was last inspected in June 2025.

How many pupils does Watling View School have?

Watling View School has 115 pupils on roll.

What age range does Watling View School cover?

Watling View School for pupils aged 2 to 19.

What are Watling View School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 0% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Watling View School?

Watling View School is at Watling View, St Albans, Hertfordshire, AL1 2NU.