Welburn Hall School

Welburn Hall is a special school where all pupils have an education, health and care plan and many have complex speech, language and communication, autism, moderate, severe and profound/multiple learning needs. Inspectors found a highly inclusive, nurturing school that is strong in attendance and behaviour, inclusion, leadership and governance, personal development and wellbeing, and post-16 provision. Safeguarding standards are met. Pupils often arrive with low attendance and significant needs, but leaders work tenaciously with families and external professionals, and attendance improves significantly over time. Curriculum and teaching and achievement are graded as expected standard rather than strong. Pupils generally achieve well from their starting points, make strong progress in communication and personal, social and emotional development, and post-16 students are well prepared for adulthood with strong employer links and high destination outcomes. However, pupils in the earliest stages of writing do not achieve as well as they could: staff do not consistently provide effective support, so some do not learn to write fluently or independently, and leaders' plans to address this have not yet been implemented. The next step is for teachers to consistently identify and address misconceptions in pupils' writing across the curriculum. Contextually, the school has co-headteachers, has stopped boarding provision, and has seen rapid roll growth since the last inspection. Its site has been significantly refurbished and includes therapeutic and outdoor facilities. Parents strongly appreciate the school's safe and accepting culture.

Strengths

• Highly inclusive provision precisely tailored to pupils' SEND and EHC plan outcomes
• Highly successful work with families and professionals to improve attendance from low starting points
• Positive, nurturing relationships and clear routines support excellent behaviour
• Pupils feel safe and are confident they can talk to trusted staff
• Leaders have an ambitious, accurate vision rooted in pupils' individual needs
• Strong partnership working with local authorities and external professionals
• Governance provides appropriate expertise and high challenge
• High-quality pastoral support and a curriculum for personal development and wellbeing
• Refurbished site and therapeutic offer, including hydrotherapy and animal/equine therapy
• Well-organised post-16 provision that prepares students well for adulthood
• Strong employer links and consistently high destinations after 16
• Phonics taught with precision and pupils build essential foundations in reading and mathematics
• Broad extracurricular, careers and work experience opportunities
• Staff are well trained and supported, with attention to workload and wellbeing
• Pupils develop independence, confidence and leadership roles
• Safeguarding standards met with an open safeguarding culture

Areas for Improvement

• Pupils in the early stages of learning to write do not achieve as well as they could
• Staff do not consistently provide effective support for early writing
• Some pupils do not learn to write fluently or independently
• Leaders' plans to improve early writing have not yet been implemented
• Teachers do not consistently identify and address misconceptions in pupils' writing across the curriculum

In 2024–25 pupils at Welburn Hall School attended 87.7% of sessions (the national figure for special schools was 87.2%). 27.3% 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, 3.6% of pupils at Welburn Hall 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 Welburn Hall School had 7.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for special schools was 6.6). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 16.4% 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 Welburn Hall School had 127 pupils, 100.0% of them with an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 99.5%).

It says it provides for: 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; physical disability; autistic spectrum disorder.

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 Welburn Hall School received £26,708 and spent £25,707 for each of its 127 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £1,829,000 (-£14,403 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).

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• Secondary Schools

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What is Welburn Hall School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Welburn Hall School is Expected standard, from an inspection in June 2026.

When was Welburn Hall School last inspected by Ofsted?

Welburn Hall School was last inspected in June 2026.

How many pupils does Welburn Hall School have?

Welburn Hall School has 127 pupils on roll.

What age range does Welburn Hall School cover?

Welburn Hall School for pupils aged 8 to 19.

What are Welburn Hall School's SATs (KS2) results?

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

Where is Welburn Hall School?

Welburn Hall School is at Kirkbymoorside, York, North Yorkshire, YO62 7HQ.