Wargrave House School

Wargrave House School is a specialist school for pupils with autism spectrum condition, all of whom have education, health and care plans. It is part of the Remarkable Autism trust and has recently experienced significant leadership changes, including a new executive headteacher in October 2025 and new primary and secondary phase headteachers in April 2026. This full section 5 inspection found safeguarding standards are met, and the school is performing at the expected standard across achievement, attendance and behaviour, curriculum and teaching, inclusion, leadership and governance, and personal development and wellbeing.

Strengths

• Nurturing and friendly school that embraces each pupil as an individual.
• Highly effective personalised support for pupils with autism and complex needs.
• Pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, make secure progress from their starting points.
• Leaders prioritise communication and reading using well-chosen visual aids, signs and symbols.
• Strong therapeutic and pastoral support helps pupils overcome barriers to learning.
• Positive and respectful staff-pupil relationships create a calm and orderly environment.
• Attendance and behaviour typically improve over time with personalised strategies.
• Pupils achieve well in key stage 4 and move on to suitable education, employment or training.
• Broad, thoughtfully tailored curriculum enriched by outdoor learning and practical experiences.
• Inclusion is at the heart of leaders' work, with effective use of EHC plans.
• Leaders identify emerging and changing SEND accurately and provide effective support.
• Trustees and governors are supportive, ask probing questions and fulfil statutory duties.
• Staff wellbeing and workload are genuinely considered, with valued professional learning.
• Comprehensive personal development programme covers healthy relationships, British values and online safety.
• High-quality careers programme raises pupils' aspirations and supports informed choices.
• Pupils' voices are heard and respected, and they help shape school decisions.
• Safeguarding standards are met with an open culture of safeguarding.

Areas for Improvement

• For a small number of older pupils, the curriculum is not as ambitious as it could be, limiting progress.
• Some staff intervene too quickly before pupils have time to think, limiting independence and resilience.
• Leaders and governors need stronger strategic oversight of pupil premium funding impact.
• The impact of pupil premium funding on disadvantaged pupils' attendance and behaviour is not monitored closely enough.
• Pupil premium funding does not yet fully have the intended impact on disadvantaged pupils' experiences.

In 2024–25 pupils at Wargrave House School attended 88.2% of sessions (the national figure for special schools was 87.2%). 26.0% 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, 1.3% of pupils at Wargrave House 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 Wargrave House School had 74 pupils, 100.0% of them with an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 98.6%).

It says it provides for: 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 non-maintained special school schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Newton-Le-Willows · St. Helens local authority: places and applications

What is Wargrave House School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Wargrave House School is Expected standard, from an inspection in July 2026.

When was Wargrave House School last inspected by Ofsted?

Wargrave House School was last inspected in July 2026.

How many pupils does Wargrave House School have?

Wargrave House School has 74 pupils on roll.

What age range does Wargrave House School cover?

Wargrave House School for pupils aged 4 to 16.

Where is Wargrave House School?

Wargrave House School is at 449 Wargrave Road, Newton-le-Willows, Merseyside, WA12 8RS.