The Avenue Special School

The Avenue Special School is performing at a good level overall, with notable strengths in behavior and attitudes, which are rated outstanding. The school fosters a positive and nurturing environment where pupils are happy and engaged in their learning. Leaders aim to provide a broad and high-quality education, though there are still areas for improvement, particularly in personalizing the curriculum to meet the individual needs of each pupil. The school serves a diverse group of students with special educational needs and has made significant strides in curriculum development and reading support since the previous inspection.

Strengths

• Pupils demonstrate exceptional behavior and engage positively in their learning.
• The curriculum is carefully organized to meet diverse needs.
• Staff build warm, nurturing relationships with pupils, contributing to a safe and trusting environment.
• Reading instruction is effective, with a well-implemented phonics program.
• The sixth form provides a supportive curriculum that prepares pupils for independence.

Areas for Improvement

• Individually tailored targets are not consistently integrated into the curriculum.
• Not all staff possess the required expertise to support communication needs effectively.

In 2024–25 pupils at The Avenue Special School attended 86.5% of sessions (the national figure for special schools was 87.2%). 38.4% 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, 3.7% of pupils at The Avenue Special 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 The Avenue Special School had 7.5 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for special schools was 6.6). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 0.0% 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 The Avenue Special School had 253 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; 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 2024–25 The Avenue Special School received £37,098 and spent £32,435 for each of its 246 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £3,676,000 (£14,943 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). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

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What is The Avenue Special School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for The Avenue Special School is Good, from an inspection in June 2023.

When was The Avenue Special School last inspected by Ofsted?

The Avenue Special School was last inspected in June 2023.

How many pupils does The Avenue Special School have?

The Avenue Special School has 253 pupils on roll.

What age range does The Avenue Special School cover?

The Avenue Special School for pupils aged 2 to 19.

What are The Avenue Special School's SATs (KS2) results?

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

Where is The Avenue Special School?

The Avenue Special School is at The Avenue Centre, Conwy Close, Tilehurst, Reading, Berkshire, RG30 4BZ.