Alfriston School

Alfriston School is a special school for pupils with moderate learning difficulties; every pupil has an education, health and care plan and most also have speech, language and communication needs. It is a single academy trust and has seen significant leadership and governance changes since the last inspection, including a new headteacher and board of trustees. Safeguarding standards are met, and inspectors found an open, positive safeguarding culture. The school’s strongest features are its calm and purposeful environment, positive behaviour and relationships, and its personal development and post-16 provision. Pupils attend regularly, feel safe and supported, and benefit from a well-designed PSHE curriculum, enrichment, careers education, travel training and independent-living skills. Sixth-form students make appropriate progress, especially in mathematics, and are well prepared for college, employment or training. However, the school’s academic impact is less consistent. Pupils do not achieve as highly as they could, progress varies across subjects, and early reading and writing are particular weaknesses that hold some pupils back. Teaching is not consistently effective at checking understanding or adapting to individual needs, and leaders do not yet identify academic needs sharply enough, so not all pupils receive the right support. Leadership improvements are not fully embedded, early reading progress has been too slow, and trustees do not yet challenge and support leaders strongly enough. Leaders know what needs to change, but these areas require further work.

Strengths

• Safeguarding standards are met and there is an open, positive safeguarding culture.
• Attendance is prioritised and is broadly in line with other special schools nationally.
• Pupils behave well in lessons and around school, with positive attitudes to learning.
• Well-embedded routines create a calm, orderly and purposeful learning environment.
• Pupils are supported to manage their emotions and self-regulate.
• The PSHE curriculum is well designed, adapted to pupils' needs and covers safety and British values.
• Pupils receive helpful careers information, travel training and independent-living skills.
• Pupils are confident to use their voice and take on leadership roles.
• Enrichment opportunities broaden pupils' horizons, including Duke of Edinburgh and community activities.
• Post-16 provision is well considered and adapted to meet students' individual needs.
• Sixth-form students make appropriate progress, particularly in mathematics.
• Work experience, college links and community activities prepare students well for life beyond school.
• The curriculum is well designed and provides plentiful opportunities to learn different subjects.
• Staff know their subjects well and identify the most important content pupils need to learn.
• Staff know pupils very well and check EHC plans to ensure pupils receive entitled support.
• Additional funding to support disadvantaged pupils is used well.
• Leaders have an accurate understanding of what is working well and what needs to improve.
• Staff are positive about new leaders' plans and value professional development, with workload and wellbeing prioritised.
• Trustees have clearer roles and responsibilities and bring expertise from a range of sectors.

Areas for Improvement

• Pupils do not achieve as highly as they could, and progress is inconsistent across subjects.
• Early reading is not taught well enough, leaving some pupils disadvantaged across the curriculum.
• Writing does not develop quickly enough for pupils at the early stages of learning to read.
• Staff do not teach subjects consistently well across the school.
• Teachers do not routinely check pupils' understanding, so they lack a clear picture of what pupils know and can do.
• Adaptation of teaching to pupils' individual needs is inconsistent.
• Leaders do not identify pupils' academic needs as effectively as they could, so not all pupils receive appropriate academic help.
• Support for pupils at the early stages of learning to read is not yet effective enough.
• The proportion of pupils achieving success in formal examinations has declined.
• Improvements leaders have made are not fully embedded, and progress on early reading has been too slow.
• Trustees do not confidently use their expertise to hold leaders to account.
• Trustees' checking of the quality and impact of leaders' work is at an early stage of development.
• A small minority of parents and carers are less positive about the school.

In 2024–25 pupils at Alfriston School attended 88.1% of sessions (the national figure for special schools was 87.2%). 32.8% 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, 6.1% of pupils at Alfriston School were suspended at least once (nationally 5.1%). One pupil was 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 Alfriston School had 8.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for special schools was 6.6). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 47.6% 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 Alfriston School had 164 pupils, 100.0% of them with an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 99.5%).

It says it provides for: moderate learning difficulty.

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 Alfriston School received £24,634 and spent £25,116 for each of its 164 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £1,302,000 (£7,939 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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• Secondary Schools

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What is Alfriston School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Alfriston School is Needs attention, from an inspection in March 2026.

When was Alfriston School last inspected by Ofsted?

Alfriston School was last inspected in March 2026.

How many pupils does Alfriston School have?

Alfriston School has 164 pupils on roll.

What age range does Alfriston School cover?

Alfriston School for pupils aged 11 to 18.

Where is Alfriston School?

Alfriston School is at Penn Road, Knotty Green, Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, HP9 2TS.