Larwood School

Larwood School provides a supportive and nurturing environment where pupils, particularly those with special educational needs, thrive. The school, which recently underwent its first inspection since the pandemic, has been judged overall as good, with outstanding behavior and attitudes. Pupils settle in quickly, thanks to the focused support they receive and the strong relationships they develop with staff. However, while the curriculum offers breadth, there are areas for improvement in clarity of learning targets which can occasionally hinder the pace of pupil progress.

Strengths

• High expectations of behavior lead to impressive pupil responses.
• Strong relationships between pupils and staff foster a safe and happy learning environment.
• Pupils improve significantly in reading, particularly with new phonics instruction.
• The curriculum is broad and engaging, incorporating important life skills.
• A proactive approach to mental health and well-being support for all pupils.

Areas for Improvement

• Curriculum content is not always well defined, affecting implementation.
• Learning targets can be too broad, complicating focused pupil support.
• Some middle leadership roles are still developing, impacting evaluation of provision.

In 2024–25 pupils at Larwood School attended 88.0% 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, 0.9% of pupils at Larwood 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 Larwood School had 6.6 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 Larwood School had 151 pupils, 92.7% of them with an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 99.5%).

It says it provides for: social, emotional and mental health.

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 Larwood School received £30,496 and spent £27,805 for each of its 117 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £794,000 (£6,786 per pupil).

Across all 2 schools of Brighter Futures Educational Trust, income was £30,353 and spending £29,102 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.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Stevenage · Hertfordshire local authority: places and applications

Larwood School is part of Brighter Futures Educational Trust, which runs 2 schools. The nearest others:

• Brandles School Baldock

What is Larwood School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Larwood School is Good, from an inspection in January 2023.

When was Larwood School last inspected by Ofsted?

Larwood School was last inspected in January 2023.

How many pupils does Larwood School have?

Larwood School has 151 pupils on roll.

What age range does Larwood School cover?

Larwood School for pupils aged 5 to 11.

What are Larwood School's SATs (KS2) results?

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

Where is Larwood School?

Larwood School is at Larwood Drive, Stevenage, Hertfordshire, SG1 5BZ.