Welcombe Hills School

Welcombe Hills School is currently rated as requiring improvement in several key areas, including the quality of education and leadership. Notably, while the school excels in fostering a positive environment where pupils generally behave well and enjoy learning, there are significant weaknesses in curriculum planning and implementation, particularly for pupils on formal pathways. The school has made strides in supporting pupils with complex needs, but overall achievement for some pupils is not where it should be due to a lack of coherent planning and oversight. This inspection is crucial as it marks the first comprehensive evaluation since the previous good rating.

Strengths

• Dedicated staff who know their pupils well
• Strong support for pupils with complex needs
• Positive behaviour and attitudes among pupils
• Engaging sixth-form provision with real-life learning experiences
• Good personal development curriculum

Areas for Improvement

• Curriculum for formal pathway lacks coherence and planning
• Inconsistent implementation of phonics curriculum
• Absence of a shared communication strategy for all pupils
• Inadequate oversight by leaders impacting school improvement
• Gaps in pre-recruitment checks and records

In 2024–25 pupils at Welcombe Hills School attended 88.9% of sessions (the national figure for special schools was 87.2%). 31.7% 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, 2.3% of pupils at Welcombe Hills 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 Welcombe Hills School had 7.5 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for special schools was 6.6). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 28.9% 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 Welcombe Hills School had 170 pupils, 100.0% of them with an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 99.5%).

It says it provides for: specific learning difficulty; 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; multi-sensory impairment; physical disability; autistic spectrum disorder; other difficulty or disability.

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 Welcombe Hills School received £26,308 and spent £31,356 for each of its 174 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £254,000 (-£1,461 per pupil).

Across all 3 schools of Unity Mat, income was £27,323 and spending £29,114 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 Stratford-Upon-Avon · Warwickshire local authority: places and applications

Welcombe Hills School is part of Unity Mat, which runs 3 schools. The nearest others:

• Woodlands Birmingham
• Brooke School Rugby

What is Welcombe Hills School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Welcombe Hills School is Requires Improvement, from an inspection in January 2024.

When was Welcombe Hills School last inspected by Ofsted?

Welcombe Hills School was last inspected in January 2024.

How many pupils does Welcombe Hills School have?

Welcombe Hills School has 170 pupils on roll.

What age range does Welcombe Hills School cover?

Welcombe Hills School for pupils aged 2 to 19.

What are Welcombe Hills School's SATs (KS2) results?

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

Where is Welcombe Hills School?

Welcombe Hills School is at Blue Cap Road, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, CV37 6TQ.