Warren School

Warren School is a special academy for pupils aged 3 to 19 with profound and multiple learning difficulties, autism and social, emotional and mental health needs; all pupils have EHC plans. It was re-brokered into the Consortium Multi-Academy Trust in September 2023 and has a headteacher appointed in April 2024. This inspection found the school has improved from its previous inadequate judgment, with good provision across all inspected areas and effective safeguarding; it no longer requires special measures. The school is described as happy and caring, with clear routines, nurturing relationships and a calm environment that help pupils settle and learn. Leaders have renewed the curriculum, using different pathways and precise steps, and staff work with therapists to incorporate EHC plan targets. Communication is a priority, with strategies such as objects of reference, pictures and signing used consistently, and personal development and preparation for adulthood are woven through the curriculum. Staff receive high-quality training, trustees have taken decisive action, and attendance is improving through persistent work with families and external partners. The main areas for improvement are the occasional inaccuracies in teaching that can create misconceptions, and the school’s checks on the impact of recent curriculum changes in some subjects. Leaders do not yet know consistently well how pupils are remembering key knowledge, and progress-checking is less developed where the curriculum is new.

Strengths

• Caring, friendly culture where pupils feel happy and settled.
• Clear routines and nurturing relationships that support calm learning and emotional regulation.
• Renewed curriculum with precise pathways and EHC plan targets integrated into lessons.
• Strong communication focus, including signing, objects of reference and picture supports.
• High-quality staff training and effective support for pupils in class.
• Personal development and preparation for adulthood woven through the curriculum.
• Effective safeguarding arrangements.
• Decisive trust support and stable leadership with good staff development and workload management.
• Attendance is improving through tenacious work with families and external partners.

Areas for Improvement

• Occasional teaching inaccuracies can lead to pupils developing misconceptions.
• Leaders have not checked the impact of recent curriculum changes in some subjects.
• Progress-checking is less developed in subjects where the curriculum is newly introduced, so leaders do not consistently know how well pupils remember key knowledge.

In 2024–25 pupils at Warren School attended 86.9% of sessions (the national figure for special schools was 87.2%). 35.9% 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, 0.0% of pupils at Warren 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 Warren School had 9.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for special schools was 6.6). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 18.6% 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 Warren School had 163 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 Warren School received £27,429 and spent £27,478 for each of its 141 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £67,000 (-£474 per pupil).

Across all 14 schools of Consortium Trust, income was £14,612 and spending £14,475 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 Lowestoft · Suffolk local authority: places and applications

Warren School is part of Consortium Trust, which runs 14 schools. The nearest others:

• Barnby and North Cove Community Primary School Beccles
• Glebeland Community Primary School Beccles
• Reedham Primary School Norwich
• Southwold Primary School Southwold
• Middleton Community Primary School Saxmundham
• Yoxford & Peasenhall Primary Academy Saxmundham
• Mendham Primary School Harleston
• Winterton Primary School and Nursery Great Yarmouth
• St Edmund's Primary School Eye
• Rendlesham Primary School Woodbridge

What is Warren School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Warren School is Good, from an inspection in December 2024.

When was Warren School last inspected by Ofsted?

Warren School was last inspected in December 2024.

How many pupils does Warren School have?

Warren School has 163 pupils on roll.

What age range does Warren School cover?

Warren School for pupils aged 3 to 19.

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

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

Where is Warren School?

Warren School is at Clarkes Lane, Oulton Broad, Lowestoft, NR33 8HT.