Chelveston Road School

Chelveston Road School is performing well overall, with an overall effectiveness rating of good. The school has created a supportive and caring environment where pupils feel safe and valued, leading to exceptional behaviour and strong relationships between staff and students. The curriculum is designed to meet the individual needs of pupils, while the provision for personal development is notably strong, particularly in preparing sixth-form students for their future endeavors. Despite these strengths, the school faces challenges in precisely identifying key knowledge in some subjects, which has led to inconsistencies in teaching across the curriculum.

Strengths

• Exceptional behaviour and attitudes among pupils.
• Strong relationships between staff and students.
• Ambitious curriculum tailored to individual needs.
• Effective personal development curriculum for pupils.
• High-quality lessons that engage students.
• Prioritization of reading and phonics instruction.

Areas for Improvement

• Lack of precise identification of key knowledge in some subjects.
• Inconsistencies in feedback provided to pupils.
• Targets set for pupils in individual education plans are not consistently precise.

In 2024–25 pupils at Chelveston Road School attended 89.4% of sessions (the national figure for special schools was 87.2%). 31.0% 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, 8.5% of pupils at Chelveston Road 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 Chelveston Road School had 6.5 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 Chelveston Road School had 144 pupils, 100.0% of them with an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 99.5%).

It says it provides for: moderate learning difficulty; severe 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 Chelveston Road School received £27,246 and spent £24,252 for each of its 117 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £856,000 (£7,316 per pupil).

Across all 2 schools of Better Together Learning Trust, income was £27,023 and spending £25,558 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 North Northamptonshire · North Northamptonshire local authority: places and applications

Chelveston Road School is part of Better Together Learning Trust, which runs 2 schools. The nearest others:

• Friars Academy Wellingborough

What is Chelveston Road School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Chelveston Road School is Good, from an inspection in November 2023.

When was Chelveston Road School last inspected by Ofsted?

Chelveston Road School was last inspected in November 2023.

How many pupils does Chelveston Road School have?

Chelveston Road School has 144 pupils on roll.

What age range does Chelveston Road School cover?

Chelveston Road School for pupils aged 11 to 18.

Where is Chelveston Road School?

Chelveston Road School is at Chelveston Road, Higham Ferrers, Northamptonshire, NN10 8HN.