Arbour Vale School, Slough
Arbour Vale School is a special school for pupils aged 2 to 19 in Slough, part of Orchard Hill College Academy Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in January 2023.
- Ofsted
- Good (2023)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Arbour Vale School in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Arbour Vale School are Littledown School (1.7 miles, Good); Darul Madinah (1.9 miles, Good); Hillingdon Grange School (2.6 miles); and Eton Dorney Independent Therapeutic School (2.9 miles, Requires improvement).
Littledown SchoolDarul MadinahHillingdon Grange SchoolEton Dorney Independent Therapeutic School
The trust
Arbour Vale School is one of 13 schools run by Orchard Hill College Academy Trust, an academy trust.
What parents say
75 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Arbour Vale School (as of April 2026): 100% would recommend the school, 93% say their child is happy there and 100% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (100%); the weakest, that their child feels safe (91%).
Where pupils go next
Of the 32 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 97% stayed in education or training for at least two terms.
Who goes there
45.6% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 49.2% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are Asian (50%), White British (15%) and Mixed (10%).
Almost every pupil at Arbour Vale School has an education, health and care plan (384 of 384 in 2026). The most common need among them is autism.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Burnham (Berks) Rail Station, about 1.5 miles away in a straight line.
6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is St Anthonys RC Church (opposite), 40 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
Arbour Vale School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Sources: Ofsted Parent View; DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 4 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Sixth Form
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its January 2023 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management, Early years, Sixth form.
At a Glance
45.6%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
75 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at April 2026 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Writing has improved from 0% to 6% (2024 to 2025).
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with Arbour Vale School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Arbour Vale School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Arbour Vale School is in Slough; for families living there:
- Slough's school travel policy: Home to School (5-16) Travel Assistance Policy 2026-27 PDF 350kB download PDF 350kB Download
- How to apply: Apply for Home to school travel assistance
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 14
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 14 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 13 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
3 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Slough is 27.5 (the median across 60 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
102%
Over capacity
384 pupils
375 places
9 pupils over capacity
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Slough
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Slough
Across Slough council
Places available
2,589
Applications
2,239
Got 1st preference
68.7%
Got preferred school
94.9%
All secondary applications across Slough council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(2)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
384
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
384
Total Pupils
274
Boys
110
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
57
Teachers
6.7:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£50,415
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
11.7%
Overall absence
38.2%
Persistent absence
283
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Arbour Vale School
Showing 10 of 12 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Arbour Vale School
What are SATs results like at Arbour Vale School?
Of the pupils at Arbour Vale School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 0% reached the expected standard in reading and 0% did so in maths.
What is Arbour Vale School's Ofsted rating?
Arbour Vale School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in January 2023. At its previous graded inspection in 2017 it was rated Inadequate.
What is the catchment area for Arbour Vale School?
No fixed boundary. When Arbour Vale School is oversubscribed, Slough allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Arbour Vale School?
Arbour Vale School has around 384 pupils on roll. 46% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Arbour Vale School?
11.7% of sessions were missed at Arbour Vale School in 2024/25. 38.2% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Arbour Vale School?
Apply through Slough's coordinated admissions process, naming Arbour Vale School on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
How many road collisions happen near Arbour Vale School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 14 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 13 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 3 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Slough is 27.5 (the median across 60 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Arbour Vale School?
Arbour Vale School is at Farnham Road, Farnham Royal, Slough, SL2 3AE.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)