Benjamin College, Leighton Buzzard
Benjamin College is a special school for pupils aged 12 to 18 in Leighton Buzzard. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in December 2024.
- Ofsted
- Good (2024)
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Benjamin College in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Benjamin College are Oak Bank School (1.3 miles, Outstanding); Macintyre School (5 miles, Good); and KWS Milton Keynes (5.6 miles, Good).
Who goes there
In 2026, 2 pupils (18.2%) received SEN support and 9 (81.8%) had an education, health and care plan.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Leighton Buzzard Rail Station, about 0.8 miles away in a straight line.
11 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Council Offices (near), 50 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 203 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Buckinghamshire (44), as is usual near a town centre.
Sources: DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Safeguarding: effective
Independent school standards
Met all the independent school standards.
- Part 1: quality of educationMet
- Part 2: pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural developmentMet
- Part 3: welfare, health and safetyMet
- Part 4: suitability of staff and proprietorsMet
- Part 5: premises and accommodationMet
- Part 6: information for parentsMet
- Part 7: handling of complaintsMet
- Part 8: leadership and managementMet
Source: Ofsted, non-association independent schools inspections and outcomes (Open Government Licence)
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's December 2024 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Benjamin College excels at building positive relationships with pupils and providing tailored support for their individual needs. The school's personal development provision is outstanding, offering expert mental health and therapeutic support to help pupils overcome barriers and prepare for adulthood. Pupils benefit from a calm, purposeful learning environment where staff truly understand their complex needs and adapt teaching to help them succeed.
Key Strengths
- Outstanding provision for personal development and mental health support with expert therapeutic services
- Strong relationships between staff and pupils, with individualised, personalised learning tailored to each pupil's needs
- Staff are well-trained in supporting pupils with complex SEND and create calm, purposeful learning environments
- Ambitious, broad curriculum with effective subject knowledge demonstrated by teachers
Areas for Improvement
- The school's approach to teaching early reading (phonics) does not meet the needs of all pupils, leaving some unable to access the broader curriculum
- Assessment processes are not precise enough to identify gaps in knowledge, meaning pupils do not progress as well as they could through the curriculum
- Some assessment checks lack sufficient detail to spot misconceptions and guide teacher support
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective and the school prioritises pupils' safety and wellbeing.
Extracurricular Activities
Bowling, studio music recording, dance clubs, army cadets, horse riding, careers weeks with external speakers
Benjamin College is a special school for pupils aged 12-18 with social, emotional and mental health needs, rated Good overall. The school has improved from its previous 'Requires Improvement' rating and provides a therapeutic approach to help pupils who have experienced trauma and low school attendance.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 4 nearby schools
Keep up with Benjamin College
Getting There
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 38
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 7
- Children hurt
- 3
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 38 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 7 serious and 31 slight.
3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise.
6 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 Buckinghamshire is 4 (the median across 274 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
31%
Available places
11 pupils
36 places
25 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Leighton Buzzard
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Leighton Buzzard
Across Buckinghamshire council
Places available
6,847
Applications
6,535
Got 1st preference
76.7%
Got preferred school
93.9%
All secondary applications across Buckinghamshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(9)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
2
SEN Support
9
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Benjamin College is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
No need-level breakdown available
Pupil Demographics
Key Indicators
11
Total Pupils
8
Boys
3
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Benjamin College
Showing 10 of 11 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Benjamin College
What is Benjamin College's Ofsted rating?
Benjamin College was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in December 2024.
Does Benjamin College meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in December 2024, Benjamin College met all the independent school standards.
How many pupils go to Benjamin College?
Benjamin College has around 11 pupils on roll.
Does Benjamin College have specialist SEN provision?
Benjamin College is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
How do I apply to Benjamin College?
Benjamin College is an independent school and runs its own admissions rather than going through the local authority. Contact the school directly for entry requirements, assessment dates, fees and any bursaries.
How many road collisions happen near Benjamin College?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 38 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 7 serious and 31 slight. 3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise. 6 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 Buckinghamshire is 4 (the median across 274 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Benjamin College?
Benjamin College is at Benjamin UK, Coach House, White House Court, Hockliffe Street, Leighton Buzzard, LU7 1FD.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)