Garston Manor School, Watford
Garston Manor School is a special school for pupils aged 11 to 16 in Watford. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in December 2012. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in October 2022 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Good (2012)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Garston Manor School in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Garston Manor School are Breakspeare School (1.4 miles, Outstanding); Seva Education St Albans (1.9 miles); Nisai Virtual Academy Ltd (2.7 miles); and Watling View School (3.3 miles, Good).
Breakspeare SchoolSeva Education St AlbansNisai Virtual Academy LtdWatling View School
Where pupils go next
Of the 23 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 91% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 78% to a further education college.
Who goes there
39.4% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 13.1% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
Almost every pupil at Garston Manor School has an education, health and care plan (175 of 175 in 2026). The most common need among them is autism.
Garston Manor School has a SEN unit for speech, language and communication needs, autism and moderate learning difficulties: 150 places, 175 pupils on roll.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Garston (Herts) Rail Station, about 0.8 miles away in a straight line.
6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Future Academies Watford (opposite), 150 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Garston Manor School issued 28 suspensions, 17.2 for every 100 pupils, and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: 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 agoThis judgement is from December 2012, 13 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its December 2012 inspection - up from Requires Improvement.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
39.4%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
SEN unit: Speech and language, Autism, MLD
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with Garston Manor School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Garston Manor School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Garston Manor School is in Hertfordshire; for families living there:
- Hertfordshire's school travel policy: Read the home to school transport policy
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 17
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 17 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 1 serious and 15 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on a bicycle.
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 Hertfordshire is 9 (the median across 590 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
117%
Over capacity
175 pupils
150 places
25 pupils over capacity
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Watford
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Watford
Across Hertfordshire council
Places available
15,222
Applications
13,456
Got 1st preference
77.5%
Got preferred school
94.9%
All secondary applications across Hertfordshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(6)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
175
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Garston Manor School has a SEN unit for speech, language and communication needs, autism and moderate learning difficulties: 150 places, 175 pupils on roll.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
175
Total Pupils
132
Boys
43
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
20
Teachers
8.8:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£61,734
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
8.7%
Overall absence
25.9%
Persistent absence
166
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
Garston Manor School
Showing 10 of 14 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Garston Manor School
What are GCSE results like at Garston Manor School?
In the 2025 results, pupils at Garston Manor School achieved an Attainment 8 score of 0.7. 0% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is Garston Manor School's Ofsted rating?
Garston Manor School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in October 2022, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in December 2012, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Garston Manor School?
No fixed boundary. When Garston Manor School is oversubscribed, Hertfordshire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Garston Manor School?
Garston Manor School has around 175 pupils on roll. 39% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Garston Manor School have specialist SEN provision?
Garston Manor School has a SEN unit for speech, language and communication needs, autism and moderate learning difficulties: 150 places, 175 pupils on roll.
What is attendance like at Garston Manor School?
8.7% of sessions were missed at Garston Manor School in 2024/25. 25.9% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Garston Manor School?
Apply through Hertfordshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Garston Manor 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 Garston Manor School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 17 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 1 serious and 15 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on a bicycle. 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 Hertfordshire is 9 (the median across 590 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Garston Manor School?
Garston Manor School is at Horseshoe Lane, Garston, Watford, Hertfordshire, WD25 7HR.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)