High Close School, Wokingham
High Close School is a special school for pupils aged 7 to 18 in Wokingham. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in February 2018. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in September 2023 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Good (2018)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
High Close School in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to High Close School are Chiltern Way Academy Wokingham (0.8 miles, Outstanding); Odyssey House School (1.5 miles); Oak Tree School (1.7 miles); and Cressex Lodge School (2.1 miles, Outstanding).
Chiltern Way Academy WokinghamOdyssey House SchoolOak Tree SchoolCressex Lodge School
Where pupils go next
Of the 18 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 78% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 50% to a further education college, 11% to an apprenticeship and 6% into work.
Who goes there
50% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 1.5% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
Almost every pupil at High Close School has an education, health and care plan (68 of 68 in 2026). The most common need among them is social, emotional and mental health needs.
High Close School has a resourced provision for speech, language and communication needs and social, emotional and mental health needs: 86 places, 0 pupils on roll.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Wokingham Rail Station, about 930 metres away (roughly a 12-minute walk).
8 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Wiltshire Drive (adj 27), 130 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood High Close School stands in is among the 10% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 154 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, shoplifting and public order offences. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Wokingham (70), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, High Close School issued 15 suspensions, 20.5 for every 100 pupils, and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoThis judgement is from February 2018, 8 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 February 2018 inspection - up from Inadequate.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
50.0%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
Resourced provision: Speech and language, SEMH
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with High Close School
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to High Close School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. High Close School is in Wokingham; for families living there:
Apply to Wokingham for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 11
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 11 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 8 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot.
4 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 Wokingham is 7 (the median across 85 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
72%
Available places
68 pupils
94 places
26 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Wokingham
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Wokingham
Across Wokingham council
Places available
2,293
Applications
2,318
Got 1st preference
82.4%
Got preferred school
97.9%
All secondary applications across Wokingham council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(8)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
68
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
High Close School has a resourced provision for speech, language and communication needs and social, emotional and mental health needs: 86 places, 0 pupils on roll.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
68
Total Pupils
44
Boys
24
Girls
2026 academic year
Pupil Absence2024/25
12.1%
Overall absence
38.8%
Persistent absence
67
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
High Close School
Showing 10 of 15 linked schools
Questions parents ask about High Close School
What are GCSE results like at High Close School?
In the 2026 results, pupils at High Close School achieved an Attainment 8 score of 0.9. 0% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is High Close School's Ofsted rating?
High Close School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in September 2023, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in February 2018, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for High Close School?
No fixed boundary. When High Close School is oversubscribed, Wokingham allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to High Close School?
High Close School has around 68 pupils on roll. 50% are eligible for free school meals.
Does High Close School have specialist SEN provision?
High Close School has a resourced provision for speech, language and communication needs and social, emotional and mental health needs: 86 places, 0 pupils on roll.
What is attendance like at High Close School?
12.1% of sessions were missed at High Close School in 2024/25. 38.8% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to High Close School?
Apply through Wokingham's coordinated admissions process, naming High Close 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 High Close School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 11 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 8 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot. 4 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 Wokingham is 7 (the median across 85 schools, same distance and years).
Where is High Close School?
High Close School is at Wiltshire Road, Wokingham, Berkshire, RG40 1TS.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)