Lakeside School, Welwyn Garden City
Lakeside School is a special school for pupils aged 2 to 19 in Welwyn Garden City. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in October 2013. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in July 2023 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2013)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Lakeside School in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Lakeside School are James Marks Academy (2 miles); Knightsfield School (2.2 miles, Outstanding); Southfield School (2.3 miles, Good); and Heathlands School (5 miles, Outstanding).
James Marks AcademyKnightsfield SchoolSouthfield SchoolHeathlands School
Where pupils go next
Of the 6 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 83% stayed in education or training for at least two terms.
Who goes there
31.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 21.7% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
Almost every pupil at Lakeside School has an education, health and care plan (115 of 115 in 2026). The most common need among them is a severe learning difficulty.
Lakeside School has a SEN unit for autism, social, emotional and mental health needs, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties: 105 places, 108 pupils on roll.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Welwyn Garden City Rail Station, about 1 mile away in a straight line.
6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Stacklands (opposite), 70 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Lakeside School issued 1 suspension, 0.9 for every 100 pupils, and 1 permanent exclusion.
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 · 3 years agoThis judgement is from October 2013, 13 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Outstanding.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Outstanding at its October 2013 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
31.3%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
SEN unit: Autism, SEMH, Multi-sensory +3
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Social & online
Keep up with Lakeside School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Lakeside School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Lakeside 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
- 3
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 3 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
1 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
110%
Over capacity
115 pupils
105 places
10 pupils over capacity
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Welwyn Garden City
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Welwyn Garden City
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
115
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Lakeside School has a SEN unit for autism, social, emotional and mental health needs, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties: 105 places, 108 pupils on roll.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
115
Total Pupils
79
Boys
36
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
14
Teachers
8.2:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£54,718
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
10.7%
Overall absence
36.7%
Persistent absence
98
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
Lakeside School
Showing 10 of 12 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Lakeside School
What are SATs results like at Lakeside School?
Of the pupils at Lakeside School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 0% reached the expected standard in reading and 0% did so in maths.
What is Lakeside School's Ofsted rating?
Lakeside School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in July 2023, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in October 2013, it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for Lakeside School?
No fixed boundary. When Lakeside School is oversubscribed, Hertfordshire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Lakeside School?
Lakeside School has around 115 pupils on roll. 31% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Lakeside School have specialist SEN provision?
Lakeside School has a SEN unit for autism, social, emotional and mental health needs, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties: 105 places, 108 pupils on roll.
What is attendance like at Lakeside School?
10.7% of sessions were missed at Lakeside School in 2024/25. 36.7% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Lakeside School?
Apply through Hertfordshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Lakeside 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 Lakeside School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 3 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 1 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 Lakeside School?
Lakeside School is at Lemsford Lane, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, AL8 6YN.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)