Warren School, Lowestoft
Warren School is a special school for pupils aged 3 to 19 in Lowestoft, part of Consortium Trust. It was rated Inadequate at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in November 2017. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in November 2024 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Inadequate (2017)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Warren School in detail
Warren School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "Warren School is located in Lowestoft, Suffolk. Pupils come to Warren from a wide geographical area and all pupils have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP). Our pupils, aged 3-19 have profound and multiple learning difficulties (PMLD) and 4-19 have severe learning difficulties (SLD) and our curriculum and facilities support those needs."
Coming up: an open day on Friday 18 December 2026 at 8.45am. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.
All school open days in Suffolk
Headteacher's welcome (school website)Open days on the school's site (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Warren School are Sunrise Academy (1.1 miles); Ness Point School (2.4 miles, Good); and The Ashley School (2.5 miles, Outstanding).
The trust
Warren School is one of 14 schools run by Consortium Trust, an academy trust.
What parents say
34 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Warren School (as of September 2025): 74% would recommend the school, 82% say their child is happy there and 50% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child is happy at the school (82%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (50%).
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
49.7% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 3.1% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
Almost every pupil at Warren School has an education, health and care plan (163 of 163 in 2026). The most common need among them is a severe learning difficulty.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Entrance3, about 820 metres away (roughly a 10-minute walk).
14 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Kestrel Green (opposite), 100 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 66 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and criminal damage and arson. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Suffolk (32), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
Warren School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Sources: DfE multi-academy trust performance data; Ofsted Parent View; 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 · 2 years agoThis judgement is from November 2017, 8 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Sixth Form
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's November 2024 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Warren School creates a warm, caring environment where pupils with complex needs feel valued and happy. Staff are highly trained and take time to really know each child, helping them develop confidence and emotional regulation. The school makes learning meaningful by connecting it to real life - from learning money skills through shopping to measurement through cooking - which helps prepare pupils well for life after school.
Key Strengths
- Strong focus on friendship, kindness and creating a happy, calm learning environment where pupils feel safe and supported
- Well-designed curriculum with different pathways that break down learning into precise steps, helping all pupils including those with profound needs to achieve
- Excellent support for communication skills using a range of strategies like sign language, picture representations and objects of reference
Areas for Improvement
- Some occasional inaccuracies in teaching in certain subjects that can lead to misconceptions - teachers need more expertise in all subject areas
- Recent curriculum changes have not yet been fully checked to ensure they are working effectively and pupils are remembering key knowledge
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with the school creating a positive culture that prioritises pupils' safety and wellbeing.
Extracurricular Activities
Music therapies and singing choir, sporting tournaments, signing choir performances
Warren School is a special school for pupils aged 3-19 with profound and multiple learning difficulties, autism, and social-emotional needs. The school has made significant improvements since new leadership took over, moving from an inadequate rating to good across all areas.
At a Glance
49.7%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
34 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 3 nearby schools
Keep up with Warren School
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Warren School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Warren School is in Suffolk; for families living there:
Apply to Suffolk for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 14
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 6
- Children hurt
- 1
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, 6 serious and 8 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was 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 Suffolk is 4 (the median across 365 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
86%
Available places
163 pupils
189 places
26 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Lowestoft
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Lowestoft
Across Suffolk council
Places available
8,475
Applications
7,204
Got 1st preference
92.7%
Got preferred school
97.7%
All secondary applications across Suffolk council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(6)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
163
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
163
Total Pupils
103
Boys
60
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
19
Teachers
8.6:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£49,649
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
13.1%
Overall absence
35.9%
Persistent absence
128
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
Warren School
Showing 10 of 11 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Warren School
What are SATs results like at Warren School?
Of the pupils at Warren School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 0% reached the expected standard in reading and 0% did so in maths.
What is Warren School's Ofsted rating?
Warren School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in November 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in November 2017, it was rated Inadequate.
What is the catchment area for Warren School?
No fixed boundary. When Warren School is oversubscribed, Suffolk allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Warren School?
Warren School has around 163 pupils on roll. 50% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Warren School?
13.1% of sessions were missed at Warren School in 2024/25. 35.9% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Warren School?
Apply through Suffolk's coordinated admissions process, naming Warren 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 Warren 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, 6 serious and 8 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was 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 Suffolk is 4 (the median across 365 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Warren School?
Warren School is at Clarkes Lane, Oulton Broad, Lowestoft, NR33 8HT.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)