Watling View School, St Albans
Watling View School is a special school for pupils aged 2 to 19 in St Albans. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in June 2016. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in April 2025 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Good (2016)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Watling View School in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Watling View School are Seva Education St Albans (1.5 miles); Heathlands School (2 miles, Outstanding); Batchwood School (2.1 miles, Good); and Radlett Lodge School (2.8 miles, Good, selective).
Seva Education St AlbansHeathlands SchoolBatchwood SchoolRadlett Lodge School
What parents say
17 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Watling View School (as of September 2025): 94% would recommend the school, 88% say their child is happy there and 100% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (100%); the weakest, that pupils behave well (82%).
Where pupils go next
Of the 7 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 86% stayed in education or training for at least two terms.
Who goes there
37.4% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 40.9% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (36%), Asian (31%) and Black (11%).
Almost every pupil at Watling View School has an education, health and care plan (115 of 115 in 2026). The most common need among them is a severe learning difficulty.
Watling View School has a SEN unit for autism, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties: 109 places, 115 pupils on roll.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is St Albans Abbey Rail Station, about 1060 metres away (roughly a 13-minute walk).
6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Watling View School (outside), 80 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Watling View School issued 3 suspensions, 2.7 for every 100 pupils, and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: Ofsted Parent View; DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from June 2016, 10 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school has improved significantly.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's April 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Watling View School creates a joyful, secure environment where pupils with complex needs thrive. Staff build strong relationships and use skilled, consistent approaches to help pupils manage emotions and develop communication skills. The school offers exceptional real-world experiences like theatre productions and working at a local market, helping pupils build confidence and ambition for life beyond school.
Key Strengths
- Expert teaching of communication and reading skills with tailored approaches for each pupil
- Three well-designed distinct learning pathways with broad, balanced curriculum including community-based learning
- Strong behaviour management through consistent routines, skilled staff, and effective emotion regulation strategies
- Exceptional range of enriching experiences including theatre, market work, and therapies that build confidence and independence
- Effective systems for tracking progress and weaving EHC plan targets into lessons
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with leaders creating an open, positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Theatre productions, market work experience, music therapy, hydrotherapy, sensory play, cooking lessons, library services, school cafe work, dark room and sensory room activities
Watling View School is a special school for pupils aged 2-19 with severe and profound learning difficulties. Evidence suggests the school's work has improved significantly since the previous inspection, with pupils thriving in a calm, supportive environment.
At a Glance
37.4%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
SEN unit: Autism, SLD, PMLD
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
17 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 5 nearby schools
Keep up with Watling View School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Watling View School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Watling View 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
- 55
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 6
- Children hurt
- 6
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 55 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 6 serious and 49 slight.
6 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt.
11 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
Area Demand Pressure - St Albans
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for St Albans
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(9)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
115
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Watling View School has a SEN unit for autism, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties: 109 places, 115 pupils on roll.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
115
Total Pupils
77
Boys
38
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
20
Teachers
5.8:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£47,452
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
15.8%
Overall absence
33.7%
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
Watling View School
Showing 10 of 15 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Watling View School
What are SATs results like at Watling View School?
Of the pupils at Watling View School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 0% reached the expected standard in reading and 0% did so in maths.
What is Watling View School's Ofsted rating?
Watling View School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in April 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in June 2016, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Watling View School?
No fixed boundary. When Watling View School is oversubscribed, Hertfordshire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Watling View School?
Watling View School has around 115 pupils on roll. 37% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Watling View School have specialist SEN provision?
Watling View School has a SEN unit for autism, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties: 109 places, 115 pupils on roll.
What is attendance like at Watling View School?
15.8% of sessions were missed at Watling View School in 2024/25. 33.7% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Watling View School?
Apply through Hertfordshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Watling View 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 Watling View School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 55 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 6 serious and 49 slight. 6 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt. 11 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 Watling View School?
Watling View School is at Watling View, St Albans, Hertfordshire, AL1 2NU.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)