White Trees Independent School, Bishops Stortford
White Trees Independent School is a special school for pupils aged 11 to 18 in Bishops Stortford. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in May 2024.
- Ofsted
- Good (2024)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
White Trees Independent School in detail
White Trees Independent School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "At WhiteTrees school we focus on providing specialist onsite and offsite education services."
Headteacher's welcome (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to White Trees Independent School are St Elizabeth's School (3.9 miles, Good); and St Elizabeth's Centre (3.9 miles, Good).
Who goes there
Almost every pupil at White Trees Independent School has an education, health and care plan (76 of 76 in 2026).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Bishops Stortford Rail Station, about 580 metres away (roughly a 7-minute walk).
9 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is St Catherine's Court (outside), 170 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood White Trees Independent School stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 274 crimes within a mile of the school, most often anti-social behaviour, violence and sexual offences and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Hertfordshire (138), as is usual near a town centre.
Sources: DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Safeguarding: effective
Independent school standards
Met all the independent school standards.
- Part 1: quality of educationMet
- Part 2: pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural developmentMet
- Part 3: welfare, health and safetyMet
- Part 4: suitability of staff and proprietorsMet
- Part 5: premises and accommodationMet
- Part 6: information for parentsMet
- Part 7: handling of complaintsMet
- Part 8: leadership and managementMet
Source: Ofsted, non-association independent schools inspections and outcomes (Open Government Licence)
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its May 2024 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 2 nearby schools
Keep up with White Trees Independent School
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 33
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 10
- Children hurt
- 4
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 33 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 10 serious and 23 slight.
4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
9 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
97%
Near capacity
76 pupils
78 places
2 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Bishops Stortford
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Bishops Stortford
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(11)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
76
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
White Trees Independent School is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
No need-level breakdown available
Pupil Demographics
Key Indicators
76
Total Pupils
52
Boys
24
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
White Trees Independent School
Showing 10 of 14 linked schools
Questions parents ask about White Trees Independent School
What are GCSE results like at White Trees Independent School?
The Department for Education's GCSE measures do not count IGCSEs, which many independent schools take instead of GCSEs, so the Attainment 8 and English and maths figures it publishes for White Trees Independent School can understate its results. We do not rank or compare them; ask the school for its own GCSE and IGCSE results.
What is White Trees Independent School's Ofsted rating?
White Trees Independent School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in May 2024.
Does White Trees Independent School meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in May 2024, White Trees Independent School met all the independent school standards.
How many pupils go to White Trees Independent School?
White Trees Independent School has around 76 pupils on roll.
Does White Trees Independent School have specialist SEN provision?
White Trees Independent School is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
How do I apply to White Trees Independent School?
White Trees Independent School is an independent school and runs its own admissions rather than going through the local authority. Contact the school directly for entry requirements, assessment dates, fees and any bursaries.
How many road collisions happen near White Trees Independent School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 33 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 10 serious and 23 slight. 4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 9 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 White Trees Independent School?
White Trees Independent School is at 13a London Road, Bishops Stortford, Bishops Stortford, CM23 5NA.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)