Whitefield School, London
Whitefield School is a special school for pupils aged 2 to 19 in London, part of Learning in Harmony Multi Academy Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in May 2023.
- Ofsted
- Good (2023)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Whitefield School in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Whitefield School are Joseph Clarke School (0.9 miles, Good); Belmont Park School (1.3 miles, Good); Lime Academy Hornbeam (1.4 miles, Good); and Stradbroke (2 miles, Good).
Joseph Clarke SchoolBelmont Park SchoolLime Academy HornbeamStradbroke
The trust
Whitefield School is one of 14 schools run by Learning in Harmony Multi Academy Trust, an academy trust.
Where pupils go next
Of the 26 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 92% stayed in education or training for at least two terms.
Who goes there
43.7% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 46.4% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are Black (28%), Asian (27%) and Mixed (12%).
Almost every pupil at Whitefield School has an education, health and care plan (366 of 366 in 2026). The most common need among them is autism.
Whitefield School provides for pupils with specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, visual impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, physical disability, moderate learning difficulties and severe learning difficulties.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Wood Street Rail Station, about 880 metres away (roughly a 11-minute walk).
13 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Forest Road Upper Walthamstow, 150 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 433 crimes within a mile of the school, most often anti-social behaviour, violence and sexual offences and vehicle crime. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Waltham Forest (663).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Whitefield School issued 1 suspension, 0.3 for every 100 pupils, and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: DfE multi-academy trust performance data; 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 agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Sixth Form
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its May 2023 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management, Early years, Sixth form.
At a Glance
43.7%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
SpLD, Vision, Speech and language +4
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
Keep up with Whitefield School
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Whitefield School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Whitefield School is in Waltham Forest; for families living there:
Apply to Waltham Forest for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 56
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 6
- Children hurt
- 9
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 56 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 6 serious and 50 slight.
9 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 4 in a vehicle or otherwise.
14 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 Waltham Forest is 66 (the median across 87 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
98%
Near capacity
366 pupils
374 places
8 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - London
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for London
Across Waltham Forest council
Places available
3,090
Applications
2,724
Got 1st preference
79.5%
Got preferred school
96.3%
All secondary applications across Waltham Forest council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(4)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
366
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Whitefield School provides for pupils with specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, visual impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, physical disability, moderate learning difficulties and severe learning difficulties.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
366
Total Pupils
271
Boys
95
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
57
Teachers
6.4:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£57,601
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
15.2%
Overall absence
46.0%
Persistent absence
285
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
Whitefield School
Showing 10 of 14 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Whitefield School
What are SATs results like at Whitefield School?
Of the pupils at Whitefield School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 0% reached the expected standard in reading and 0% did so in maths.
What is Whitefield School's Ofsted rating?
Whitefield School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in May 2023. At its previous graded inspection in 2017 it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for Whitefield School?
No fixed boundary. When Whitefield School is oversubscribed, Waltham Forest allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Whitefield School?
Whitefield School has around 366 pupils on roll. 44% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Whitefield School have specialist SEN provision?
Whitefield School provides for pupils with specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, visual impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, physical disability, moderate learning difficulties and severe learning difficulties.
What is attendance like at Whitefield School?
15.2% of sessions were missed at Whitefield School in 2024/25. 46% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Whitefield School?
Apply through Waltham Forest's coordinated admissions process, naming Whitefield 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 Whitefield School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 56 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 6 serious and 50 slight. 9 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 4 in a vehicle or otherwise. 14 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 Waltham Forest is 66 (the median across 87 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Whitefield School?
Whitefield School is at Macdonald Road, Walthamstow, London, E17 4AZ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)