Woodend Farm School, Witham
Woodend Farm School is a special school for pupils aged 6 to 16 in Witham. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in June 2024. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in November 2025 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Good (2024)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Woodend Farm School in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Woodend Farm School are Southview School (2.4 miles, Outstanding); and Chatten Free School (2.8 miles, Outstanding).
Who goes there
Almost every pupil at Woodend Farm School has an education, health and care plan (25 of 25 in 2026).
Woodend Farm School is approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014, so parents can ask for it to be named in their child's education, health and care (EHC) plan.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Hatfield Peverel Rail Station, about 1 mile away in a straight line.
1 bus stop is within a five-minute walk; the closest is Lynfield Motors (opposite), 390 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 49 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and criminal damage and arson. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Essex (97).
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 · 11 months 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
From Ofsted's November 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Woodend Farm School excels at tailoring education to each pupil's individual needs through careful assessment and curriculum planning. Teachers form positive relationships with pupils and use consistent approaches that help them settle and focus on learning. The school provides a safe, well-maintained environment with strong leadership oversight to ensure high standards are maintained.
Key Strengths
- Well-designed curriculum that builds core knowledge in literacy and numeracy with tailored pathways for different pupil needs
- Accurate assessment systems that allow staff to adapt teaching so pupils learn well
- Effective safeguarding with robust systems to identify and address concerns promptly
- Strong teaching with secure subject knowledge leading to good pupil achievement and engagement
- Well-maintained premises with excellent facilities including separate medical room and outdoor spaces
Safeguarding
Safeguarding is effective with robust systems in place to identify and address concerns in a timely manner, staff trained regularly on safeguarding, and strong communication with parents to mitigate risks.
Extracurricular Activities
Swimming lessons, woodland activities, physical education
Woodend Farm School is likely to meet independent school standards if approved to expand into secondary provision. The school has a well-designed curriculum, effective teaching, and robust safeguarding systems in place.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
Approved
Section 41
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 4 nearby schools
Keep up with Woodend Farm School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 8
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 8 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 5 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
0 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 Essex is 9 (the median across 614 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
63%
Available places
25 pupils
40 places
15 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Witham
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Witham
Across Essex council
Places available
17,590
Applications
16,568
Got 1st preference
83.4%
Got preferred school
97.0%
All secondary applications across Essex council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
25
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Woodend Farm School is approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014, so parents can ask for it to be named in their child's education, health and care (EHC) plan.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
No need-level breakdown available
Pupil Demographics
Key Indicators
25
Total Pupils
22
Boys
3
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Questions parents ask about Woodend Farm School
What is Woodend Farm School's Ofsted rating?
Woodend Farm School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in November 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in June 2024, it was rated Good.
Does Woodend Farm School meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in June 2024, Woodend Farm School met all the independent school standards.
How many pupils go to Woodend Farm School?
Woodend Farm School has around 25 pupils on roll.
Does Woodend Farm School have specialist SEN provision?
Woodend Farm School is approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014, so parents can ask for it to be named in their child's education, health and care (EHC) plan.
How do I apply to Woodend Farm School?
Woodend Farm 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 Woodend Farm School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 8 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 5 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 0 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 Essex is 9 (the median across 614 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Woodend Farm School?
Woodend Farm School is at Woodend Farm, Hatfield Road, Witham, Essex, CM8 1EH.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)