SchoolScoresChessbrook Education Support Centre
Pupil referral unit · All-through, ages 5 to 16 · Mixed
Tolpits Lane, Watford, WD18 6LJ
01923 212025 · School website · Map and directions
Ofsted inspection
Ofsted rated this school Outstanding at the inspection that started on 8 May 2014.
This inspection used Ofsted's older format with four grades: Outstanding, Good, Requires improvement and Inadequate. Newer inspections use report cards. What changed.
| Area | Grade |
|---|---|
| Quality of education | Outstanding |
| Outcomes for pupils | Outstanding |
| Leadership and management | Outstanding |
Since then, a shorter ungraded inspection on 7 February 2024: Ofsted found the school was still Outstanding.
Read the full Ofsted reports for this school
Source: Ofsted state-funded schools inspection data.
Results
No test or exam results have been published for this school yet.
Admissions
Apply through the council where you live, even if the school is in a different council area. This school is in Hertfordshire. The national closing date for secondary applications is 31 October, and offers are sent on 1 March.
Pupils, staff and SEND
| Pupils | This school | Hertfordshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eligible for free school meals in the last 6 years | 25.0% | 17.1%* | 28.9% |
| With an education, health and care plan | 12.5% | 3.0%* | 3.1% |
| Receiving special educational needs support | 87.5% | 13.2%* | 13.4% |
| English as an additional language | 25.0% | 15.4%* | 19.2% |
| Pupils per teacher | 1.7 | 16.5 | 16.7 |
| Pupils per adult (teachers and support staff) | 0.9 | 12.0 | 11.8 |
| Teachers who left during the year | 12.2% | 12.7%* | 14.2%* |
Comparisons are with secondary schools. Scales run from lower (left) to higher (right) figures. For absence and suspensions lower is better, so their scales run green to red; blue scales describe the school's pupils and staff and aren't good or bad. * Calculated by SchoolScores from the council's or England's schools, weighted by pupils (or teachers, for turnover); other figures are published by DfE. Sources: DfE school census 2024/25; DfE school workforce census 2025/26; DfE teacher turnover 2024/25.
Nearby secondary schools
- Westfield Academy 0.1 miles · Ofsted: No overall grade (2024) · 39% grade 5+ English and maths
- Watford Grammar School for Boys 0.5 miles · Ofsted: Report card 2026: 6 exceptional, 1 strong · 83% grade 5+ English and maths
- Croxley Danes School 0.8 miles · Ofsted: Report card 2026: 3 strong, 4 expected · 50% grade 5+ English and maths
- Watford Grammar School for Girls 0.8 miles · Ofsted: Outstanding (2024) · 83% grade 5+ English and maths
- Merchant Taylors' School 1.0 miles · Independent, inspected by ISI · 69% A*/A at A level
- Rickmansworth School 1.7 miles · Ofsted: Outstanding (2023) · 81% grade 5+ English and maths
- The Grange Academy 2.0 miles · Ofsted: No overall grade (2024) · 32% grade 5+ English and maths
- Queens' School 2.1 miles · Ofsted: No overall grade (2025) · 68% grade 5+ English and maths
- The Purcell School 2.2 miles · Independent, inspected by ISI · 32% A*/A at A level
- Saint Joan of Arc Catholic School 2.2 miles · Ofsted: Good (2013), confirmed 2023 · 56% grade 5+ English and maths
Straight-line distance. Distance isn't the same as a catchment area.
Questions parents ask
What is Chessbrook Education Support Centre's Ofsted rating?
Chessbrook Education Support Centre was rated Outstanding by Ofsted at its inspection in 8 May 2014. At a shorter ungraded inspection in 7 February 2024, Ofsted found the school was still Outstanding.
Sources
- School details: Get Information about Schools (DfE), 26 September 2026. URN 130349.
- Inspections: Ofsted management information, data to 31 August 2026.
Spotted a mistake? Report it and we'll check it against the source.
Page updated 26 September 2026.