Mapledown School

Special school · Secondary, ages 11 to 19 · Mixed · Sixth form

Claremont Road, Cricklewood, London, NW2 1TR

020 8455 4111 · School website · Map and directions

OfstedGoodInspected 20 November 2013; confirmed, may be improving 2023
Pupils114Room for 90 Pupil numbers in January of each year: 78 in 2019, 90 in 2021, 104 in 2022, 114 in 2023, 114 in 2024, 114 in 2025, 114 in 2026. Across England, special state school pupil numbers were up 39% from 2019 to 2025.
Free school meals45%of pupils eligible now

Ofsted inspection

Ofsted rated this school Good at the inspection that started on 20 November 2013.

This inspection used Ofsted's older format with four grades: Outstanding, Good, Requires improvement and Inadequate. Newer inspections use report cards. What changed.

AreaGrade
Quality of educationGood
Outcomes for pupilsGood
Leadership and managementGood

Since then, a shorter ungraded inspection on 29 November 2023: Ofsted found the school was still Good and may be improving, so its next inspection will be a full graded one.

Read the full Ofsted reports for this school

Source: Ofsted state-funded schools inspection data.

What parents say

11 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey between 4 September 2023 and 2 September 2024.

StatementThis schoolEngland
My child is happy at this school 100% 88%
My child feels safe at this school 100% 90%
The school makes sure pupils are well behaved 91% 84%
I would recommend this school to another parent 100%said yes 84%

Parents choose whether to take part, so these answers may not represent all families. Figures are the share who agree or strongly agree. England figures are all parents answering the same questions over the same period, for state-funded schools. The scales run from lower (left) to higher (right) agreement, and the dot marks this school among state schools of the same phase that used the same survey questions. The third it falls in is coloured: green for the top third, amber the middle, red the bottom. This survey used Ofsted's previous Parent View questions, which changed in November 2025. Source: Ofsted Parent View management information.

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Results

After Year 11

Where pupils went next. DfE measures this for pupils who finished in an earlier year, so these figures describe a previous year group.

16 pupils in this year group.

88% — 7 points below the Barnet average, and 4 points below the England average.

MeasureThis schoolBarnetEngland
Stayed in education, an apprenticeship or workPupils recorded in sustained education, apprenticeship or employment in the year after finishing Year 11. 88% 95% 92%
School sixth form 0% 63% 34%
Sixth form college 0% 9% 13%
Further education college 0% 20% 37%
Apprenticeship 0% 1% 3%
Work 0% 1% 3%

Stayed in education, an apprenticeship or work, over time

2023/242024/25
87%88%

Source: DfE key stage 4 destination measures, 2024/25 performance tables. England figures are for state-funded schools.

Admissions

Apply through the council where you live, even if the school is in a different council area. This school is in Barnet. The national closing date for secondary applications is 31 October, and offers are sent on 1 March.

Admissions dates and schools in Barnet

Pupils, staff and SEND

This is a special school for children with an education, health and care plan (EHCP). Places are arranged through the council's SEND team, not the normal admissions round. It caters for: Autism; Physical disability; Severe learning difficulties; Profound and multiple learning difficulties.

PupilsThis schoolBarnetEngland
Eligible for free school meals in the last 6 years 49.3% 49.2%* 51.9%
With an education, health and care plan 97.4% 95.7%* 99.5%
Receiving special educational needs support 2.6% 4.3%* 0.5%
English as an additional language 66.7% 42.1%* 14.4%
Overall absence (sessions missed) 14.5% 12.6%* 12.8%
Persistently absent (missed 10% or more) 45.3% 38.0%* 35.3%
Suspensions per 100 pupils 0.0 5.6 12.3
Pupils suspended at least once 0.0% 2.6% 5.1%
Pupils permanently excluded0 pupils 0.00% 0.00% 0.08%
Pupils per teacher 5.7 5.9 6.6
Pupils per adult (teachers and support staff) 1.9 2.3 2.3
Teachers who left during the year 13.0% 17.0%* 14.3%*

Comparisons are with special schools. * 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 pupil absence 2024/25; DfE suspensions and permanent exclusions 2024/25; DfE school workforce census 2025/26; DfE teacher turnover 2024/25.

SEND provision: Get Information about Schools (DfE).

Nearby special schools

Straight-line distance. Distance isn't the same as a catchment area.

Questions parents ask

What is Mapledown School's Ofsted rating?

Mapledown School was rated Good by Ofsted at its inspection in 20 November 2013. At a shorter ungraded inspection in 29 November 2023, Ofsted found the school was still Good and may be improving, so its next inspection will be a full graded one.

Would parents recommend Mapledown School?

100% of the 11 parents who answered Ofsted's Parent View survey between 4 September 2023 and 2 September 2024 said they would recommend Mapledown School to another parent. Parents choose whether to respond, so this may not represent all families.

Sources

Spotted a mistake? Report it and we'll check it against the source.

Page updated 26 September 2026.