Walton Leigh School

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

Part of LONDON SOUTH EAST ACADEMIES TRUST

Queen's Road, Hersham, Walton-on-Thames, KT12 5AB

01932 223243 · School website · Map and directions

OfstedOutstandingInspected 4 February 2014, before conversion; confirmed 2024
Pupils93Room for 88 Pupil numbers in January of each year: 68 in 2019, 87 in 2021, 90 in 2022, 87 in 2023, 86 in 2024, 90 in 2025, 93 in 2026. Across England, special state school pupil numbers were up 39% from 2019 to 2025.
Free school meals37%of pupils eligible now

Ofsted inspection

Ofsted rated this school Outstanding at the inspection that started on 4 February 2014. This inspection was of the school before it changed to its current form (for example, before becoming an academy).

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 educationOutstanding
Outcomes for pupilsOutstanding
Leadership and managementOutstanding

Since then, a shorter ungraded inspection on 1 February 2024: Ofsted found the school was still Outstanding.

Read the full Ofsted reports for this school

Source: Ofsted state-funded schools inspection data.

What parents say

15 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey between 1 January 2024 and 6 January 2025.

StatementThis schoolEngland
My child is happy at this school 80% 88%
My child feels safe at this school 87% 90%
The school makes sure pupils are well behaved 80% 84%
Concerns were dealt with properlyOf 14 parents who had raised a concern 71% 76%
I would recommend this school to another parent 73%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.

7 pupils in this year group.

Only 7 pupils took these tests, so results can change a lot from year to year. Compare with care.

These results were published under the school's previous registration (URN 125468), before it changed to its current form.

100% — 6 points above the Surrey average, and 8 points above the England average.

MeasureThis schoolSurreyEngland
Stayed in education, an apprenticeship or workPupils recorded in sustained education, apprenticeship or employment in the year after finishing Year 11. 100% 94% 92%
School sixth form 0% 29% 34%
Sixth form college 0% 32% 13%
Further education college 29% 26% 37%
Apprenticeship 0% 2% 3%
Work 0% 2% 3%

Stayed in education, an apprenticeship or work, over time

2023/242024/25
100%100%

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 Surrey. The national closing date for secondary applications is 31 October, and offers are sent on 1 March.

Admissions dates and schools in Surrey

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; Severe learning difficulties; Profound and multiple learning difficulties.

PupilsThis schoolSurreyEngland
Eligible for free school meals in the last 6 years 37.3% 42.8%* 51.9%
With an education, health and care plan 100.0% 99.8%* 99.5%
Receiving special educational needs support 0.0% 0.2%* 0.5%
English as an additional language 16.7% 10.1%* 14.4%
Overall absence (sessions missed) 16.0% 13.0%* 12.8%
Persistently absent (missed 10% or more) 39.0% 32.3%* 35.3%
Suspensions per 100 pupils 3.3 13.2 12.3
Pupils suspended at least once 3.3% 6.1% 5.1%
Pupils permanently excluded0 pupils 0.00% 0.03% 0.08%
Pupils per teacher 5.9 6.2 6.6
Pupils per adult (teachers and support staff) 1.3 2.3 2.3
Teachers who left during the year 8.7% 14.1%* 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 Walton Leigh School's Ofsted rating?

Walton Leigh School was rated Outstanding by Ofsted at its inspection in 4 February 2014. At a shorter ungraded inspection in 1 February 2024, Ofsted found the school was still Outstanding.

Would parents recommend Walton Leigh School?

73% of the 15 parents who answered Ofsted's Parent View survey between 1 January 2024 and 6 January 2025 said they would recommend Walton Leigh 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.