Watergate School

Special school · Primary, ages 4 to 11 · Mixed

Part of *Co-op Brent Knoll and Watergate Co-operative Trust

Lushington Road, Bellingham, London, SE6 3WG

020 8695 6555 · School website · Map and directions

OfstedOutstandingInspected 21 June 2012; confirmed 2022
Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths0%England 62% · 2024/25
Pupils185Room for 186 Pupil numbers in January of each year: 113 in 2019, 140 in 2021, 154 in 2022, 159 in 2023, 189 in 2024, 189 in 2025, 185 in 2026. Across England, special state school pupil numbers were up 39% from 2019 to 2025.
Free school meals43%of pupils eligible now

Ofsted inspection

Ofsted rated this school Outstanding at the inspection that started on 21 June 2012.

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 10 March 2022: Ofsted found the school was still Outstanding.

Read the full Ofsted reports for this school

Source: Ofsted state-funded schools inspection data.

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Results

Key stage 2 (SATs, age 11), 2024/25

22 pupils in this year group.

0% — 68 points below the Lewisham average, and 62 points below the England average.

MeasureThis schoolLewishamEngland
Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths 0% 68% 62%
Reached the higher standard in reading, writing and maths 0% 10% 8%
Met the expected standard in reading 0% 79% 75%
Met the expected standard in writing 0% 74% 72%
Met the expected standard in maths 0% 77% 74%
Average reading scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 is the expected standard. Not published 107 106
Average maths scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 is the expected standard. Not published 106 105

"Not published": No figure published.

Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths, over time
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% England 2022/23: 60%England 2023/24: 61%England 2024/25: 62% This school 2022/23: 0%This school 2023/24: 0%This school 2024/25: 0% This school England 62% 2022/23 0% 2023/24 0% 2024/25 0%

Source: DfE key stage 2 performance tables, 2024/25. 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 Lewisham. The national closing date for primary applications is 15 January, and offers are sent on 16 April.

Admissions dates and schools in Lewisham

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: Specific learning difficulties (such as dyslexia); Visual impairment; Speech, language and communication needs; Autism; Social, emotional and mental health needs; Multi-sensory impairment; Physical disability; Moderate learning difficulties; Severe learning difficulties; Profound and multiple learning difficulties.

PupilsThis schoolLewishamEngland
Eligible for free school meals in the last 6 years 44.4% 56.9%* 51.9%
With an education, health and care plan 98.4% 99.4%* 99.5%
Receiving special educational needs support 1.6% 0.6%* 0.5%
English as an additional language 39.2% 27.5%* 14.4%
Overall absence (sessions missed) 10.4% 9.9%* 12.8%
Persistently absent (missed 10% or more) 35.6% 32.7%* 35.3%
Suspensions per 100 pupils 0.0 7.6 12.3
Pupils suspended at least once 0.0% 4.1% 5.1%
Pupils permanently excluded0 pupils 0.00% 0.00% 0.08%
Pupils per teacher 7.6 6.9 6.6
Pupils per adult (teachers and support staff) 1.8 2.3 2.3
Teachers who left during the year 17.9% 13.6%* 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 Watergate School's Ofsted rating?

Watergate School was rated Outstanding by Ofsted at its inspection in 21 June 2012. At a shorter ungraded inspection in 10 March 2022, Ofsted found the school was still Outstanding.

How did Watergate School do in its SATs?

In 2024/25, 0% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths, 62 points below the England average of 62%.

Sources

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

Page updated 26 September 2026.