Watergate School is a foundation special school in Lewisham, London, for children and young people aged 4 to 11. It supports dyslexia and SpLD, vision, speech and language and 7 other needs.
- Ages 4–11
- 185 pupils
- Ofsted: Outstanding
School details
- Type
- Foundation special school
- Ages
- 4 to 11
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Pupils
- 185 (places for 186)
- Headteacher
- Mrs Linda Matthews (Headteacher)
- Part of
- Co-op Brent Knoll and Watergate Co-operative Trust
- Free school meals
- 43.2% of pupils eligible
- Council
- Lewisham
- School reference (URN)
- 100766
Needs it supports
10 needs: dyslexia and SpLD, vision and 8 more
As listed by the Department for Education, grouped the way EHC plans describe needs.
Communication and interaction
- Autism Other schools for this in Lewisham (9)
- Speech, language and communication Other schools for this in Lewisham (6)
Cognition and learning
- Specific learning difficulty (such as dyslexia) Other schools for this in Lewisham (2)
- Moderate learning difficulty Other schools for this in Lewisham (2)
- Severe learning difficulty Other schools for this in Lewisham (4)
- Profound and multiple learning difficulties Other schools for this in Lewisham (1)
Social, emotional and mental health
- Social, emotional and mental health Other schools for this in Lewisham (3)
Sensory and physical
- Visual impairment Other schools for this in Lewisham (1)
- Multi-sensory impairment Other schools for this in Lewisham (2)
- Physical disability Other schools for this in Lewisham (1)
How to get a place
4 steps, starting with an EHC plan
- An EHC plan
Places at schools like this usually come through an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan. If your child doesn’t have one yet, you can ask the council for an assessment yourself.
- Visit and ask questions
See whether the school feels right and whether it can meet your child’s needs. Our list of questions below can help.
- Ask for the school to be named
Tell the council that looks after the plan (often Lewisham council) that this is the school you want, and ask them to consult it.
- Named in the plan
If the school is named in your child’s plan, it must admit your child. Free home-to-school transport is often part of the arrangement.
Questions to ask when you visit
8 questions to tick off as you go
Ticks stay on this device, so you can use them on the day.
Ofsted
Rated Outstanding, June 2012; school remains Outstanding (March 2022)
Rated Outstanding at its last graded inspection, in June 2012. That was some time ago, so read the latest report for the full picture.
- Leadership and managementOutstanding
Since then: School remains Outstanding (ungraded inspection, March 2022).
Contact and getting there
Lushington Road, Bellingham, London, SE6 3WG
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Directions: Walk Public transport Drive
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The school’s details, how to get a place and the questions to ask, in your inbox.
Other SEND schools nearby
- Sedgehill Academy Mainstream + base · Ages 11–18 · Ofsted: Good 0.2 miles
- Athelney Primary School Mainstream + base · Ages 2–11 · Ofsted: Good 0.6 miles
- Conisborough College Mainstream + base · Ages 11–16 · Ofsted: Requires improvement 0.7 miles
By need in Lewisham: Autism (10) · Speech and language (7) · Severe learning (5) · SEMH (4) · Moderate learning (3) · Dyslexia and SpLD (3) · Multi-sensory (3) · PMLD (2) · Hearing (2) · Vision (2) · Physical (2)
Questions about Watergate School
How do I get a place at Watergate School?
There’s no catchment area or application round. Places usually come through an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan: ask the council that looks after the plan to consult Watergate School. If it is named in the plan, the school must admit your child.
What needs does Watergate School support?
Specific learning difficulty (such as dyslexia), visual impairment, speech, language and communication, autism, social, emotional and mental health, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability, moderate learning difficulty, severe learning difficulty and profound and multiple learning difficulties. Every child is different, so ask the school how it would meet your child’s needs.
What ages does Watergate School take?
Aged 4 to 11, boys and girls.
What is Watergate School’s Ofsted rating?
Rated Outstanding by Ofsted in March 2022 at its last graded inspection. Newer inspections no longer give a single overall grade, so read the latest report for the full picture.
Where is Watergate School?
Lushington Road, Bellingham, London, SE6 3WG, in Lewisham.
School data: DfE Get Information About Schools, under the Open Government Licence. Postcode lookups by postcodes.io: contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right, Royal Mail data © Royal Mail copyright and database right, and National Statistics data © Crown copyright and database right. Distances are as the crow flies. Always check details and admissions with the school and your council.