The Valley School is a council-run special school in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, for children and young people aged 11 to 16. It supports speech and language, autism and moderate learning.
- Ages 11–16
- 193 pupils
School details
- Type
- Council special school
- Ages
- 11 to 16
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Pupils
- 193 (places for 165)
- Headteacher
- Mr David Pearce (Headteacher)
- Free school meals
- 40.9% of pupils eligible
- Council
- Hertfordshire
- School reference (URN)
- 117669
Needs it supports
3 needs: speech and language, autism and 1 more
As listed by the Department for Education, grouped the way EHC plans describe needs.
Communication and interaction
- Autism Other schools for this in Hertfordshire (25)
- Speech, language and communication Other schools for this in Hertfordshire (21)
Cognition and learning
- Moderate learning difficulty Other schools for this in Hertfordshire (9)
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 Hertfordshire 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
Graded by area, November 2024; school remains Good (Concerns) - S5 Next (July 2023)
Inspected in November 2024. Inspections from September 2024 to November 2025 graded each area but gave no overall grade.
- Quality of educationGood
- Behaviour and attitudesOutstanding
- Personal developmentOutstanding
- Leadership and managementGood
- SafeguardingEffective
Since then: School remains Good (Concerns) - S5 Next (ungraded inspection, July 2023).
Contact and getting there
Broadhall Way, Stevenage, SG2 9BN
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Directions: Walk Public transport Drive
Email me these details
The school’s details, how to get a place and the questions to ask, in your inbox.
Other SEND schools nearby
- Greenside School Special school · Ages 2–19 · Ofsted: Good 0.5 miles
- Peartree Spring Primary School Mainstream + base · Ages 4–11 · Ofsted: Good 0.5 miles
- Lonsdale School Special school · Ages 3–18 · Ofsted: Good 0.9 miles
All SEND schools in Hertfordshire
By need in Hertfordshire: Autism (26) · Speech and language (22) · SEMH (10) · Moderate learning (10) · Severe learning (9) · PMLD (5) · Physical (4) · Hearing (3) · Multi-sensory (3)
Questions about The Valley School
How do I get a place at The Valley 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 The Valley School. If it is named in the plan, the school must admit your child.
What needs does The Valley School support?
Speech, language and communication, autism and moderate learning difficulty. Every child is different, so ask the school how it would meet your child’s needs.
What ages does The Valley School take?
Aged 11 to 16, boys and girls.
What is The Valley School’s Ofsted rating?
There’s no overall grade to show. Read the school’s latest inspection report on the Ofsted website.
Where is The Valley School?
Broadhall Way, Stevenage, SG2 9BN, in Hertfordshire.
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.