Batchwood School is a council-run special school in St Albans, Hertfordshire, for children and young people aged 11 to 16. It supports SEMH.
- Ages 11–16
- 111 pupils
- Ofsted report card (2026)
School details
- Type
- Council special school
- Ages
- 11 to 16
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Pupils
- 111 (places for 108)
- Headteacher
- Mr Ross Whitaker (Executive Headteacher)
- Free school meals
- 50.5% of pupils eligible
- Council
- Hertfordshire
- School reference (URN)
- 117674
Needs it supports
1 need: SEMH
As listed by the Department for Education, grouped the way EHC plans describe needs.
Social, emotional and mental health
- Social, emotional and mental health 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
Report card, April 2026: Expected standard in 5 of 6 areas
Inspected in April 2026 under Ofsted’s new report cards, which grade each area separately, from Exceptional to Urgent improvement, instead of one overall grade.
- InclusionExpected standard
- Curriculum and teachingNeeds attention
- AchievementExpected standard
- Attendance and behaviourExpected standard
- Personal development and wellbeingExpected standard
- Leadership and governanceExpected standard
- SafeguardingMet
Contact and getting there
Townsend Drive, St Albans, AL3 5RP
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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
- Heathlands School Special school · Ages 3–18 · Ofsted: Outstanding 0.3 miles
- Margaret Wix Primary School Mainstream + base · Ages 3–11 · Ofsted: Good 0.4 miles
- Maple Primary School Mainstream + base · Ages 4–11 · Ofsted report card (2026) 0.7 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 Batchwood School
How do I get a place at Batchwood 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 Batchwood School. If it is named in the plan, the school must admit your child.
What needs does Batchwood School support?
Social, emotional and mental health. Every child is different, so ask the school how it would meet your child’s needs.
What ages does Batchwood School take?
Aged 11 to 16, boys and girls.
What is Batchwood School’s Ofsted rating?
Rated Good by Ofsted in April 2026 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 Batchwood School?
Townsend Drive, St Albans, AL3 5RP, 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.