West Gate School is a foundation special school in Leicester for children and young people aged 4 to 19. It supports speech and language, autism, SEMH and 4 other needs.
- Ages 4–19
- 199 pupils
- Ofsted report card (2026)
School details
- Type
- Foundation special school
- Ages
- 4 to 19
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Pupils
- 199 (places for 200)
- Headteacher
- Mrs Rhian Richardson (Headteacher)
- Part of
- The WELL (Wellbeing, Enterprise, Leadership and Learning) Trust
- Opened
- 1 January 2006
- Free school meals
- 50.9% of pupils eligible
- Council
- Leicester
- School reference (URN)
- 131099
Needs it supports
7 needs: speech and language, autism and 5 more
As listed by the Department for Education, grouped the way EHC plans describe needs.
Communication and interaction
- Autism Other schools for this in Leicester (17)
- Speech, language and communication Other schools for this in Leicester (16)
Cognition and learning
- Moderate learning difficulty Other schools for this in Leicester (3)
- Severe learning difficulty Other schools for this in Leicester (4)
- Profound and multiple learning difficulties Other schools for this in Leicester (1)
Social, emotional and mental health
- Social, emotional and mental health Other schools for this in Leicester (4)
Sensory and physical
- Physical disability Other schools for this in Leicester (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 Leicester 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, March 2026: Strong standard in 3 of 6 areas
Inspected in March 2026 under Ofsted’s new report cards, which grade each area separately, from Exceptional to Urgent improvement, instead of one overall grade.
- InclusionStrong standard
- Curriculum and teachingExpected standard
- AchievementExpected standard
- Attendance and behaviourStrong standard
- Personal development and wellbeingStrong standard
- Leadership and governanceExpected standard
- SafeguardingMet
Contact and getting there
Glenfield Road, Leicester, LE3 6DG
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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
- Inglehurst Junior School Mainstream + base · Ages 7–11 · Ofsted: Good 0.5 miles
- Stokes Wood Primary School Mainstream + base · Ages 3–11 · Ofsted: Good 0.7 miles
- Educ8 Leicestershire Independent · Ages 13–16 · Ofsted: Requires improvement 0.7 miles
By need in Leicester: Autism (18) · Speech and language (17) · SEMH (5) · Severe learning (5) · Moderate learning (4) · PMLD (2) · Physical (2)
Questions about West Gate School
How do I get a place at West Gate 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 West Gate School. If it is named in the plan, the school must admit your child.
What needs does West Gate School support?
Speech, language and communication, autism, social, emotional and mental health, 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 West Gate School take?
Aged 4 to 19, boys and girls.
What is West Gate School’s Ofsted rating?
Rated Good by Ofsted in March 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 West Gate School?
Glenfield Road, Leicester, LE3 6DG, in Leicester.
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.