Ofsted graded Fitzwaryn School in Wantage exceptional for inclusion and pupils' wellbeing, and strong in the other five. All 126 pupils have an EHC plan.
Ofsted has graded a Wantage special school exceptional in two of the seven areas it now inspects, and strong in the other five. The grade for inclusion says the school’s practice is “of the highest standard nationally” and that other schools can learn from it.
Fitzwaryn School on Denchworth Road teaches 126 pupils aged 3 to 19, every one of them with an education, health and care plan. Inspectors visited on 7 and 8 July and the report was published on 17 September.
The grades
Ofsted no longer gives schools a single overall judgement such as “good” or “outstanding”. Under the report card system each area is graded on a five-point scale, from exceptional through strong standard, expected standard and needs attention to urgent improvement.
| Evaluation area | Grade |
|---|---|
| Inclusion | Exceptional |
| Personal development and wellbeing | Exceptional |
| Achievement | Strong standard |
| Attendance and behaviour | Strong standard |
| Curriculum and teaching | Strong standard |
| Leadership and governance | Strong standard |
| Post-16 provision | Strong standard |
| Safeguarding | Met |
The inspection report sets out what earned the two top grades.
On inclusion, inspectors wrote that:
- leaders’ “unwavering commitment to inclusion transforms the experiences of every pupil”
- the school “is a key driver of inclusive practice within the locality”, working with other schools and professionals
- pupils “make substantial progress, often experiencing success in education for the first time”
On personal development and wellbeing, the report describes an “ambitious and well-structured offer”, an employability pathway that prepares pupils for work, and pupils who are “exceptionally well prepared for their next steps”. All sixth-form students take part in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, and many complete their bronze and silver awards before leaving.
What the inspection found beyond the grades
Three figures in Ofsted’s own data set out the pressure the school works under and what it achieves.
- 126 pupils in a school built for 108. Ofsted records the roll as 126, against a stated capacity of 108, which matches the planned admission number the school publishes. The roll was 125 on the day of the inspection.
- 100 per cent of pupils have an EHC plan. None are on the lower tier of special educational needs support.
- 100 per cent of leavers stayed in education or employment for at least two terms after the end of key stage 4, for the 2021, 2022 and 2023 leaving cohorts.
Ofsted also records that 40.59 per cent of pupils have been eligible for free school meals at some point in the last six years, and that the school is in an area of above-average deprivation on its measure. Pupils have needs ranging from specific learning difficulties and autism to physical disabilities and profound and multiple learning difficulties.
Overall absence was 9.3 per cent in 2024/25, down from 10.1 per cent the year before. Persistent absence, meaning pupils missing a tenth or more of sessions, fell from 30.5 per cent to 23.5 per cent over the same year. Inspectors credited “targeted and highly personalised support” and “strong and trusting relationships with parents and carers”.
One next step, and who runs the school
Inspectors set the school a single next step: leaders “should further refine the quality of teaching to continue to enhance the impact that this has on pupils’ experiences of school”.
The headteacher is Stephanie Coneboy. The school is an academy in The Propeller Academy Trust, run by chief executive Tom Pegler and overseen by a board of trustees chaired by Jane Edwards. The same trust runs Kingfisher School on Radley Road in Abingdon, along with John Watson School at Wheatley and Bishopswood School at Sonning Common. Ofsted said the trust “makes a strong contribution to the school’s success”, including work to manage staff workload.
The lead inspector was Martin Dyer, one of His Majesty’s Inspectors, working with Ofsted Inspector William James.
Fitzwaryn’s previous full inspection, in May 2022, rated it outstanding in every category under the framework that applied then. The school’s own website still describes it as an outstanding special school, and had not been updated with the new report when we checked.
What it means for you
If you are a parent in the Vale looking at special school places, this is the most current independent assessment of Fitzwaryn, and it is a strong one. Exceptional is the top grade on Ofsted’s new scale. The report says explicitly that other schools can learn from Fitzwaryn’s practice.
You cannot apply to the school directly. Fitzwaryn’s own admissions page says its planned admission number is 108, that every pupil admitted has an EHC plan with moderate, severe or profound and multiple learning difficulties, and that “all admissions are managed by the Local Authority and not the school themselves”. It offers small group tours to parents who want to see it, arranged through the school office.
The roll of 126 against that number of 108 is the figure to watch, because it limits how much room there is.
Ofsted says it normally inspects schools every four years, and carries out monitoring inspections where any area is graded needs attention or urgent improvement. None of Fitzwaryn’s areas was.
Getting there changed the same week the report landed. Wantage’s bus network was rewritten on 20 September, and our bus changes report sets out what the X35, X36 and the new S9 now do. What is shut on the roads is on our roadworks and travel page.
Sources
- Ofsted: Fitzwaryn School, inspection of 7 and 8 July 2026, report published 17 September 2026, for all eight grades, the quoted findings, the next step, the named leaders and inspectors, and the pupil, capacity, EHC plan, free school meals, deprivation, destinations and absence figures. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence.
- GOV.UK: understanding Ofsted report cards and grades, for the five-point scale and the end of the single overall judgement.
- Get Information about Schools: Fitzwaryn School, for the school’s status, age range and trust.
- Fitzwaryn School: admissions, for the planned admission number of 108, the EHC plan requirement, the range of learning difficulties and the statement that admissions are managed by the local authority.
- Fitzwaryn School, for the headteacher’s welcome and the school’s own description of its provision.
Have your say