Weatherfield Academy
Brewers Hill Road, Dunstable, LU6 1AFOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)
Weatherfield Academy is a special school in Dunstable for ages 7 to 19. It is one of the 134 schools in Central Bedfordshire. Its latest Ofsted inspection, in November 2024, graded each key judgement and gave no overall Ofsted rating.
Ofsted inspection
Inspected 5 November 2024, report published 6 March 2025
This inspection graded each key judgement and gave no overall effectiveness grade.
- Quality of education
- Good
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Good
- Personal development
- Good
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Sixth form provision
- Good
- Safeguarding
- Met
What Ofsted said
From the inspection on 5 November 2024
Weatherfield Academy is a caring and happy place. Pupils are warmly greeted each morning. They settle quickly to the tasks adults have prepared for them. Adults take time to check whether pupils are ready to learn. They make timely interventions if pupils require any support. Pupils appreciate the help they receive. Nurturing relationships between pupils and staff ensure a calm and productive start to the day. The school has high expectations for pupils' achievements, both academic and personal. Pupils are eager to learn and find out new things. All pupils have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Knowledgeable staff ensure that pupils' barriers to learning are overcome. Everyone commits to helping pupils become, 'the best person they can be'. Pupils relish the variety of opportunities on offer. Staff help pupils to find their place in the community. For example, they provide opportunities for pupils to work on the school farm or allotments. Pupils can become members of the signing choir and perform to local organisations. The school helps pupils to foster friendships. Pupils value the relationships they form and there is a palpable family feel to the school. Many parents agree. They use words such as 'flourish' and 'thrive' to describe their child's experiences of school. Pupils willingly cooperate and share their learning with one another.
What the school should improve
- In a few subjects, teachers do not have a confident understanding of the key knowledge that pupils need to know. This means the activities they prepare are not fully effective in building pupils' knowledge step by step. The school should ensure that staff develop the expertise they require to deliver the curriculum, ensuring that pupils make the strongest progress across all subjects.
- Trustees do not have a secure enough understanding about the impact of leaders' decisions to improve the school. This means that sometimes, they are not able to hold leaders to account for the improvement of the school. The trust should ensure that those in governance positions develop further their knowledge and skills to consistently ensure that the school's work is highly effective.
Pupil numbers and mix
166 pupils on roll, with places for 133
Schools near Weatherfield Academy
| School | Distance | Ofsted | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stannard School | 2 miles | Ofsted: Good | Not published |
| The Chiltern School | 3 miles | Ofsted: Good | 0% met the expected standard |
| Woodlands Secondary School | 4 miles | Ofsted: Outstanding | Not published |
| Active Support Education Centre | 5 miles | Ofsted: Good | Attainment 8: 1.6 |
| Benjamin College | 5 miles | Ofsted: Good | Not published |
School details
- School type
- Academy special converter
- Sector
- Academy
- Trust
- WHIPPERLEY ACADEMY TRUST
- Age range
- 7 to 19
- Gender
- Mixed
- Headteacher
- Headteacher Liam Meenan
- Phone
- 01582605632
- Address
- Brewers Hill Road, Dunstable, LU6 1AF
- Local authority
- Central Bedfordshire
- URN
- 137896
School details from Get Information about Schools, 17 September 2026. Ofsted outcomes published to 31 August 2026. Pupil mix from the school census, 2025/26.