John Watson School

From June 2025 it is with great pride and excitement that I introduce myself as the new Headteacher of John Watson School. I am privileged to lead a school with a strong tradition in delivering high quality education and proud to lead a school community where there is such clear dedication to meeting the needs of all those in our care. Our vision is to develop a love of learning for life through providing high quality education that respects and celebrates our pupils' unique strengths and abilities.

Safety Learning Independence Communication Engagement

Our School values SLICE overarch all aspects of life and learning for our pupils. These values provide the appropriate building blocks for our pupils to live fulfilled and appropriately independent lives, both in our school community and beyond.

John Watson School is a Community Special School for children and young people from 2 - 19 years old with moderate, severe, complex, or profound learning difficulties. Our school is organised into 13 classes, including Early Years and Sixth Form.

The school is based in the village of Wheatley on two split site locations that have access to the local community amenities, which support our pupils in developing their independence, social and communication skills. Although we are based in a rural area, we are proud of having a diverse community of learners from a broad range of ethnic and cultural backgrounds.

We are fortunate to have highly skilled, dedicated, reflective and forward thinking staff who are keen to develop their knowledge and skills by embracing Continuing Professional Development opportunities.

At John Watson School we are committed to delivering sustained success for all our pupils; something all the more achievable given our strong partnerships and meaningful engagement with the wider community. We work closely with parents/carers, professionals, external organisations, and our governing body to ensure that pupils are at the centre of the decision making process.

We hope that our website provides you with the information you need. If there are any questions that remain unanswered please contact our school office. We appreciate and value the contribution all our learning community can offer.

Chris Slatter

Headteacher