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Special schools in The Good Schools Guide

Special schools reviewed by The Good Schools Guide

'The ultimate aim is for a child to be as independent as possible and to be able to transfer skills to different situations. Everything is so positive even if learning is slow and limited every child benefits from intensive interaction. They get quality of life on a daily basis.'
- Extracted from The Good Schools Guide - Special Educational Needs review of Rainbow School for Autistic Children, London.

Special schools cater for children with a variety of special educational needs (SEN), additional educational needs (AEN) and learning difficulties/disabilities (LDD). The special schools listed below, together with a selection of mainstream schools, including CReSTeD schools reviewed by The Good Schools Guide are also featured in Sandra Hutchinson's upbeat, informative and empowering guide to special needs and schools.

How we select the special schools

The special schools selected for review by The Good Schools Guide were recommended to us by parents and professionals. Some of those reviewed are considered top schools or leading schools in the world of SEN - all had a number of delighted parents. We'd love to hear about other great special (and mainstream) schools for SEN. The schools are a mix of state and independent schools. In many cases the fees charged, by independent special schools, are met by The Local Authority.

Below is a list of all special schools visited and reviewed by The Good Schools Guide You have to be a subscriber to read their full entry (or purchase The Good Schools Guide - Special Educational Needs which carries school reviews and extensive information on the world of SEN in, and out of the classroom) but basic information is available by clicking on the links below. A full on-line subscription to The Good Schools Guide costs from as little as £9.99.

The special schools featured in The Good Schools Guide - Special Educational Needs

School name, town and key difficulties catered for (see individual entries for more details). Age range given in brackets.

Abbey School, Rotherham
Abbey school is a state special school for children with moderate learning difficulties (MLD) and severe learning difficulties (SLD) (7-16)

Appleford School, Nr Salisbury
Appleford school is an independent CReSTed registered school for children with dyslexia (7-13)

Ash Field School, Leicester
Ash Field School is a school for children with physical difficulties with additional complex needs (4-19)

Blossom House School, London
Blossom House School is an independent special school for children with speech, language and communication impairments (3-16)

The Brier School, Kingswinford
The Brier School is a state school for children with MLD and complex communication difficulties (4-16)

Bruern Abbey School*, Bicester
Bruern Abbey School is an independent school for children with a specialist school for able children (who work towards common entrance), with specific learning difficulties (7-13)

Calder House School, Wiltshire
Calder House School, Wiltshire is a CReSTeD registered, special independent school for girls and boys of average intelligence with dyslexia, dyspraxia or dyscalculia and other associated learning difficulties. (5-12)

Centre Academy, London
Centre Academy is an independent school for children with dyslexia, dyspraxia, ADD, ADHD and associated learning challenges. It offers an American or English based examination curriculum. (7-19)

Chailey Heritage School, Lewes
Chailey Heritage School is an independent special school for children with physical difficulties, Cerebral Palsy and associated learning difficulties ad disabilities (LDD) (3-19)

Colnbrook School, Watford
Colnbrook School is a state special school for children with MLD plus a small number in the autism base (4-11)

Dame Hannah Rogers School, Ivybridge
Dame Hannah Rogers is an independent school for children with physical difficulties and associated learning difficulties in the moderate to profound range (5-19)

The Dominie, London
The Dominie is an independent CReSTed registered school for children with children of average or above average intelligence with dyslexia and/or dyspraxia (6-13)

Donaldson's, Linlithgow
Donaldson's is an independent special school for children with hearing impairment and associated learning difficulties and disabilities (LDD) (3-19)

Downs Park School, Brighton
Down's Park is a state special school for children with complex needs (4-17)

Eagle House (Norfolk), Norwich
Eagle House is an independent special school for children with moderate to severe autism plus associated learning needs (4-19)

Eagle House School, Mitcham
Eagle House School is an independent special school for children with moderate to severe autistic spectrum disorders. (4-19)

Exeter Royal Academy for Deaf Education, Exeter
Exeter Royal Academy for Deaf Education is an independent academy for children and young people with hearing impairments and associated learning difficulties (5-25)

Fairley House School, London
Fairley House School is an independent, CReSTeD ,special school for children with specific learning difficulties, dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia (5-13)

Freemantles School, Woking
Freemantles School is a state special school for children with autistic spectrum disorders (4-19)

Frewen College, Rye
Frewen College is an independent , CReSTeD registered, special school for children with dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, some children with aspergers syndrome (5-17)

Glyne Gap School, Bexhill-on-Sea
Glyne Gap School is a state special school for children with severe and profound and multiple learning difficulties and disabilities (2-19)

Gosden House School , Guildford
Gosden House School is a state special school for children with moderate and severe learning difficulties and disabilities (boys 5-11, girls 5-16)

Helen Allison School, Gravesend
Helen Allison School is an NAS school for children with autistic spectrum disorders (5-19)

Henshaw's College, Harrogate
Henshaw's College is an independent college for young people primarily, but not exclusively, with visual impairment and associated learning difficulties or disabilities (16-25)

Holyport Manor School, Maidenhead
Holyport Manor School is a state special school for children with MLD, SLD, PMLD, physical difficulties, autistic spectrum disorders and speech. language and communication difficulties (2-19)

Horton Lodge Community Special School, Leek
Horton Lodge Community Special School is a state school for children with physical difficulties and associated learning needs including 20 high dependency (2-11)

Ingfield Manor School, Billinghurst
Ingfield Manor School is an independent specialist school for children with cerebral palsy, physical difficulties and associated learning difficulties and disabilities (3-16)

Inscape House, Manchester
Inscape House is an independent special school for children with autistic spectrum disorders (4-16)

Knowl Hill School, Woking
Knowl Hill School is an independent, CReSTeD registered school for children with dyslexia and possible associated dyspraxia or mild emotional difficulties (7-16)

Linden Bridge School, Worcester Park
Linden Bridge School is a state special school for children with autistic spectrum disorders (4-19)

Mark College, Highbridge
Mark College is an independent, CReSTeD registered, special school for children with dyslexia and dyscalculia (10-18)

Marshfields School, Peterborough
Marshfields School is a state special school for children with MLD and global delay; students have additional emotional, social or behavioural difficulties (10-19)

Mary Hare Primary School, Newbury
Mary Hare Primary School is an independent special school for children with severe or profound hearing loss (5-12)

Mary Hare School, Newbury
Mary Hare School is an independent special school for children with severe or profound hearing loss; experience of visual impairment and mild ASD (11-19)

Meath School, Chertsey
Meath School is an ICAN independent special school for children with speech language and communication difficulties, children may have other associated difficulties (5-12)

The Moat School, London
The Moat School is a CReSTeD registered, independent specialist school for children of average ability or above with specific learning difficulties, dyslexia and dyspraxia (11-18)

Moon Hall School, Dorking
Moon Hall School is a CReSTeD registered, independent school for children with dyslexia (7-13)

Moon Hall College/Bury's Court*, Reigate
Moon Hall College/Bury's Court is an independent specialist school for children with dyslexia (2-16)

More House School (Farnham), Farnham
More House School is an independent, CReSTeD registered, special school for children with dyslexia (9-18)

The National Autistic Society Radlett Lodge School, Radlett
Radlett Lodge School is an NAS school for children with Autism (4-16)

New College Worcester, Worcester
New College Worcester is an independent special school for children with visual impairment and additional needs. Should be able to access the national curriculum at levels 2-7 (11-19)

The New School Butterstone, Dunkeld
The New School is an independent special school for children with autism, dyspraxia, dysphasia and the educationally fragile (12-18)

North Hill House, Frome
North Hill House is an independent special school for children with aspergers syndrome (7-18)

Northease Manor School, Lewes
Northease Manor School is an independent, CReSTeD registered, special school for able pupils with specific learning difficulties, dyslexia, dyspraxia and dyscalculia (10-17)

Nunnykirk Centre for Dyslexia, Morpeth
Nunnykirk Centre for Dyslexia is a CReSTeD registered, independent school for children with pupils of average or above average intelligence with specific learning difficulties (9-18)

Oakwood High School, Eccles
Oakwood High School is a state special school that caters for a range of SEN: ASD, MLD, SLD, ADD, ADHD, EBD, Fragile X, Down's syndrome, speech language and communications difficulties, specific learning difficulties (11-16)

The Old Rectory School, Ipswich
The Old Rectory School is an independent, CReSTeD registered, special school for children with specific learning difficulties, dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia (7-13)

Parayhouse School, London
Parayhouse School is an independent special school for educationally fragile children with speech, language and communication needs and MLD (7-16)

The Park School, Woking
The Park School is a state special school for children with MLD, speech language and communication difficulties, autistic spectrum disorders and associated difficulties: ADD, ADHD, EBD (11-16)

Penn Hall School, Wolverhampton
Penn Hall School is an independent school for children with physical difficulties and additional impairments: sensory, learning (3-19)

Peterhouse School, Southport
Peterhouse School is an independent special school for children with autistic spectrum disorders (5-19)

Philip Green Memorial School, Wimborne
Philip Green Memorial School is an independent special school for children with MLD, SLD, speech language and communication difficulties. Range of genetic disorders: Down's syndrome, Prader-Willi syndrome, Smith Magenis syndrome, Williams syndrome (9-19)

Rainbow School for Children with Autism, London
Rainbow School for Children with Autism. is an independent special school for children with Autism (4-11)

Ravenscliffe High School and Sports College, Halifax
Ravenscliffe High School and Sports College is a state special school for children with a wide range of SEN; MLD, SLD, PMLD, ASD, sensory impairments, physical difficulties and associated EBD (11-19)

Riverside School, Waterlooville
Riverside School is a state special school for children with complex needs and associated learning difficulties, ASD (3-11)

The Robert Ogden School, Rotherham
The Robert Ogden School is an NAS school for children with autism and autistic spectrum disorders (7-19)

Royal Blind School, Edinburgh
The Royal Blind School is an independent special school for children with multiple disabilities and a visual impairment (MDVI) (3-18)

St Joseph's School, Cranleigh
St Joseph's School is an independent special school for children with MLD, SLD, communication difficulties and those on the autistic spectrum. Some have additional medical needs (7-19)

St Mary's College, Part of the Wrestwood Children's Trust, Bexhill-on-Sea
St Mary's College is an independent specialist college for young people with complex needs, speech language and communication difficulties, physical difficulties and complex medical needs (16-19)

St Mary's School (Bexhill-on-Sea), Bexhill-on-Sea
St Mary's School is an independent special school for children with complex needs, speech language and communication difficulties, physical difficulties and complex medical needs (7-16)

The Scottish Centre for Children with Motor Impairments, Cumbernauld
The Scottish Centre for Children with Motor Impairments is an independent special school for children with motor impairments, cerebral palsy (0-7)

Selly Oak Trust School, Birmingham
Selly Oak Special School is a state special school for children with any of MLD, SLD and complex needs including speech language and communication difficulties, sensory impairments, ASD, EBD (11-19)

Shapwick School, Bridgwater
Shapwick School is a CReSTeD registered independent specialist school for children with dyslexia (11-18)

Shapwick Prep School, Bridgwater
Shadwick Prep School (formerly Edington and Shapwick Junior School) is a CReSTeD registered independent specialist school for children with dyslexia (8-11)

Sheiling School, Ringwood
Sheiling School is an independent special school for children with any of MLD, SLD, autism, fragile X, Williams syndrome, microcephaly, Down's syndrome, sensory impairment (6-16)

Slindon College, Arundel*
Slindon College is an independent school for children with moderate but complex specific learning difficulties, ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia. Asperger's syndrome (10-16)

Southlands School, Lymington
Southlands School is an independent special school for children with asperger's syndrome and ASD (7-16)

Springhead School and Specialist College for Cognition and Learning, Scarborough
Springhead School is a state special school for children with significant learning difficulties. May have additional physical, severe medical, sensory, behavioural or autistic spectrum needs (2-19)

Stanbridge Earls School, Romsey
Stanbridge Earls School is an independent, CReSTeD registered, special school for children with specific learning difficulties, dyslexia, dyscalculia, dyspraxia (10-19)

Sunnydown School, Caterham
Sunnydown School is a state, CReSTeD registered, special school for children with specific learning difficulties and/or autistic spectrum difficulties (11-16)

Swiss Cottage Specialist SEN School for Cognition and Learning, London
Swiss Cottage Specialist SEN School for Cognition and Learning is a state special school for children with MLD and associated needs: physical, social communication, moderate sensory impairment, speech and language difficulties, medical problems, emotional and behavioural difficulties (2-16)

Sybil Elgar School, Southall
Sybil Elgar School is an NAS school for children with autism (11-19)

TreeHouse School, London
TreeHouse School is an independent special school for children with autism (3-19)

Treloar College , Alton
Treloar College is an independent specialist college for young people with physical difficulties. A number also have learning difficulties, communication difficulties and or sensory impairments (16+)

Treloar School, Alton
Treloar School is an independent special school for children with physical difficulties. A number also have learning difficulties, communication difficulties and or sensory impairments (5-16)

The Unicorn School (Oxford), Abingdon
The Unicorn School is an independent, CReSTeD registered special school for children with dyslexia (6-12)

Wing Centre, Bournemouth
Wing Centre is an independent specialist college for young people with asperger's syndrome (16+) It is linked with Southlands School.

Witherslack Hall School, Grange-over-Sands
Witherslack Hall School is an independent special school for children with social emotional and behavioural difficulties (11-19)

Woolgrove School, Letchworth
Woolgrove School is an independent special school for children with MLD and associated difficulties including: ADD, ADHD, ASD (5-11)

* Not designated a special school by DCSF but all children have a learning difficulty

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