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  • Chailey Heritage School
    Haywards Heath Road
    North Chailey
    Lewes
    East Sussex
    BN8 4EF
  • Head: Mr Richard Green
  • T 01825 724444
  • F 01825 723773
  • E [email protected]
  • W www.chf.org.uk
  • A special independent school for pupils aged from 3 to 19 with complex physical disabilities, communication, sensory and learning difficulties
  • Boarding: Yes
  • Local authority: East Sussex
  • Pupils: 76
  • Religion: Does not apply
  • Open days: Please ring the school office to make an appointment
  • Ofsted:
    • Latest Overall effectiveness Outstanding 1
      • 16-19 study programmes Outstanding 2
      • Early years provision Outstanding 2
      • Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding 2
    • 1 Short inspection 27th November 2024
    • 2 Full inspection 21st October 2014

    Short inspection reports only give an overall grade; you have to read the report itself to gauge whether the detailed grading from the earlier full inspection still stands.

  • Previous Ofsted grade: Outstanding on 29th September 2009
  • Ofsted report: View the Ofsted report

What the school says...

Our school has brought life-changing opportunities to over 1000 children over 120 years. We are here for young people living with physical disabilities, complex medical and communication needs. Our 'CHILD curriculum' puts each child at the centre of their own journey of exploration. The expertise of our multi-disciplinary team is enhanced by our unique on-site partnership with the NHS. Our state-of-the-art equipment and facilities include bespoke mobility aids, eye-tracking technology, a hydrotherapy pool, an immersive space, a farm and therapeutic horse riding. We nurture the potential of every child and young person we work with. ...Read more

This is not currently a GSG-reviewed school.

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Please note: Independent schools frequently offer IGCSEs or other qualifications alongside or as an alternative to GCSE. The DfE does not record performance data for these exams so independent school GCSE data is frequently misleading; parents should check the results with the schools.

Who came from where

Who goes where

Special Education Needs

Chailey Heritage Foundation provides education and care services and is one of the UK’s leading centres for children and young people living with physical disabilities, complex medical and communication needs. Our expertise is in maximising independence and choice, developing effective communication and providing powered mobility opportunities. We recognise that living with complex disabilities can be overwhelming and isolating. We are here to listen and explore life-changing possibilities together. Our school, residential homes and centre create a thriving community of support. Our expert team dedicate time, patience and curiosity to nurturing the potential of every child and young person who comes to us, and we have developed a world-class range of specialist services that are necessary to meet their needs. The Charity delivers services in four areas: • Chailey Heritage School: a non-maintained special school for 3–19-year-olds. • Chailey Heritage Residential: a 'home from home' offering a range of boarding options from short breaks through to 52-week care, for pupils from our school. • Chailey Heritage Futures: a residential service for young adults aged 19 to 25, acting as a stepping stone into adult life. • Community Services: a bustling leisure centre and day service provision offering a range of activities and experiences to members of the community living with a disability. We will never, ever give up working with children, young people and their families to empower them to make their own choices at every stage in life.

Condition Provision for in school
ASD - Autistic Spectrum Disorder
Might cover/be referred to as;
ASD - Autistic Spectrum Disorder, Aspergers, Autism, High functioning autism, Neurodivergent, Neurodiversity, Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA), PDA , Social skills, Sensory processing disorder
HI - Hearing Impairment
Might cover/be referred to as;
Hearing Impairment, HI - Hearing Impairment
MLD - Moderate Learning Difficulty
Might cover/be referred to as;
Learning needs, MLD - Moderate Learning Difficulty
MSI - Multi-Sensory Impairment
Might cover/be referred to as;
MSI - Multi-Sensory Impairment, Sensory processing
Not Applicable
OTH - Other Difficulty/Disability
Might cover/be referred to as;
Downs Syndrome, Epilepsy, Genetic , OTH - Other Difficulty/Disability, Tics, Tourettes
PD - Physical Disability
Might cover/be referred to as;
PD - Physical Disability
Y
PMLD - Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulty
Might cover/be referred to as;
Complex needs, Global delay, Global developmental delay, PMLD - Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulty
SEMH - Social, Emotional and Mental Health
Might cover/be referred to as;
Anxiety , Complex needs, Emotionally based school avoidance (EBSA), Mental Health, SEMH - Social, Emotional and Mental Health, Trauma
SLCN - Speech, Language and Communication
Might cover/be referred to as;
DLD - Developmental Language Disorder, Selective mutism, SLCN - Speech, Language and Communication
SLD - Severe Learning Difficulty
Might cover/be referred to as;
Complex needs, SLD - Severe Learning Difficulty, Cerebral Palsy (CP)
SpLD - Specific Learning Difficulty
Might cover/be referred to as;
ADHD, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Auditory Processing, DCD, Developmental Co-ordination Difficulties (DCD), Dyscalculia, Dysgraphia, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Handwriting, Other specific learning difficulty, SpLD - Specific Learning Difficulty, Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD)
VI - Visual Impairment
Might cover/be referred to as;
Special facilities for Visually Impaired, VI - Visual Impairment

Interpreting catchment maps

The maps show in colour where the pupils at a school came from*. Red = most pupils to Blue = fewest.

Where the map is not coloured we have no record in the previous three years of any pupils being admitted from that location based on the options chosen.

For help and explanation of our catchment maps see: Catchment maps explained

Further reading

If there are more applicants to a school than it has places for, who gets in is determined by which applicants best fulfil the admissions criteria.

Admissions criteria are often complicated, and may change from year to year. The best source of information is usually the relevant local authority website, but once you have set your sights on a school it is a good idea to ask them how they see things panning out for the year that you are interested in.

Many schools admit children based on distance from the school or a fixed catchment area. For such schools, the cut-off distance will vary from year to year, especially if the school give priority to siblings, and the pattern will be of a central core with outliers (who will mostly be siblings). Schools that admit on the basis of academic or religious selection will have a much more scattered pattern.

*The coloured areas outlined in black are Census Output Areas. These are made up of a group of neighbouring postcodes, which accounts for their odd shapes. These provide an indication, but not a precise map, of the school’s catchment: always refer to local authority and school websites for precise information.

The 'hotter' the colour the more children have been admitted.

Children get into the school from here:

regularly
most years
quite often
infrequently
sometimes, but not in this year


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