Ages 
While many schools have a wash and brush up in anticipation of a GSG visit, the bits they can’t fake are the relationships and happiness, and here we found everything shipshape. The comfortable rapport between the children and the staff was a pleasure to see, as was the sense of some of these pupils finding their hearth, and a kindness from schoolmates which they hadn’t experienced before. It’s a cosy school.
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Headteacher
Head teacher
Rebecca Smale
Since 2024 Rebecca Smale
Entrance
Pupils have an EHCP and must fit Surrey County Council’s learning and additional needs profile. Those it would not suit include children with severe autism who need a structured low stimulus environment, or those whose behaviour means they would not
- Open days
- Book through school website
Exit
Pupils go on to other special schools which have 16+ provision such as Carwarden House, and some go to mainstream colleges to take level 1 courses. Parents and head alike would like to see post-16 vocational qualifications offered at the school –
Latest results
We do not publish results data for special schools. Find out more.
Teaching & learning
Children are taught a modified national curriculum. Pupils have learning difficulties in the moderate range, broadly speaking a two to four year delay compared to their peers. Nearly all have language and communication difficulties, and around 30
Learning support & SEN
Arts & extracurricular
Creative arts is on the curriculum introducing simple storytelling, such as Goldilocks in the younger years to Marvellous Monarchs in the older classes. Dance, drama and music are embedded in the teaching, and visits from Peer Productions bring
Sport
The school reached the finals of the Panathlon disability sports tournament.
Ethos & heritage
Our satnav mistakenly took us to the golf course across the road; but we still weren’t sure we were in the right place as we came up the drive. A few visiting parents have been known to nervously check on arrival that they were in fact at a state
Therapy & staffing
Suffers in the way of all state schools relying on scraps from the local authority/NHS’s table. The speech and language team is provided by Surrey LA – they take weekly social skills sessions, and head says they try to use them to give the staff
Pastoral care, inclusivity & discipline
There is a pastoral care approach to everything at Gosden. Many pupils are very vulnerable, and have high anxiety, with behaviours relating to being excluded socially. The school attempts to make them feel they belong and are as good as everyone
Pupils & parents
Because of its history as a girls’ only school in secondary, there is a good balance of boys and girls, but that is likely to change with the senior conversion to co-ed - cohorts of boys have now worked their way up lower ends of the senior school.
Money matters
Places funded by local authorities (children must have an EHCP). No self-funding.
The last word
While many schools have a wash and brush up in anticipation of a GSG visit, the bits they can’t fake are the relationships and happiness, and here we found everything shipshape. The comfortable rapport between the children and the staff was a
Inspection reports
Ofsted reports
Short inspection: Outstanding
You can read full reports on the Ofsted website
| Leadership and management | Outstanding |
|---|---|
| Early years provision | Outstanding |
Full inspection: Outstanding
| Leadership and management | Outstanding |
|---|---|
| Early years provision | Outstanding |
