Cambian Dilston College, Corbridge
Cambian Dilston College is a special school for pupils aged 16 to 25 in Corbridge. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in June 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2025)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Cambian Dilston College in detail
Cambian Dilston College in its own words
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football, rugby, cricket, cooking, gardening, Duke of Edinburgh, forest school and cheerleading.
Source: The school's own website
Who goes there
Cambian Dilston College provides for pupils with moderate learning difficulties and severe learning difficulties. Cambian Dilston College is approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014, so parents can ask for it to be named in their child's education, health and care (EHC) plan.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Corbridge Station, about 0.9 miles away in a straight line.
2 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Hall gates (near), 210 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 4 crimes within a mile of the school, most often burglary, other theft and public order offences. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Northumberland (44).
Sources: DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 1 year agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Safeguarding: effective
Source: Ofsted, further education and skills inspections and outcomes (Open Government Licence)
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's June 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
The college excels at helping students with complex needs build confidence and develop real workplace skills through carefully planned work placements. Teachers use creative teaching methods like role play for job interviews and hands-on practical learning. The college works excellently with parents, carers and local authorities to support each student's individual goals and progression to employment, voluntary work or supported accommodation.
Key Strengths
- Students develop high confidence and self-esteem in a supportive, inclusive environment where staff foster a strong sense of belonging
- Work placements are carefully selected and progressively build students' social, communication and workplace skills
- Teachers use a wide range of effective teaching methods including demonstrations, role play and gradually reducing support to build independence
- Leaders have taken decisive action since the last inspection to improve education quality through staff training, new resources and closer monitoring
- Strong partnerships with local authorities, social workers and parents ensure the college meets individual student needs
Areas for Improvement
- Teachers need to allow students more time to process questions before intervening
- Staff should avoid providing support too early when students are capable of completing tasks independently
- Assessment methods should be used consistently across all teaching to check students' understanding
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with students feeling safe due to high staff support and clear knowledge of how to report concerns.
Extracurricular Activities
Duke of Edinburgh awards, entrepreneurship projects, first aid, football, sensory activities, community activities
Cambian Dilston College is an independent specialist college in Northumberland providing education for young people aged 16-25 with special educational needs and disabilities. The college has improved significantly since its last inspection and now provides good quality education with strong support for students' progression to employment and independent living.
About
Cambian Dilston College is a private further education college for those with special educational needs. It is located at Dilston Hall in Corbridge in the English county of Northumberland.
From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
MLD, SLD
SEN Provision
Approved
Section 41
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 1 nearby school
Social & online
Keep up with Cambian Dilston College
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Cambian Dilston College from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Cambian Dilston College is in Northumberland; for families living there:
Apply to Northumberland for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 2
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 2 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 2 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
0 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Northumberland is 3 (the median across 175 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Capacity & Demand
Area Demand Pressure - Corbridge
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Corbridge
Across Northumberland council
Places available
2,104
Applications
1,819
Got 1st preference
96.0%
Got preferred school
97.7%
All secondary applications across Northumberland council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(16)
Special educational needs provision
Cambian Dilston College provides for pupils with moderate learning difficulties and severe learning difficulties.
Cambian Dilston College is approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014, so parents can ask for it to be named in their child's education, health and care (EHC) plan.
Source: Get Information about Schools (GIAS), Department for Education.
Questions parents ask about Cambian Dilston College
What is Cambian Dilston College's Ofsted rating?
Cambian Dilston College was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in June 2025.
What is the catchment area for Cambian Dilston College?
No fixed boundary. When Cambian Dilston College is oversubscribed, Northumberland allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Does Cambian Dilston College have specialist SEN provision?
Cambian Dilston College provides for pupils with moderate learning difficulties and severe learning difficulties. Cambian Dilston College is approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014, so parents can ask for it to be named in their child's education, health and care (EHC) plan.
How do I apply to Cambian Dilston College?
Apply through Northumberland's coordinated admissions process, naming Cambian Dilston College on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
How many road collisions happen near Cambian Dilston College?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 2 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 2 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 0 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Northumberland is 3 (the median across 175 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Cambian Dilston College?
Cambian Dilston College is at Dilston Hall, Corbridge, NE45 5RJ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)