Courtlands Independent Special School, Worthing
Courtlands Independent Special School is a special school for pupils aged 11 to 16 in Worthing. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in March 2025. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in June 2026 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Good (2025)
Data last updated 1 Nov 2026
Courtlands Independent Special School in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Courtlands Independent Special School are Palatine Primary School (1 mile, Good); Oak Grove College (1.2 miles, Good); Brighton Forward Ltd (1.7 miles); and Seadown School (2.3 miles, Good).
Palatine Primary SchoolOak Grove CollegeBrighton Forward LtdSeadown School
What parents say
11 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Courtlands Independent Special School (as of September 2025): 100% would recommend the school and 100% say their child is happy there.
The strongest agreement was that they would recommend the school (100%); the weakest, that pupils behave well (91%).
Who goes there
Almost every pupil at Courtlands Independent Special School has an education, health and care plan (56 of 56 in 2026).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Durrington-on-Sea Rail Station, about 770 metres away (roughly a 10-minute walk).
9 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Seafield Avenue (opposite), 210 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Courtlands Independent Special School stands in is among the 10% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Sources: Ofsted Parent View; 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 · 5 months agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Safeguarding: effective
Independent school standards
Met all the independent school standards.
- Part 1: quality of educationMet
- Part 2: pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural developmentMet
- Part 3: welfare, health and safetyMet
- Part 4: suitability of staff and proprietorsMet
- Part 5: premises and accommodationMet
- Part 6: information for parentsMet
- Part 7: handling of complaintsMet
- Part 8: leadership and managementMet
Ofsted also found the school was not keeping to the terms of its registration (for example its age range or pupil numbers).
Source: Ofsted, non-association independent schools inspections and outcomes (Open Government Licence)
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's June 2026 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
This school creates a safe, nurturing environment where pupils develop strong relationships with well-trained staff who know them individually. The facilities are exceptional, with dedicated spaces for art, science, music and therapy, plus extensive outdoor areas including woodland and a lake for supervised learning. Leaders demonstrate a clear understanding of safeguarding and take swift action to protect pupils, working closely with external agencies to support families.
Key Strengths
- Effective leadership with a headteacher who brings relevant expertise and strong governance oversight
- Pupils feel safe, secure and happy with positive relationships with well-trained staff
- Excellent physical facilities including 2 new classrooms, therapeutic spaces, extensive grounds with woodland and lake areas
- Robust safeguarding policies with regular staff training and swift responses to concerns
- Comprehensive health and safety systems with well-maintained premises and appropriate risk assessments
Areas for Improvement
- Record-keeping of leaders' safeguarding actions needs to be more consistently detailed and promptly completed
- Leaders recognise value in external quality assurance to validate their provision effectiveness
Safeguarding
Safeguarding is effective with clear policies, regular staff training, and swift responses to concerns; however, record-keeping of leaders' actions needs to be more detailed and consistently documented.
Extracurricular Activities
Art, science, music, horticulture, woodland activities, physical education
Courtlands Independent Special School is a special needs school that has applied to increase its maximum pupil capacity to 80. The inspection found the school is likely to meet all relevant independent school standards if this material change is approved.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
11 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with Courtlands Independent Special School
Nurseries
The nearest nurseries and pre-schools to Courtlands Independent Special School, with their latest published grades:
- Young Explorers - Goring - Pre-school, 0.3 milesOfsted, 11 February 2025: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
- Kamelia Kids Day Nursery and Beach School - Day nursery, 0.3 milesOfsted, 16 September 2025: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
- The Outdoors Project West Sussex Holiday Club - Pre-school, 0.5 miles
- Marriotts Nursery School - Pre-school, 0.5 milesOfsted, 3 February 2022: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
- Elm Grove Childcare Club - Day nursery, 0.6 milesOfsted, 13 July 2021: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 20
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 3
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 20 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 17 slight.
3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on a bicycle and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise.
3 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 West Sussex is 11 (the median across 337 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight are DfT estimates (severity adjustment). Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
70%
Available places
56 pupils
80 places
24 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Across West Sussex council
Places available
9,806
Applications
8,765
Got 1st preference
87.5%
Got preferred school
97.6%
All secondary applications across West Sussex council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
56
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Courtlands Independent Special School is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
No need-level breakdown available
Pupil Demographics
Key Indicators
56
Total Pupils
33
Boys
23
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Courtlands Independent Special School
Showing 10 of 14 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Courtlands Independent Special School
What is Courtlands Independent Special School's Ofsted rating?
Courtlands Independent Special School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in June 2026, was ungraded. At its last graded inspection, in March 2025, it was rated Good.
Does Courtlands Independent Special School meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in March 2025, Courtlands Independent Special School met all the independent school standards.
How many pupils go to Courtlands Independent Special School?
Courtlands Independent Special School has around 56 pupils on roll.
Does Courtlands Independent Special School have specialist SEN provision?
Courtlands Independent Special School is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
How many road collisions happen near Courtlands Independent Special School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 20 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 17 slight. 3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on a bicycle and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise. 3 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 West Sussex is 11 (the median across 337 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Courtlands Independent Special School?
Courtlands Independent Special School is at 37 Parklands Avenue, Worthing, West Sussex, BN12 4NG.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)