Fair Ways School, Southampton
Fair Ways School is a special school for pupils aged 11 to 19 in Southampton. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in November 2024.
- Ofsted
- Good (2024)
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Fair Ways School in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Fair Ways School are King's Academy Lord Wilson (1.1 miles, Good); The Serendipity School (3 miles, Outstanding); Springwell School (3.1 miles, Outstanding); and Luminous Oak Academy (3.2 miles).
King's Academy Lord WilsonThe Serendipity SchoolSpringwell SchoolLuminous Oak Academy
What parents say
16 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Fair Ways School (as of September 2025): 94% would recommend the school and 88% say their child is happy there.
The strongest agreement was that the school supports their child's wider development (94%); the weakest, that the school has high expectations for their child (69%).
Who goes there
Almost every pupil at Fair Ways School has an education, health and care plan (55 of 55 in 2026).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Swanwick Rail Station, about 0.9 miles away in a straight line.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Fair Ways School stands in is among the 10% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 30 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and other theft. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Hampshire (72).
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 · 2 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Sixth Form
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
Source: Ofsted, non-association independent schools inspections and outcomes (Open Government Licence)
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
Pupils feel a deep sense of community at this distinctive school. They are happy and proud to belong here. The natural environment, including the bushcraft area, is utilised effectively. Pupils benefit from outdoor space in which they learn well, play happily and relax. Staff provide personalised support, enabling pupils to thrive. All pupils have special educational needs and/or disabilities and most have missed significant parts of their education before they join. Staff organise transition activities meticulously to ensure that everyone settles in well.
The school's values are evident in pupils' positive behaviour. Pupils treat each other respectfully and learn to consider each other's feelings. Sometimes pupils need bespoke support to manage their emotions and feelings that staff provide expertly. As a result, disruption to learning is rare.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
The curriculum is broad and balanced. The school adapts what pupils study to best suit their needs across the school. Pupils in key stages 3 and 4 study appropriate subjects to prepare them for future education, employment or training. Similarly, students in the sixth form follow bespoke pathways in preparation for aspirational next steps. The school prioritises pupils' understanding of English and mathematics. The school's work to improve pupils' reading is a continued focus. New library facilities help engage pupils in a wider variety of literature and foster a love of reading. Work to improve pupils' writing is developing.
Staff are trained to adapt learning to meet the needs of all pupils. In lessons, pupils are eager to engage with their teachers. Staff use a wide variety of strategies to help pupils maintain focus and concentration. They respond to the individual needs of pupils effectively. For example, some pupils need movement breaks to help them focus and others use music to help them concentrate. The school has thought carefully about how learning builds over time. Pupils learn new knowledge by building on what they have learned before.
From Ofsted's November 2024 inspection report: the opening paragraphs of each section, quoted word for word. Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its November 2024 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management, Sixth form.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
16 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 Fair Ways School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 2
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 1
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.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was 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 Hampshire is 9 (the median across 617 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
School Occupancy
92%
Near capacity
55 pupils
60 places
5 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Southampton
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Southampton
Across Hampshire council
Places available
15,392
Applications
13,874
Got 1st preference
90.1%
Got preferred school
97.6%
All secondary applications across Hampshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(6)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
55
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Fair Ways 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
55
Total Pupils
37
Boys
18
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Questions parents ask about Fair Ways School
What are GCSE results like at Fair Ways School?
The Department for Education's GCSE measures do not count IGCSEs, which many independent schools take instead of GCSEs, so the Attainment 8 and English and maths figures it publishes for Fair Ways School can understate its results. We do not rank or compare them; ask the school for its own GCSE and IGCSE results.
What is Fair Ways School's Ofsted rating?
Fair Ways School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in November 2024.
Does Fair Ways School meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in November 2024, Fair Ways School met all the independent school standards.
How many pupils go to Fair Ways School?
Fair Ways School has around 55 pupils on roll.
Does Fair Ways School have specialist SEN provision?
Fair Ways School is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
How do I apply to Fair Ways School?
Fair Ways School is an independent school and runs its own admissions rather than going through the local authority. Contact the school directly for entry requirements, assessment dates, fees and any bursaries.
How many road collisions happen near Fair Ways School?
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. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was 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 Hampshire is 9 (the median across 617 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Fair Ways School?
Fair Ways School is at New Road, Swanwick, Southampton, Hampshire, SO31 7HE.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)