Farney Close School, Haywards Heath
Farney Close School is a special school for pupils aged 9 to 18 in Haywards Heath. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in June 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2025)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Farney Close School in detail
Farney Close School in its own words
In its own words: "Farney Close is a specialist school in West Sussex dedicated to providing a well-balanced academic, social, and emotional education that prepares children for a fulfilling adulthood. An Expert, Integrated Team Every child at our school benefits from a highly coordinated team of specialists."
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include Duke of Edinburgh, philosophy and forest school.
Vision and values (school website)Clubs (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Farney Close School are LVS Hassocks (2.4 miles); Hambrook School (3.2 miles, selective); Brantridge School (3.5 miles, Good); and Woodlands Meed (3.6 miles, Good).
What parents say
23 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Farney Close School (as of September 2025): 83% would recommend the school, 83% say their child is happy there and 89% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that the school has high expectations for their child (91%); the weakest, that the school supports their child's wider development (78%).
Who goes there
Almost every pupil at Farney Close School has an education, health and care plan (85 of 85 in 2026).
Farney Close School 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 Wivelsfield Rail Station, about 3.5 miles away in a straight line.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 7 crimes within a mile of the school, most often public order offences, anti-social behaviour and criminal damage and arson. That is well below the typical figure around schools in West Sussex (103).
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 · 1 year 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
Source: Ofsted, non-association independent schools inspections and outcomes (Open Government Licence)
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's June 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Farney Close School transforms pupils' educational experiences, helping those with disrupted backgrounds to rediscover a love of learning. Staff combine academic teaching with expert pastoral care and therapy to meet each child's individual needs. Pupils leave with high attendance, strong qualifications and the confidence to progress successfully to further education, training or employment.
Key Strengths
- Exceptional behaviour and attitudes - pupils are polite, respectful and highly engaged in learning
- Highly ambitious and bespoke curriculum tailored to each pupil's individual needs and EHC plan
- Expert teaching in reading and phonics, with pupils making rapid progress in literacy
- Comprehensive support for social, emotional and mental health with highly consistent routines
- Strong careers programme with extensive work experience and workplace visits
Areas for Improvement
- EHC plan outcomes are not always broken down into precise enough short-term targets, meaning some pupils do not progress as well as they could towards these specific goals
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with strong safeguarding culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Trips including visit to Houses of Parliament, work experience placements, workplace visits, careers guidance, clubs, vocational learning opportunities
Farney Close School is an independent residential special school that provides a life-changing education for pupils aged 9-18 with social, emotional and mental health needs. The school is rated Good overall, with Outstanding ratings for behaviour, personal development, and leadership.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
Approved
Section 41
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
23 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 4 nearby schools
Latest from Farney Close School
Parents & Carers Summer Newsletter
6 Jul 2026
IQM Centre of Excellence
18 Jun 2026
IQM Inclusive School Award
15 Jun 2026
Bumblebee Conservation Award
16 Apr 2026
KS2 Play Equipment
8 Apr 2026
Newsletter - Spring 2026
18 Mar 2026
From Farney Close School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Keep up with Farney Close School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 9
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 9 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 8 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
1 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 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
85%
Available places
85 pupils
100 places
15 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Haywards Heath
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Haywards Heath
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(10)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
85
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Farney Close School 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: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
No need-level breakdown available
Pupil Demographics
Key Indicators
85
Total Pupils
66
Boys
19
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Farney Close School
Questions parents ask about Farney Close School
What are GCSE results like at Farney Close 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 Farney Close School can understate its results. We do not rank or compare them; ask the school for its own GCSE and IGCSE results.
What is Farney Close School's Ofsted rating?
Farney Close School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in June 2025.
Does Farney Close School meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in June 2025, Farney Close School met all the independent school standards.
How many pupils go to Farney Close School?
Farney Close School has around 85 pupils on roll.
Does Farney Close School have specialist SEN provision?
Farney Close School 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 Farney Close School?
Farney Close 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 Farney Close School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 9 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 8 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 1 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 Farney Close School?
Farney Close School is at Bolney Court, Bolney, Haywards Heath, West Sussex, RH17 5RD.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)