Farney Close School, Haywards Heath

Special
Other independent special school
Mixed
Ages 918
Boarding school

Data last updated 11 Sept 2026

Location

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Mrs Sara Hack
Pupils:85 / 100 capacity
LA:West Sussex
Phone:01444881811
Address:Bolney Court, Bolney, Haywards Heath, RH17 5RD
Admissions:Not applicable
Status:open
Opened:17 March 1958

Ofsted Rating

Ofsted · 1 year ago
-

Overall

Inspected 17 June 2025View full report
URN:126139
UKPRN:10015740
Diocese:Not applicable
Constituency:Mid Sussex
Urban/Rural:Smaller rural: Nearer to a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

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

No

Special Measures

What Parents Think

23 responses
Would recommend83%
Child is happy83%
Well taught87%
Good progress91%
Feels safe83%
Well behaved87%
Bullying dealt with35%
Kept informed87%
Handles concerns52%
Wider development78%

Source: Ofsted Parent View - % who strongly agree or agree

Class Sizes

0.0

Avg class size

0

Total classes

2024/25 academic year

Getting There

Bus Stops

Roughgrass Wood (W-bound)
760m · 12 min walk
Bankside (S-bound)
885m · 14 min walk
Ryecroft Road (opp)
919m · 15 min walk
Paynesfield (adj)
972m · 16 min walk
War Memorial (opp)
1.1km · 17 min walk
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Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

85%

Available places

85 pupils

100 capacity

15 spare places available

Area Demand Pressure - Haywards Heath

High pressure
New homes approved:1,594
Projected new pupils:287

Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Haywards Heath

Admissions Demand - West Sussex

Low demand0.92x oversubscription

Places available

9,742

Applications

8,914

Got 1st preference

87.8%

Got preferred school

97.4%

Secondary admissions across West Sussex (2025/26)

Inspection History(10)

17 June 2025
7 July 2023
4 October 2022

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SEN Provision

How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.

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Pupil Demographics

The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.

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