Heritage House School, Chesham
Heritage House School is a special school for pupils aged 2 to 19 in Chesham. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in May 2019. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in October 2024 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Good (2019)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Heritage House School in detail
Heritage House School in its own words
In its own words: "We hope it offers a good reflection of what makes Heritage House School so exciting. We are a special school for learners aged two to nineteen. Priding ourselves on delivering excellence in a dynamic environment, Heritage House puts learners at the centre of all our aims."
Vision and values (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Heritage House School are Stony Dean School (3 miles, Outstanding); and Felden Hall School (4.6 miles).
What parents say
25 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Heritage House School (as of September 2025): 72% would recommend the school, 84% say their child is happy there and 0% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child is happy at the school (84%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (0%).
Who goes there
32.9% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 27.1% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (47%), Asian (24%) and Mixed (10%).
Almost every pupil at Heritage House School has an education, health and care plan (140 of 140 in 2026). The most common need among them is autism.
Heritage House School provides for pupils with severe learning difficulties.
Getting there
The nearest Underground station is Chesham Underground Station, about 1100 metres away (roughly a 14-minute walk).
15 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Manor Way (northbound), 90 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Heritage House 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 107 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, shoplifting and criminal damage and arson. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Buckinghamshire (44), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
Heritage House School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
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; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from May 2019, 7 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school has improved significantly.
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
Pupils flourish and achieve exceptionally well from the early years through to the sixth form. This is because adults place the individual needs of each pupil at the heart of all they do. Everyday learning activities are deliberately meaningful to the pupils.
Expectations for pupils are high. There is no ceiling on what they can achieve. Staff treat pupils respectfully and with kindness. They know each pupil extremely well. Pupils form trusting relationships with staff and have positive connections with their peers. Pupils accept each other's differences and are supportive of each other during lessons and social times. Everyone contributes to the calm and purposeful atmosphere which permeates the school. As a result, pupils are happy and safe.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
The school's work since the previous inspection has led to significant improvements in the standard of education that pupils receive. For example, to ensure the varied needs of the pupils are well met, they now follow one of three curriculum pathways. This ensures the education they receive is ambitious, precisely tailored and without any limit on achievement. Therapists, teachers and support staff collaborate as a team to co-produce individualised targets for pupils to work towards. They develop a strong understanding of each pupil's needs. The curriculum is carefully tailored to each pupil and incorporates their education, health and care plan outcomes as well as therapy targets and academic goals. This approach creates a genuinely holistic curriculum. Pupils achieve well across all curriculum areas not only because their small steps of learning are clearly mapped out and well sequenced, but because staff have the highly specialist expertise to meet their needs.
The support for pupils with sensory needs is exceptionally strong. The school effectively integrates physio, health and sensory needs into pupils' learning. The therapy team supports class teams to develop their specialist expertise and seamlessly weaves this into classroom activities, such as ensuring pupils' positional changes promote engagement in an activity.
From Ofsted's October 2024 ungraded 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 May 2019 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
32.9%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
SLD
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
25 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 3 nearby schools
Keep up with Heritage House School
Getting There
Tube / Metro / Tram
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Heritage House School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Heritage House School is in Buckinghamshire; for families living there:
- Buckinghamshire's school travel policy: Home to School Transport Policy (0 to 25 Year Olds)
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 4
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 4 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 3 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 Buckinghamshire is 4 (the median across 274 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
109%
Over capacity
140 pupils
129 places
11 pupils over capacity
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Chesham
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Chesham
Across Buckinghamshire council
Places available
6,847
Applications
6,535
Got 1st preference
76.7%
Got preferred school
93.9%
All secondary applications across Buckinghamshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(8)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
140
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Heritage House School provides for pupils with severe learning difficulties.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
140
Total Pupils
102
Boys
38
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
22
Teachers
6.4:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£50,922
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
15.0%
Overall absence
34.2%
Persistent absence
114
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Heritage House School
Questions parents ask about Heritage House School
What are SATs results like at Heritage House School?
Of the pupils at Heritage House School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 0% reached the expected standard in reading and 0% did so in maths.
What is Heritage House School's Ofsted rating?
Heritage House School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in October 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in May 2019, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Heritage House School?
No fixed boundary. When Heritage House School is oversubscribed, Buckinghamshire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Heritage House School?
Heritage House School has around 140 pupils on roll. 33% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Heritage House School have specialist SEN provision?
Heritage House School provides for pupils with severe learning difficulties.
What is attendance like at Heritage House School?
15% of sessions were missed at Heritage House School in 2024/25. 34.2% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Heritage House School?
Apply through Buckinghamshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Heritage House School 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 Heritage House School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 4 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 3 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 Buckinghamshire is 4 (the median across 274 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Heritage House School?
Heritage House School is at Cameron Road, Chesham, Buckinghamshire, HP5 3BP.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)