Lansdowne School, London
Lansdowne School is a special school for pupils aged 11 to 18 in London. Its most recent Ofsted inspection, in February 2026, ended in a report card: 3 strong standard and 4 expected standard. Before that it was rated Good at its last graded inspection, in November 2016.
- Ofsted report card
- 3 of 7 areas strong or better
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Lansdowne School in detail
What Ofsted's report card says
Ofsted's report card from its 10 February 2026 inspection grades Lansdowne School on 7 areas: 3 strong standard and 4 expected standard. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.
Attendance and behaviour - Strong standard. "Attendance is very well managed."
Personal development and wellbeing - Strong standard. "Leaders have designed a rich and extensive personal development programme that gives pupils the knowledge and skills that they need as they grow up."
Post 16 provision - Strong standard. "Leaders have designed a highly effective post‑16 study programme."
Achievement - Expected standard. "Pupils make progress from their varied starting points as they move through the school."
Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "Leaders have designed a broad curriculum that helps pupils to build knowledge, confidence and independence."
Inclusion - Expected standard. "The school welcomes every pupil and makes sure that they feel known and valued."
Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Leaders know the school well."
Safeguarding standards were met.
Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should embed the work started on curriculum and teaching to ensure full consistency in staff's expertise in using the most effective strategies that help pupils overcome their barriers to learning"; "Leaders should ensure that, across all subjects, learning activities consistently provide the opportunities and challenge necessary to enable pupils to access the curriculum fully and make secure progress".
Read the full report card on Ofsted's site (school website)
Source: Ofsted report card (Open Government Licence), quoted
Lansdowne School in its own words
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football, tennis, yoga and choir.
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Lansdowne School are JUS Education (0.6 miles, Good); Heron Academy (0.9 miles); Highshore School (1.1 miles, Good); and PhoenixPlace (1.2 miles, Good).
What parents say
20 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Lansdowne School (as of April 2026): 65% would recommend the school, 75% say their child is happy there and 17% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child is happy at the school (75%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (17%).
Where pupils go next
Of the 26 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 96% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 4% to a further education college.
Who goes there
76.1% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 27% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are Black (56%), White British (16%) and Mixed (9%).
Almost every pupil at Lansdowne School has an education, health and care plan (163 of 163 in 2026). The most common need among them is autism.
Lansdowne School has a SEN unit for visual impairment, other difficulties or disabilities, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, social, emotional and mental health needs, physical disability and moderate learning difficulties: 170 places, 174 pupils on roll.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Brixton Rail Station, about 540 metres away (roughly a 7-minute walk).
11 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Stockwell Green (->w), 120 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Lansdowne School issued 20 suspensions, 11.8 for every 100 pupils, and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: Ofsted Parent View; DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 8 months agoReport card - no single overall grade (Ofsted's framework since November 2025)
Safeguarding standards met
- Attendance and behaviourStrong standard
- Personal development and wellbeingStrong standard
- Post 16 provisionStrong standard
- AchievementExpected standard
- Curriculum and teachingExpected standard
- InclusionExpected standard
- Leadership and governanceExpected standard
Safeguarding standards: met
Ofsted's report card, in its own words
What it's like to be a pupil at Lansdowne School
Pupils happily arrive to a calm and welcoming school. They feel safe because routines are clear and staff know them well. Adults model respectful behaviour, and pupils follow their example. When pupils feel worried or upset, staff use effective strategies to help them recognise their feelings. Staff then support pupils to manage these feelings with growing independence. Pupils feel that they belong. They make friends, look after each other and enjoy being part of a warm and inclusive community. Bullying is very rare, and pupils trust adults to help them deal with issues quickly. Attendance is positive and reflects how much pupils want to be at school each day. Pupils enjoy learning, including the practical lessons that help them to remember new ideas. Pupils take part confidently in most lessons because teachers meet their needs well. Pupils achieve well overall. Their work in lessons and in books, as well as the qualifications they obtain, demonstrate their progress through the curriculum. This includes in their language development, reading, writing and mathematics. The school environment is well designed to support pupils' needs and development. For example, pupils choose outdoor activities that meet their sensory needs, such as bikes, trikes, music areas and quiet spaces. These activities also help them to build strength, balance and coordination. Pupils learn how to stay safe online and in the community. They practise real‑life skills through road‑safety sessions, shopping, work experience and outdoor learning. These experiences help to build their independence. Pupils also benefit from a range of therapeutic support, including working with speech and language professionals and professionals from occupational health and the education psychology service. Therapeutic provision in art, music and drama further enhances the support that pupils receive. Students in the post-16 provision continue to grow in confidence through, for example, independent travel training, money management lessons and work placements that match their interests and varied starting points. Pupils receive clear careers guidance and meet people from different workplaces. As a result, pupils are increasingly prepared for the next stage in their lives.
What Ofsted says the school should do next
- Leaders should embed the work started on curriculum and teaching to ensure full consistency in staff's expertise in using the most effective strategies that help pupils overcome their barriers to learning.
- Leaders should ensure that, across all subjects, learning activities consistently provide the opportunities and challenge necessary to enable pupils to access the curriculum fully and make secure progress.
From Ofsted's report card (inspection 10 February 2026). Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's February 2026 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Lansdowne School excels at making every pupil feel known, valued and safe. The school provides extensive personal development opportunities including community visits, work experience, and therapy services tailored to individual needs. Leaders are highly responsive, bringing in expert support and adapting resources quickly when pupils with more complex needs join the school.
Key Strengths
- Excellent attendance management with leaders working closely with families to reduce barriers to school
- Calm, orderly school environment where pupils display highly positive behaviour and attitudes to learning
- Comprehensive personal development programme covering relationships, safety, health and life skills
- Highly effective post-16 provision with strong emphasis on independence, work experience and preparation for adulthood
- Leaders respond quickly to changing pupil needs with expert support and adapted resources
Areas for Improvement
- Some unevenness in achievement across subjects with teaching activities occasionally too simple or focusing on already-secure knowledge
- Not all positive teaching features fully embedded in practice - some teachers inconsistently identify next steps for deeper learning
- Language development focus not as well developed as leaders intend in some instances
- Pockets of inconsistency in pupil support across the school despite overall high-quality provision
Safeguarding
Safeguarding standards are met - the school has established an open culture where safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and pupils are made safer and feel safe.
Extracurricular Activities
Cooking, gardening, art, music therapy, drama therapy, community projects, school council roles, visits to post office, bank, shops, museums, theatres, places of worship, workplace visits, work experience placements, travel training
Lansdowne School is a special educational needs school that provides a welcoming, inclusive environment where pupils feel safe and valued. Leaders have designed rich personal development programmes and a broad curriculum tailored to pupils' individual needs.
About
Lansdowne School is a special needs secondary school in Argyll Close, Stockwell, south London.
From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
At a Glance
76.1%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
SEN unit: Vision, Other, Hearing +5
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
20 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at April 2026 - % who strongly agree or agree
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with Lansdowne School
Getting There
Train Stations
Tube / Metro / Tram
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Lansdowne School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Lansdowne School is in Lambeth; for families living there:
- Lambeth's school travel policy: Home to school transport policy
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 211
- Fatal
- 2
- Serious
- 34
- Children hurt
- 14
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 211 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 2 fatal, 34 serious and 175 slight.
14 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 10 on foot and 4 in a vehicle or otherwise.
31 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 Lambeth is 142.5 (the median across 102 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
96%
Near capacity
163 pupils
170 places
7 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - London
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for London
Across Lambeth council
Places available
2,111
Applications
2,198
Got 1st preference
61.4%
Got preferred school
91.2%
All secondary applications across Lambeth council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(11)
Ungraded inspection: The school remains Good.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
163
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Lansdowne School has a SEN unit for visual impairment, other difficulties or disabilities, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, social, emotional and mental health needs, physical disability and moderate learning difficulties: 170 places, 174 pupils on roll.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
163
Total Pupils
129
Boys
34
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
28
Teachers
5.8:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£65,625
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
9.8%
Overall absence
29.9%
Persistent absence
117
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
Lansdowne School
Showing 10 of 15 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Lansdowne School
What are GCSE results like at Lansdowne School?
In the 2026 results, pupils at Lansdowne School achieved an Attainment 8 score of 0.7. 0% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is Lansdowne School's Ofsted rating?
Lansdowne School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in February 2026, produced a report card, which grades each area but gives no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in November 2016, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Lansdowne School?
No fixed boundary. When Lansdowne School is oversubscribed, Lambeth allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Lansdowne School?
Lansdowne School has around 163 pupils on roll. 76% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Lansdowne School have specialist SEN provision?
Lansdowne School has a SEN unit for visual impairment, other difficulties or disabilities, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, social, emotional and mental health needs, physical disability and moderate learning difficulties: 170 places, 174 pupils on roll.
What is attendance like at Lansdowne School?
9.8% of sessions were missed at Lansdowne School in 2024/25. 29.9% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Lansdowne School?
Apply through Lambeth's coordinated admissions process, naming Lansdowne 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 Lansdowne School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 211 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 2 fatal, 34 serious and 175 slight. 14 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 10 on foot and 4 in a vehicle or otherwise. 31 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 Lambeth is 142.5 (the median across 102 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Lansdowne School?
Lansdowne School is at 49 Combermere Road, London, SW9 9QD.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)