Longcause Community Special School, Plymouth
Longcause Community Special School is a special school for pupils aged 4 to 16 in Plymouth. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in January 2015. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in October 2023 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Good (2015)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Longcause Community Special School in detail
Longcause Community Special School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "Our school motto embraces our passion for giving pupils learning experiences that really are for life - life now and life beyond school. Our Vision At Longcause School, we aim to be leading ambassadors and educators for children with Autism in the South West."
Headteacher's welcome (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Longcause Community Special School are Cann Bridge School (3.1 miles, Good); Courtlands School (3.8 miles, Inadequate); and Woodlands School (4.9 miles, Good).
Where pupils go next
Of the 18 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 94% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 67% to a further education college.
Who goes there
47.5% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 9.3% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
Almost every pupil at Longcause Community Special School has an education, health and care plan (118 of 118 in 2026). The most common need among them is autism.
Longcause Community Special School provides for pupils with speech, language and communication needs, autism and moderate learning difficulties.
Getting there
There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of Longcause Community Special School.
12 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Longcause (e-bound), 70 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 77 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and public order offences. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Plymouth (196).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Longcause Community Special School issued 10 suspensions, 9 for every 100 pupils, and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: DfE destination measures; 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 · 3 years agoThis judgement is from January 2015, 11 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good and may be improving; its next inspection will be a full graded one.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its January 2015 inspection - up from Requires Improvement.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
47.5%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
Speech and language, Autism, MLD
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2025/26KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Latest from Longcause Community Special School
Newsletter Week 3
2 Oct 2026
Newsletter Week 4
2 Oct 2026
Newsletter Week 2
18 Sep 2026
Week 1 Newsletter
11 Sep 2026
Newsletter Term 5
18 Jul 2025
Term 4 Newsletter
5 Jun 2025
From Longcause Community Special School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with Longcause Community Special School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Longcause Community Special School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Longcause Community Special School is in Plymouth; for families living there:
Apply to Plymouth for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 4
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 1
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, 0 serious and 4 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was 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 Plymouth is 22 (the median across 107 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
101%
Over capacity
118 pupils
117 places
1 pupil over capacity
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Plymouth
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Plymouth
Across Plymouth council
Places available
3,165
Applications
2,761
Got 1st preference
91.7%
Got preferred school
98.9%
All secondary applications across Plymouth council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(9)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
118
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Longcause Community Special School provides for pupils with speech, language and communication needs, autism and moderate learning difficulties.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
118
Total Pupils
103
Boys
15
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
30
Teachers
3.9:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£53,273
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
8.9%
Overall absence
16.2%
Persistent absence
111
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
Questions parents ask about Longcause Community Special School
What are GCSE results like at Longcause Community Special School?
In the 2026 results, pupils at Longcause Community Special School achieved an Attainment 8 score of 0.8. 0% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is Longcause Community Special School's Ofsted rating?
Longcause Community Special School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in October 2023, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in January 2015, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Longcause Community Special School?
No fixed boundary. When Longcause Community Special School is oversubscribed, Plymouth allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Longcause Community Special School?
Longcause Community Special School has around 118 pupils on roll. 48% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Longcause Community Special School have specialist SEN provision?
Longcause Community Special School provides for pupils with speech, language and communication needs, autism and moderate learning difficulties.
What is attendance like at Longcause Community Special School?
8.9% of sessions were missed at Longcause Community Special School in 2024/25. 16.2% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Longcause Community Special School?
Apply through Plymouth's coordinated admissions process, naming Longcause Community Special 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 Longcause Community Special 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, 0 serious and 4 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was 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 Plymouth is 22 (the median across 107 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Longcause Community Special School?
Longcause Community Special School is at Longcause, Plympton St Maurice, Plymouth, Devon, PL7 1JB.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)