Richmond Hill School, Luton
Richmond Hill School is a special school for pupils aged 5 to 11 in Luton. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in November 2019. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in March 2025 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Good (2019)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Richmond Hill School in detail
Richmond Hill School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "On behalf of our entire school community, I warmly welcome you to Richmond Hill School. My name is Hannah Cameron, and I have the privilege of serving as the Headteacher of this remarkable school."
Headteacher's welcome (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Richmond Hill School are Lime Academy Hartwell (0.5 miles); Lady Zia Wernher School (0.8 miles, Outstanding); Active Support Education Centre (0.9 miles, Good); and Woodlands Secondary School (2.4 miles, Outstanding).
Lime Academy HartwellLady Zia Wernher SchoolActive Support Education CentreWoodlands Secondary School
What parents say
17 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Richmond Hill School (as of September 2025): 71% would recommend the school, 88% say their child is happy there and 33% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that pupils behave well (88%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (33%).
Who goes there
37.6% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 25.9% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are Asian (45%), Mixed (24%) and White British (10%).
Almost every pupil at Richmond Hill School has an education, health and care plan (282 of 282 in 2026). The most common need among them is a severe learning difficulty.
Richmond Hill School provides for pupils with visual impairment, other difficulties or disabilities, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, social, emotional and mental health needs, multi-sensory impairment and severe learning difficulties.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Luton Rail Station, about 920 metres away (roughly a 12-minute walk).
9 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Sunridge Avenue (adjacent), 190 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 765 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Luton (296), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Richmond Hill School issued 5 suspensions, 1.8 for every 100 pupils, and no permanent exclusions.
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 November 2019, 6 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Latest (ungraded) inspection: Standards have been maintained.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's March 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Richmond Hill School is a settled and happy place where every child is valued as an individual. Staff use creative approaches to help pupils communicate, including symbols and signing, and families benefit from being able to better understand what their children want to say. The school has high expectations for learning and teaches pupils important life skills alongside their academics, while giving them choices and a real voice in school decisions.
Key Strengths
- Strong focus on developing pupils' communication skills using symbols, signing and objects, with families seeing real benefits at home
- High ambitions for pupils academically, with well-taught reading lessons for those ready to learn
- Personalised learning tailored to individual needs, meaning pupils work on appropriate skills even within the same topic
- Excellent behaviour management and calm, purposeful classrooms through forensic use of data and monitoring systems
- Strong emphasis on life skills such as using buses and ordering food, with good preparation for transition to next stage of education
Areas for Improvement
- Some pupils not given enough time to think through new learning before staff step in to help, which can limit their independence and learning
- In a small number of subjects, staff knowledge of planning detailed learning steps is less developed, meaning learning sequences are not always in the best order
- High rates of persistent absenteeism, mainly due to medical absences related to pupils' needs
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with pupils feeling safe and able to name trusted adults they would go to if upset or worried.
Extracurricular Activities
school council, democratic votes on book choices
Richmond Hill School is a special school for pupils aged 5-11 with a wide range of SEND needs, where every pupil is valued as an individual and staff know them well to help them be calm and happy. The school has maintained good standards and continues to focus strongly on communication development and academic learning.
At a Glance
37.6%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
Vision, Other, Hearing +5
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
17 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 5 nearby schools
Latest from Richmond Hill School
Richmond Hill Summer Festival
18 Jun 2026
Spring 2 - Newsletter
15 Apr 2026
Summer 2 (24/25) - Whole School Newsletter
22 Jul 2025
Sports Day dates revealed!
16 May 2025
SEND Expressive Arts Sessions
6 Feb 2025
Flying Start Update
29 Jan 2025
From Richmond Hill School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Keep up with Richmond Hill School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Richmond Hill School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Richmond Hill School is in Luton; for families living there:
- Luton's school travel policy: Travel assistance policy for 0 to 25 year olds in education
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 18
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 4
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 18 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 15 slight.
4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
7 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 Luton is 28 (the median across 79 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
99%
Near capacity
282 pupils
283 places
1 spare place
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Luton
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Luton
Across Luton council
Places available
3,303
Applications
2,972
Got 1st preference
82.8%
Got preferred school
95.5%
All secondary applications across Luton council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(9)
Ungraded inspection: Standards have been maintained.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
282
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Richmond Hill School provides for pupils with visual impairment, other difficulties or disabilities, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, social, emotional and mental health needs, multi-sensory impairment and severe learning difficulties.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
282
Total Pupils
211
Boys
71
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
40
Teachers
7.0:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£51,712
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
9.4%
Overall absence
33.3%
Persistent absence
282
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Linked Schools
Schools linked by geographic proximity
Questions parents ask about Richmond Hill School
What are SATs results like at Richmond Hill School?
Of the pupils at Richmond Hill School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 0% reached the expected standard in reading and 0% did so in maths.
What is Richmond Hill School's Ofsted rating?
Richmond Hill School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in March 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in November 2019, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Richmond Hill School?
No fixed boundary. When Richmond Hill School is oversubscribed, Luton allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Richmond Hill School?
Richmond Hill School has around 282 pupils on roll. 38% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Richmond Hill School have specialist SEN provision?
Richmond Hill School provides for pupils with visual impairment, other difficulties or disabilities, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, social, emotional and mental health needs, multi-sensory impairment and severe learning difficulties.
What is attendance like at Richmond Hill School?
9.4% of sessions were missed at Richmond Hill School in 2024/25. 33.3% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Richmond Hill School?
Apply through Luton's coordinated admissions process, naming Richmond Hill 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 Richmond Hill School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 18 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 15 slight. 4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 7 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 Luton is 28 (the median across 79 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Richmond Hill School?
Richmond Hill School is at Sunridge Avenue, Luton, Bedfordshire, LU2 7JL.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)