Shepherds Down Special School, Winchester
Shepherds Down Special School is a special school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Winchester. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in March 2017. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in February 2023 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Good (2017)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Shepherds Down Special School in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Shepherds Down Special School are Lakeside School (2 miles, Outstanding); Osborne School (3.8 miles, Outstanding); and Brook School (3.9 miles).
Who goes there
30.8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 12.1% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (70%), Asian (11%) and Mixed (8%).
Almost every pupil at Shepherds Down Special School has an education, health and care plan (198 of 198 in 2026). The most common need among them is a severe learning difficulty.
Shepherds Down Special School provides for pupils with speech, language and communication needs, autism and moderate learning difficulties.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Shawford Rail Station, about 930 metres away (roughly a 12-minute walk).
3 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Highways Road (adjacent), 260 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Shepherds Down Special School stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 8 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, public order offences and burglary. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Hampshire (72).
Suspensions and exclusions
Shepherds Down Special School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Sources: 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 · 4 years agoThis judgement is from March 2017, 9 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its March 2017 inspection - down from Outstanding.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
30.8%
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 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Social & online
Keep up with Shepherds Down Special School
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Shepherds Down Special School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Shepherds Down Special School is in Hampshire; for families living there:
Apply to Hampshire for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 13
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 13 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 11 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt.
3 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 Hampshire is 9 (the median across 617 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
Area Demand Pressure - Winchester
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Winchester
Across Hampshire council
Places available
15,392
Applications
13,874
Got 1st preference
90.1%
Got preferred school
97.6%
All secondary applications across Hampshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(6)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
198
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Shepherds Down 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
198
Total Pupils
143
Boys
55
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
32
Teachers
6.2:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£53,329
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
8.3%
Overall absence
26.0%
Persistent absence
169
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about Shepherds Down Special School
What are SATs results like at Shepherds Down Special School?
Of the pupils at Shepherds Down Special School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 0% reached the expected standard in reading and 0% did so in maths.
What is Shepherds Down Special School's Ofsted rating?
Shepherds Down Special School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in February 2023, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in March 2017, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Shepherds Down Special School?
No fixed boundary. When Shepherds Down Special School is oversubscribed, Hampshire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Shepherds Down Special School?
Shepherds Down Special School has around 198 pupils on roll. 31% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Shepherds Down Special School have specialist SEN provision?
Shepherds Down Special School provides for pupils with speech, language and communication needs, autism and moderate learning difficulties.
What is attendance like at Shepherds Down Special School?
8.3% of sessions were missed at Shepherds Down Special School in 2024/25. 26% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Shepherds Down Special School?
Apply through Hampshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Shepherds Down 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 Shepherds Down Special School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 13 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 11 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt. 3 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 Hampshire is 9 (the median across 617 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Shepherds Down Special School?
Shepherds Down Special School is at Shepherds Lane, Compton, Winchester, Hampshire, SO21 2AJ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)