St Joseph's Specialist Trust, Cranleigh
St Joseph's Specialist Trust is a special school for pupils aged 5 to 19 in Cranleigh. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in June 2013. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in February 2023 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2013)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
St Joseph's Specialist Trust in detail
St Joseph's Specialist Trust in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "I hope you can see from the information provided, the successes and achievements of our students, and our pride in St Joseph’s Specialist Trust. St Joseph’s is a really special place, almost everyone who has ever visited, tells us so! St Joseph’s is a Christian community where the values and traditions of the Catholic Church are made accessible to all."
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include swimming and cooking.
Headteacher's welcome (school website)Clubs (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to St Joseph's Specialist Trust are Bramley Grange Academy (2.8 miles); Jigsaw CABAS School (3.3 miles, Outstanding); Elysian, Shamley Green (3.3 miles, selective); and Leith Hill School (3.8 miles).
Bramley Grange AcademyJigsaw CABAS SchoolElysian, Shamley GreenLeith Hill School
Where pupils go next
Of the 7 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 100% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 29% to a further education college.
Who goes there
37.2% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 15.1% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
Almost every pupil at St Joseph's Specialist Trust has an education, health and care plan (86 of 86 in 2026). The most common need among them is autism.
St Joseph's Specialist Trust provides for pupils with speech, language and communication needs, autism, moderate learning difficulties and severe learning difficulties.
Getting there
There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of St Joseph's Specialist Trust.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood St Joseph's Specialist Trust 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 7 crimes within a mile of the school, most often anti-social behaviour, burglary and criminal damage and arson. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Surrey (76).
Suspensions and exclusions
St Joseph's Specialist Trust recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
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 · 4 years agoThis judgement is from June 2013, 13 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Outstanding.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Outstanding at its June 2013 inspection - up from Good.
Rated Outstanding for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
37.2%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
Speech and language, Autism, MLD +1
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with St Joseph's Specialist Trust
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St Joseph's Specialist Trust from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St Joseph's Specialist Trust is in Surrey; for families living there:
- Surrey's school travel policy: Travel Assistance Policy for under 16s
- How to apply: Apply online for under 16 travel help
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 3
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 3 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
2 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 Surrey is 13 (the median across 521 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
112%
Over capacity
86 pupils
77 places
9 pupils over capacity
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Cranleigh
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Cranleigh
Across Surrey council
Places available
12,569
Applications
11,986
Got 1st preference
81.3%
Got preferred school
96.2%
All secondary applications across Surrey council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(6)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
86
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
St Joseph's Specialist Trust provides for pupils with speech, language and communication needs, autism, moderate learning difficulties and severe learning difficulties.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
86
Total Pupils
60
Boys
26
Girls
2026 academic year
Pupil Absence2024/25
9.8%
Overall absence
24.1%
Persistent absence
54
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 St Joseph's Specialist Trust
What are GCSE results like at St Joseph's Specialist Trust?
In the 2024 results, pupils at St Joseph's Specialist Trust achieved an Attainment 8 score of 0.9. 0% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is St Joseph's Specialist Trust's Ofsted rating?
St Joseph's Specialist Trust's most recent Ofsted inspection, in February 2023, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in June 2013, it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for St Joseph's Specialist Trust?
No fixed boundary. When St Joseph's Specialist Trust is oversubscribed, Surrey allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to St Joseph's Specialist Trust?
St Joseph's Specialist Trust has around 86 pupils on roll. 37% are eligible for free school meals.
Does St Joseph's Specialist Trust have specialist SEN provision?
St Joseph's Specialist Trust provides for pupils with speech, language and communication needs, autism, moderate learning difficulties and severe learning difficulties.
What is attendance like at St Joseph's Specialist Trust?
9.8% of sessions were missed at St Joseph's Specialist Trust in 2024/25. 24.1% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Joseph's Specialist Trust?
Apply through Surrey's coordinated admissions process, naming St Joseph's Specialist Trust 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 St Joseph's Specialist Trust?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 3 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 2 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 Surrey is 13 (the median across 521 schools, same distance and years).
Where is St Joseph's Specialist Trust?
St Joseph's Specialist Trust is at Amlets Lane, Cranleigh, Surrey, GU6 7DH.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)