Swiss Cottage School - Development & Research Centre, London
Swiss Cottage School - Development & Research Centre is a special school for pupils aged 4 to 19 in London. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in January 2014. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in March 2023 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2014)
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Swiss Cottage School - Development & Research Centre in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Swiss Cottage School - Development & Research Centre are Gloucester House, The Tavistock Children's Day Unit (0.7 miles, Good); Woodside School (0.7 miles, Requires improvement, selective); Royal Free Hospital Children's School (0.9 miles, Outstanding); and Harmood School (1.1 miles, Good).
Gloucester House, The Tavistock Children's Day UnitWoodside SchoolRoyal Free Hospital Children's SchoolHarmood School
Where pupils go next
Of the 17 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 88% stayed in education or training for at least two terms.
Who goes there
62.5% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 46.6% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are Black (30%), Asian (20%) and White British (14%).
Almost every pupil at Swiss Cottage School - Development & Research Centre has an education, health and care plan (264 of 264 in 2026). The most common need among them is autism.
Swiss Cottage School - Development & Research Centre provides for pupils with speech, language and communication needs, autism, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties.
Getting there
The nearest tram or metro stop is Swiss Cottage Station, about 340 metres away (roughly a 4-minute walk).
12 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Avenue Road / Swiss Cottage Library, 130 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Swiss Cottage School - Development & Research Centre issued 1 suspension, 0.4 for every 100 pupils, and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 4 years agoThis judgement is from January 2014, 12 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 January 2014 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
62.5%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
Speech and language, Autism, SLD +1
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
Latest from Swiss Cottage School - Development & Research Centre
SCS Newsletter 02/10/2026
2 Oct 2026
SCS Newsletter 25/09/2026
25 Sep 2026
SCS Newsletter 18/09/2026
18 Sep 2026
SCS Newsletter 11/09/2026
11 Sep 2026
SCS Newsletter 04/09/2026
4 Sep 2026
End of Half Term Newsletter
17 Jul 2026
From Swiss Cottage School - Development & Research Centre's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with Swiss Cottage School - Development & Research Centre
Getting There
Train Stations
Tube / Metro / Tram
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Swiss Cottage School - Development & Research Centre from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Swiss Cottage School - Development & Research Centre is in Camden; for families living there:
Apply to Camden for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 114
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 18
- Children hurt
- 9
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 114 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 18 serious and 95 slight.
9 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 5 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 3 in a vehicle or otherwise.
18 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 Camden is 130 (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
102%
Over capacity
264 pupils
260 places
4 pupils over capacity
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - London
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for London
Across Camden council
Places available
1,577
Applications
1,261
Got 1st preference
73.7%
Got preferred school
93.3%
All secondary applications across Camden council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(8)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
264
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Swiss Cottage School - Development & Research Centre provides for pupils with speech, language and communication needs, autism, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
264
Total Pupils
191
Boys
73
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
40
Teachers
6.6:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£60,428
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
14.0%
Overall absence
43.7%
Persistent absence
222
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
Swiss Cottage School - Development & Research Centre
Questions parents ask about Swiss Cottage School - Development & Research Centre
What are SATs results like at Swiss Cottage School - Development & Research Centre?
Of the pupils at Swiss Cottage School - Development & Research Centre who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 0% reached the expected standard in reading and 0% did so in maths.
What is Swiss Cottage School - Development & Research Centre's Ofsted rating?
Swiss Cottage School - Development & Research Centre's most recent Ofsted inspection, in March 2023, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in January 2014, it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for Swiss Cottage School - Development & Research Centre?
No fixed boundary. When Swiss Cottage School - Development & Research Centre is oversubscribed, Camden allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Swiss Cottage School - Development & Research Centre?
Swiss Cottage School - Development & Research Centre has around 264 pupils on roll. 63% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Swiss Cottage School - Development & Research Centre have specialist SEN provision?
Swiss Cottage School - Development & Research Centre provides for pupils with speech, language and communication needs, autism, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties.
What is attendance like at Swiss Cottage School - Development & Research Centre?
14% of sessions were missed at Swiss Cottage School - Development & Research Centre in 2024/25. 43.7% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Swiss Cottage School - Development & Research Centre?
Apply through Camden's coordinated admissions process, naming Swiss Cottage School - Development & Research Centre 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 Swiss Cottage School - Development & Research Centre?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 114 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 18 serious and 95 slight. 9 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 5 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 3 in a vehicle or otherwise. 18 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 Camden is 130 (the median across 102 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Swiss Cottage School - Development & Research Centre?
Swiss Cottage School - Development & Research Centre is at 80 Avenue Road, London, NW8 6HX.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)