The Amicus School, Arundel
The Amicus School is a special school for pupils aged 5 to 16 in Arundel. It was rated Requires improvement at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in September 2025.
- Ofsted
- Requires improvement (2025)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
The Amicus School in detail
The Amicus School in its own words
In its own words: "As a children’s therapeutic community, Amicus is committed to offering meaningful residential care and education to children through our therapeutic provision. The therapeutic care and education are informed by psychoanalytic and group process/ relations models and is delivered in structured and psychologically informed environments."
Vision and values (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Who goes there
In 2026, 2 pupils (6.3%) received SEN support and 30 (93.8%) had an education, health and care plan.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Barnham Rail Station, about 1.8 miles away in a straight line.
4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Fontwell Roundabout (n-bound), 210 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 25 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, other theft and vehicle crime. That is well below the typical figure around schools in West Sussex (103).
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
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 1 year agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Safeguarding: effective
Independent school standards
Did not meet the independent school standards in Part 8 (leadership and management).
- Part 1: quality of educationMet
- Part 2: pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural developmentMet
- Part 3: welfare, health and safetyMet
- Part 4: suitability of staff and proprietorsMet
- Part 5: premises and accommodationMet
- Part 6: information for parentsMet
- Part 7: handling of complaintsMet
- Part 8: leadership and managementNot met
Source: Ofsted, non-association independent schools inspections and outcomes (Open Government Licence)
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's September 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
The Amicus School excels at rebuilding children's trust and self-esteem through warm, caring relationships and a therapeutic approach. Staff are skilled at supporting pupils with complex needs, helping them achieve academically and personally - particularly in reading, where many pupils make dramatic progress. The school goes beyond academics, preparing pupils well for independent life through a tailored programme that teaches important life skills.
Key Strengths
- Strong focus on building positive relationships and emotional wellbeing, helping pupils feel secure and valued
- Effective teaching of special educational needs with skilled staff who adapt the curriculum to individual needs
- Highly effective reading programme with pupils making dramatic progress, supported by a well-established phonics curriculum
- Excellent personal development programme including PSHE that equips pupils with life skills and independence
Areas for Improvement
- Governance oversight requires strengthening - decisions about allegations against staff have not always been handled promptly or in pupils' best interests
- Safeguarding policy contains contradictions and needs thorough review
- Some teaching moves pupils on to new content before they have fully grasped prior learning
- Inconsistencies in how phonics is taught means some pupils are not always shown the most efficient way to read unfamiliar words
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, however opportunities were missed to promptly investigate a recent safeguarding concern as the proprietor did not initially follow proper procedures, briefly exposing children to potential risk.
Extracurricular Activities
School council, outdoor learning area activities
The Amicus School is an independent special school for pupils aged 5-16 with complex social, emotional and mental health needs. Overall effectiveness requires improvement due to governance and safeguarding concerns, though the quality of education and pupil behaviour are good.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 4 nearby schools
Keep up with The Amicus School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 27
- Fatal
- 2
- Serious
- 6
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 27 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 2 fatal, 6 serious and 19 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 West Sussex is 11 (the median across 337 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
89%
Available places
32 pupils
36 places
4 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Arundel
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Arundel
Across West Sussex council
Places available
9,806
Applications
8,765
Got 1st preference
87.5%
Got preferred school
97.6%
All secondary applications across West Sussex council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(9)
Independent School standard inspection
Did not meet the independent school standards in Part 8 (leadership and management).
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
2
SEN Support
30
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
The Amicus School is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
No need-level breakdown available
Pupil Demographics
Key Indicators
32
Total Pupils
20
Boys
12
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Questions parents ask about The Amicus School
What is The Amicus School's Ofsted rating?
The Amicus School was rated Requires Improvement at its most recent Ofsted inspection in September 2025.
Does The Amicus School meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in September 2025, The Amicus School did not meet the independent school standards in Part 8 (leadership and management).
How many pupils go to The Amicus School?
The Amicus School has around 32 pupils on roll.
Does The Amicus School have specialist SEN provision?
The Amicus School is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
How do I apply to The Amicus School?
The Amicus School is an independent school and runs its own admissions rather than going through the local authority. Contact the school directly for entry requirements, assessment dates, fees and any bursaries.
How many road collisions happen near The Amicus School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 27 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 2 fatal, 6 serious and 19 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 West Sussex is 11 (the median across 337 schools, same distance and years).
Where is The Amicus School?
The Amicus School is at The Coach House, Arundel Road, Arundel, West Sussex, BN18 0SX.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)