The Greater Horseshoe School, Heathfield
The Greater Horseshoe School is a special school for pupils aged 8 to 18 in Heathfield.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
The Greater Horseshoe School in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to The Greater Horseshoe School are Phoenix Bay School (2.2 miles, Good); Fieldstone School (3.4 miles); Glendinning Academy (4.4 miles, Good); and Beyond Creative Education (6.3 miles).
Phoenix Bay SchoolFieldstone SchoolGlendinning AcademyBeyond Creative Education
Who goes there
Almost every pupil at The Greater Horseshoe School has an education, health and care plan (57 of 57 in 2026).
Getting there
There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of The Greater Horseshoe School.
2 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Heather Estate (se-bound), 340 metres away.
Sources: DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport)
Key Information
DfE GIASISI Inspection Reports
Independent schools in England are inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI), not Ofsted. Ofsted last inspected this school in 8 January 2025, before the latest ISI inspection.
Routine Inspection
24 March 2026
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's January 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
The Greater Horseshoe School excels at creating a safe, supportive learning environment with outstanding staffing ratios that allow for personalised one-to-one or small group teaching. The school has recently invested in excellent facilities and maintains a collaborative safeguarding culture where staff and external partners work together closely. Leaders are ambitious and skilled at preparing pupils for their next steps while maintaining the high-quality curriculum tailored to each pupil's individual needs.
Key Strengths
- Safeguarding culture is collaborative, open and well-embedded with robust procedures and regular staff training
- High staff-to-pupil ratios (often one-to-one or small groups) tailored to individual pupil needs with strong staff-pupil relationships
- Recent refurbishment of the Musers site provides excellent facilities including new classrooms, music and performance rooms, medical facilities, and appropriate spaces for learning
- Experienced governing body and skilled leadership that recruits staff with appropriate expertise to meet pupil needs
- Thorough risk assessment processes regularly reviewed and updated across all three school sites
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with comprehensive, up-to-date policies complying with current government guidance, secure procedures rigorously followed by staff, and strong collaborative working with external partners and agencies.
Extracurricular Activities
Music and performance rooms available at Musers site
The Greater Horseshoe School is a specialist independent school for pupils aged 8-18 with special educational needs and disabilities, including autism and social-emotional-mental health needs. The inspection found the school is likely to meet all relevant independent school standards following its proposed expansion from 55 to 61 pupils.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 3 nearby schools
Latest from The Greater Horseshoe School
GHS Summer 2 Newsletter Issue 48
21 Jul 2026
GHS Newsletter Summer 1 Issue 47
22 May 2026
GHS Newsletter Spring 2 Issue 46
2 Apr 2026
GHS Newsletter Spring 1 2026 Issue 45
23 Feb 2026
GHS Newsletter Autumn 2 2025 Issue 44
18 Dec 2025
GHS Newsletter May 2025: Issue 41
11 Nov 2025
From The Greater Horseshoe School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Keep up with The Greater Horseshoe School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
No injury road collisions were reported to the police within 500 m of the school's mapped location in 2021 to 2025.
The typical figure for schools in Devon is 3 (the median across 426 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
93%
Near capacity
57 pupils
61 places
4 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Heathfield
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Heathfield
Across Devon council
Places available
7,788
Applications
7,251
Got 1st preference
93.3%
Got preferred school
98.4%
All secondary applications across Devon council (2026/27), not just this school.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
57
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
The Greater Horseshoe 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
57
Total Pupils
37
Boys
20
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
The Greater Horseshoe School
Questions parents ask about The Greater Horseshoe School
What are GCSE results like at The Greater Horseshoe School?
The Department for Education's GCSE measures do not count IGCSEs, which many independent schools take instead of GCSEs, so the Attainment 8 and English and maths figures it publishes for The Greater Horseshoe School can understate its results. We do not rank or compare them; ask the school for its own GCSE and IGCSE results.
When was The Greater Horseshoe School last inspected?
The Greater Horseshoe School is inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) rather than Ofsted. Its most recent ISI inspection was a routine inspection in March 2026.
How many pupils go to The Greater Horseshoe School?
The Greater Horseshoe School has around 57 pupils on roll.
Does The Greater Horseshoe School have specialist SEN provision?
The Greater Horseshoe School is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
How do I apply to The Greater Horseshoe School?
The Greater Horseshoe 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 Greater Horseshoe School?
No injury road collisions were reported to the police within 500 m of the school's mapped location in 2021 to 2025. The typical figure for schools in Devon is 3 (the median across 426 schools, same distance and years).
Where is The Greater Horseshoe School?
The Greater Horseshoe School is at Little Bovey Lane, Heathfield, Heathfield, Devon, TQ12 6RH.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)