The Loddon School, Hook
The Loddon School is a special school for pupils aged 8 to 19 in Hook. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in April 2025.
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2025)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
The Loddon School in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to The Loddon School are Chiltern Way Academy Austen (2.5 miles, Requires improvement); Dove House Academy (3.1 miles, Outstanding); Maple Ridge School (3.2 miles, Good); and Inclusion Hampshire (3.5 miles, Requires improvement).
Chiltern Way Academy AustenDove House AcademyMaple Ridge SchoolInclusion Hampshire
Who goes there
Almost every pupil at The Loddon School has an education, health and care plan (28 of 28 in 2026).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Bramley (Hants) Rail Station, about 2.3 miles away in a straight line.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 19 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and other theft. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Hampshire (72).
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 · 2 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Sixth Form
Safeguarding: effective
Independent school standards
Met all the independent school standards.
- 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 managementMet
Ofsted also found the school was not keeping to the terms of its registration (for example its age range or pupil numbers).
Source: Ofsted, non-association independent schools inspections and outcomes (Open Government Licence)
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's April 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
The Loddon School excels at creating a warm, trusting environment where pupils feel safe and happy. Staff skilfully use everyday moments - from feeding animals to cooking - as learning opportunities, helping pupils make striking progress even if they struggled in previous schools. The school is exceptionally ambitious for every pupil's future, teaching independence and real-world skills through community activities, work experience and off-site residentials.
Key Strengths
- Exemplary behaviour and attitudes from pupils, with many making rapid improvements in motivation and resilience
- Highly ambitious, personalised curriculum that adapts to each pupil's needs with clear progression pathways
- Exceptional well-being support using therapeutic approaches to pre-empt and de-escalate issues effectively
- Strong staff training and understanding of pupils' special educational needs and communication difficulties
- Outstanding preparation for adulthood with real community experiences, work placements and independent living skills
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with regular staff and trustee training and robust policies implemented consistently.
Extracurricular Activities
Forest area activities, shop and cafe practice, community events, family picnics, community volunteering, short off-site residentials, supported work experience, swimming pool, outdoor fitness equipment
The Loddon School is an independent special school for pupils aged 8-19 with severe communication difficulties, rated Outstanding across all areas. The school places positive relationships at its heart and helps pupils flourish through a carefully tailored curriculum and therapeutic approaches.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with The Loddon School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 3
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 1
- 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: 1 fatal, 1 serious and 1 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people 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 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
School Occupancy
93%
Near capacity
28 pupils
30 places
2 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Hook
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Hook
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(8)
Independent School standard inspection
Met all the independent school standards.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
28
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
The Loddon 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
28
Total Pupils
24
Boys
4
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Questions parents ask about The Loddon School
What is The Loddon School's Ofsted rating?
The Loddon School was rated Outstanding at its most recent Ofsted inspection in April 2025.
Does The Loddon School meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in April 2025, The Loddon School met all the independent school standards.
How many pupils go to The Loddon School?
The Loddon School has around 28 pupils on roll.
Does The Loddon School have specialist SEN provision?
The Loddon School is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
How do I apply to The Loddon School?
The Loddon 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 Loddon School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 1 serious and 1 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people 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 Hampshire is 9 (the median across 617 schools, same distance and years).
Where is The Loddon School?
The Loddon School is at Wildmoor Lane, Sherfield-on-Loddon, Hook, Hampshire, RG27 0JD.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)