The Spires, Salisbury
The Spires is a special school for pupils aged 6 to 18 in Salisbury. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in February 2024.
- Ofsted
- Good (2024)
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
The Spires in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to The Spires are Exeter House Special School (0.6 miles, Good); and SAIL (Salisbury Academy for Inspirational Learning) (0.9 miles).
Exeter House Special SchoolSAIL (Salisbury Academy for Inspirational Learning)
Who goes there
Almost every pupil at The Spires has an education, health and care plan (34 of 34 in 2026).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Salisbury Rail Station, about 890 metres away (roughly a 11-minute walk).
29 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Arts Centre (e-bound), 130 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 305 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Wiltshire (34), as is usual near a town centre.
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 · 3 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
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
Source: Ofsted, non-association independent schools inspections and outcomes (Open Government Licence)
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its February 2024 inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Personal development.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Leadership & management.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 2 nearby schools
Keep up with The Spires
Getting There
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 55
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 12
- Children hurt
- 4
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 55 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 12 serious and 42 slight.
4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise.
11 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 Wiltshire is 4 (the median across 265 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
85%
Available places
34 pupils
40 places
6 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Salisbury
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Salisbury
Across Wiltshire council
Places available
6,150
Applications
4,934
Got 1st preference
93.9%
Got preferred school
98.3%
All secondary applications across Wiltshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(5)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
34
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
The Spires 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
34
Total Pupils
21
Boys
13
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
The Spires
Showing 10 of 14 linked schools
Questions parents ask about The Spires
What are GCSE results like at The Spires?
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 Spires can understate its results. We do not rank or compare them; ask the school for its own GCSE and IGCSE results.
What is The Spires's Ofsted rating?
The Spires was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in February 2024.
Does The Spires meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in February 2024, The Spires met all the independent school standards.
How many pupils go to The Spires?
The Spires has around 34 pupils on roll.
Does The Spires have specialist SEN provision?
The Spires is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
How do I apply to The Spires?
The Spires 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 Spires?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 55 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 12 serious and 42 slight. 4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise. 11 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 Wiltshire is 4 (the median across 265 schools, same distance and years).
Where is The Spires?
The Spires is at School Lane, Salisbury, Wiltshire, SP1 3YA.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)