Yarrow Heights School, Southampton
Yarrow Heights School is a special school for pupils aged 7 to 19 in Southampton.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Yarrow Heights School in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Yarrow Heights School are Springwell School (1.4 miles, Outstanding); The Serendipity School (1.6 miles, Outstanding); New Avenue School (1.6 miles, Good, selective); and The Polygon School (2.1 miles, Good).
Springwell SchoolThe Serendipity SchoolNew Avenue SchoolThe Polygon School
Who goes there
Almost every pupil at Yarrow Heights School has an education, health and care plan (133 of 133 in 2026).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Bitterne Rail Station, about 760 metres away (roughly a 9-minute walk).
3 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Glenfield Avenue (opposite), 140 metres away.
Sources: DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport)
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 1 year agoOverall
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's September 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Yarrow Heights excels at welcoming pupils who initially hold negative views about education and helping them develop pride in their learning. Teachers are exceptionally skilled at adapting teaching to meet individual needs, and the school seamlessly weaves therapeutic, enrichment and academic support together. The school also provides outstanding support for older students transitioning to college, with detailed careers advice and emotional well-being support.
Key Strengths
- Exceptional behaviour and positive relationships between pupils and staff create a nurturing environment where pupils thrive
- Highly skilled teaching with excellent subject knowledge and personalised learning support tailored to each pupil's needs
- Broad and rich curriculum that sets pupils up well for success, with many achieving impressive qualifications
- Strong approach to personal development and transition support, particularly for sixth-form students moving into college
- Clear high expectations balanced with individualised support that builds pupil confidence and independence
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with the school creating an open and positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Hub, multi-use games area, reading for pleasure, careers guidance and advice, transition support programmes
Yarrow Heights School is an independent special school where all pupils have SEND and education, health and care plans. The school has been rated Outstanding in all areas and prepares pupils exceptionally well for their next steps through high-quality care, ambitious teaching, and inclusive practice.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Latest from Yarrow Heights School
Year 10 Computer Science Visit Bletchley Park
7 Jul 2026
Visit to Winchester Science Centre
7 Jul 2026
Year 10 Animal Care Visit to the City Farm
7 Jul 2026
Sports Day Success!
7 Jul 2026
Primary STEM Adventure
7 Jul 2026
Congratulations to Our GCSE Pupils!
7 Jul 2026
From Yarrow Heights School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with Yarrow Heights School
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 27
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 6
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 27 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 6 serious and 21 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
3 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 Southampton is 33 (the median across 87 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
92%
Near capacity
133 pupils
145 places
12 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Southampton
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Southampton
Across Southampton council
Places available
2,620
Applications
2,668
Got 1st preference
83.4%
Got preferred school
93.4%
All secondary applications across Southampton council (2026/27), not just this school.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
133
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Yarrow Heights 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
133
Total Pupils
75
Boys
58
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Yarrow Heights School
Showing 10 of 14 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Yarrow Heights School
What are GCSE results like at Yarrow Heights 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 Yarrow Heights School can understate its results. We do not rank or compare them; ask the school for its own GCSE and IGCSE results.
How many pupils go to Yarrow Heights School?
Yarrow Heights School has around 133 pupils on roll.
Does Yarrow Heights School have specialist SEN provision?
Yarrow Heights School is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
How do I apply to Yarrow Heights School?
Yarrow Heights 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 Yarrow Heights School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 27 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 6 serious and 21 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 3 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 Southampton is 33 (the median across 87 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Yarrow Heights School?
Yarrow Heights School is at Cobden Avenue, Southampton, Southampton, SO18 1FS.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)