Special (SEND) Schools / Hampshire
Special (SEND) Schools in Hampshire
Find and compare 81 special (SEND) schools in Hampshire - Ofsted ratings, specialisms, needs catered for and how to get a place.
81 special (send) schools in Hampshire
Great Oaks School
Southampton · Special · Mixed
Hill House School
Lymington · Special · Mixed
Kingsgate School
Fareham · Special · Mixed
Light Years School
Fareham · Special · Mixed
Osborne School
Winchester · Special · Mixed
Southlands School
Lymington · Special · Mixed
The Green Room School Kingsley
Bordon · Special · Mixed
The Loddon School
Hook · Special · Mixed
The Serendipity School
Southampton · Special · Girls
Clay Hill School
Lyndhurst · Special · Mixed
Compass Community School Hampshire
Woking · Special · Mixed
Coxlease School
Lyndhurst · Special · Mixed
Fair Ways School
Southampton · Special · Mixed
Forest Park School
Southampton · Special · Mixed
Glenwood School
Emsworth · Special · Mixed
King's Academy Lord Wilson
Southampton · Special · Boys
New Avenue School
Southampton · Special · Mixed
Norman Gate School
Andover · Special · Mixed
Riverside Community Special School
Waterlooville · Special · Mixed
Saxon Wood School
Basingstoke · Special · Mixed
Tadley Court School
Tadley · Special · Mixed
Wolverdene Special School
Andover · Special · Mixed
All's Well
Fareham · Special · Mixed
Anstey Manor School
Alton · Special · Mixed
Baycroft School
Fareham · Special · Mixed
Bower Lodge School
Southampton · Special · Mixed
Brook School
Eastleigh · Special · Mixed
Chiltern Way Academy Austen
BASINGSTOKE · Special · Mixed
Chiltern Way Academy Basingstoke
Basingstoke · Special · Mixed
Cliffdale Primary Academy
Portsmouth · Special · Mixed
Dibden Park School
Southampton · Special · Mixed
Dove House Academy
Basingstoke · Special · Mixed
East Street Farm
Sway · Special · Mixed
Elysian, Liss
Liss · Special · Mixed
GLADE School
Totton · Special · Mixed
Grateley House School
Andover · Special · Mixed
Hawley Woods School
Camberley · Special · Mixed
Heathfield Special School
Fareham · Special · Mixed
Henry Tyndale School
Farnborough · Special · Mixed
Hollywater School
Bordon · Special · Mixed
Hurst Lodge School
Camberley · Special · Mixed
Icknield School
Andover · Special · Mixed
Inclusion Hampshire
Hook · Special · Mixed
Inclusion School
Viables · Special · Mixed
Inclusion School Aldershot
Aldershot · Special · Mixed
Jubilee School
Waterlooville · Special · Mixed
Lakeside School
Eastleigh · Special · Boys
Limington House School
Basingstoke · Special · Mixed
Luminous Oak Academy
Botley · Special · Mixed
Lyttelton House School
Andover · Special · Mixed
Maple Ridge School
Basingstoke · Special · Mixed
Mary Rose Academy
Portsmouth · Special · Mixed
Miniland Farm
Passfield, Nr Liphook · Special · Mixed
Napier School
Farnborough · Special · Mixed
New Forest Alternative Provision
Southampton · Special · Mixed
New Forest School
Hampshire · Special · Mixed
Newton Wood Barn School
Alton · Special · Mixed
Oak Lodge School
Southampton · Special · Mixed
Oaktree Education Services Limited
Southampton · Special · Mixed
Oarsome Chance
Gosport · Special · Mixed
Prospect School
Havant · Special · Boys
Rachel Madocks School
Waterlooville · Special · Mixed
Redwood Park Academy
Portsmouth · Special · Mixed
Rosewood Free School
Southampton · Special · Mixed
Samuel Cody School
Farnborough · Special · Mixed
Sheiling College
Ringwood, Hants · Special · Mixed
Sheiling School
Ringwood · Special · Mixed
Shepherds Down Special School
Winchester · Special · Mixed
Springwell School
Southampton · Special · Mixed
St Edward's School
Romsey · Special · Boys
St Francis Special School
Fareham · Special · Mixed
The Cedar School
Southampton · Special · Mixed
The Fortune Centre of Riding Therapy
Christchurch · Special · Mixed
The Harbour School
Portsmouth · Special · Mixed
The Mark Way School
Andover · Special · Mixed
The Polygon School
Southampton · Special · Boys
The Waterloo School
Waterlooville · Special · Mixed
The Wymering School
Portsmouth · Special · Mixed
Treloar College
Alton, Hants · Special · Mixed
Treloar School
Alton · Special · Mixed
Vermont School
Southampton · Special · Mixed
About special (SEND) schools in Hampshire
Special (SEND) schools in Hampshire educate children with complex special educational needs and disabilities - most of them with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) that sets out the support they are legally entitled to receive. Provision is designed around specific types of need: schools in Hampshire may specialise in autism (ASC), moderate or severe learning difficulties, speech and language needs, physical disability, or sensory impairment, so it is important to check which needs each school is actually resourced to support. Staff ratios are far higher than in mainstream, and most special schools have therapists - speech and language, occupational therapy or physiotherapy - working on site. A place is arranged through the local authority as part of the EHCP process: parents have the right to name a school, and the authority must agree unless it can show the school is unsuitable or would be an inefficient use of resources.
When comparing special schools in Hampshire, start with the type of need each school is designed for and the age range it covers - many are specific to a phase or to a particular area of need. Ofsted inspects special schools under the same framework as mainstream and ratings are a useful starting point, but read the SEND information report each school is required to publish, check what therapies are available on site, and ask how much experience staff have with your child's specific diagnosis. Visiting is important - the atmosphere, the way staff communicate with pupils and the physical environment can tell you more than any inspection report. If you are earlier in the process, your local SENDIASS (SEND information and advice service) offers free, impartial guidance on the EHCP process and your rights.
Choosing a school in Hampshire
Whether or not Hampshire has schools of a particular type, the same fundamentals help you compare your options. Ofsted judgements - Outstanding, Good, Requires Improvement or Inadequate - summarise the quality of education, behaviour, personal development and leadership. A rating is a useful starting point, but bear in mind that some schools have not been inspected for several years and that a single word cannot capture everything about a school.
For secondary schools, Progress 8 is often more revealing than raw results. It measures how much pupils improve between the end of primary school and their GCSEs, so a school serving a less advantaged community can still post strong progress. Attainment 8 shows average achievement across eight GCSEs, and the percentage of pupils reaching grade 5 or above in English and maths is a useful benchmark. For 16-18 study, look at A-Level and applied-course results and where students go next.
Beyond the data, look at how places are allocated when a school is oversubscribed and whether your address is likely to secure one, the range of subjects and activities on offer, the sixth-form provision if you are planning ahead, and travel and transport. Above all, visit. An open day tells you more about a school's atmosphere, pastoral care and whether it will suit your child than any league table can.
Frequently asked questions
How many special (send) schools are there in Hampshire?
There are 81 special (send) schools in Hampshire listed on School Signal, of which 22 are rated Outstanding or Good by Ofsted.
Which special school in Hampshire has the best Ofsted rating?
Great Oaks School is among the highest rated special (send) schools in Hampshire, judged Outstanding at its most recent Ofsted inspection.
How do I get a place at a special school in Hampshire?
A special school place in Hampshire is arranged through your local authority as part of the Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) process - you cannot apply to a special school directly. Once your child has an EHCP, you can name the school you want your child to attend, and the local authority must agree unless it can show the school is unsuitable for your child's needs or would be an inefficient use of resources. If you do not yet have an EHCP, you can request an EHC needs assessment by writing to your local authority's SEND team. The statutory process takes up to 20 weeks, and your local SENDIASS service can support you free of charge.