Special (SEND) Schools / Staffordshire
Special (SEND) Schools in Staffordshire
Find and compare 66 special (SEND) schools in Staffordshire - Ofsted ratings, specialisms, needs catered for and how to get a place.
66 special (send) schools in Staffordshire
Aurora Hanley School
Stoke on Trent · Special · Mixed
Bladon House School
Burton-on-Trent · Special · Mixed
Cherry Trees School
Wolverhampton · Special · Mixed
Church Lawton School
Stoke-on-Trent · Special · Mixed
Draycott Moor College
Stoke-on-Trent · Special · Mixed
Elm House School
Cheadle · Special · Mixed
Ivetsey Bank Hospital School
Stafford · Special · Mixed
Little Kinvaston School
Gailey · Special · Mixed
Lyme Brook Independent School
Newcastle Under-Lyme · Special · Mixed
Maple Hayes Hall School
Lichfield · Special · Mixed
Newfriars College
Stoke-on-Trent · Special · Mixed
Parkgate Farm
Ipstones · Special · Mixed
Springfield School
Leek · Special · Mixed
The Fountains High School
Burton-on-Trent · Special · Mixed
The Fountains Primary School
Burton-on-Trent · Special · Mixed
The Oaks
Stoke-on-Trent · Special · Mixed
Blackfriars Academy
Newcastle-under-Lyme · Special · Mixed · Progress 8 -1.7
Loxley Hall School
Uttoxeter · Special · Boys · Progress 8 -2.2
Abbey Hill Academy & College
Stoke-On-Trent · Special · Mixed
Achieve Beyond Schools, Stafford
Stafford · Special
Beacon Independent School
Cannock · Special · Mixed
Bluebell School Ltd
Kidsgrove · Special · Mixed
Castle Hill School
Newcastle Under Lyme · Special · Mixed
Chasetown Community School
Burntwood · Special · Mixed
Cicely Haughton School
Stoke-on-Trent · Special · Mixed
Compass Community School Staffordshire
Staffordshire · Special · Boys
Coppice Academy
Newcastle · Special · Mixed
Edison Pace School
Stoke-on-Trent · Special · Mixed
Emerge School
Stoke-on-Trent · Special · Mixed
Glebedale School
Stoke on Trent · Special · Mixed
Great Oaks College
Cannock · Special · Mixed
Greenhall
Stafford · Special · Mixed
Heather Field School
Burton Bank Lane · Special · Mixed
Hednesford Valley High School
Hednesford · Special · Mixed
Hopedale School
Cheddleton · Special · Mixed
Horton Lodge Community Special School
Leek · Special · Mixed
Intuition Holistic Education
Stoke-on-Trent · Special · Mixed
Kaleidoscope School
Newcastle-Under-Lyme · Special · Mixed
Kemball School
Stoke-on-Trent · Special · Mixed
Ladybird Manor School
London · Special · Mixed
Longdon Hall School
Staffordshire · Special · Mixed
Longridge School
Penkridge · Special · Mixed
Marshlands School
Stafford · Special · Mixed
Merryfields School
Newcastle · Special · Mixed
Mortimer House School
Staffordshire · Special · Mixed
North Road Academy
Stoke-on-trent · Special · Mixed
Options Trent Acres School
Burton on Trent · Special · Mixed
Portland School
Stoke-on-Trent · Special · Mixed
Queen's Croft High School
Lichfield · Special · Mixed
Roaches School
Stoke-on-Trent · Special · Mixed
Robin's Nest School
Cannock · Special · Mixed
Rocklands School
Lichfield · Special · Mixed
Rugeley School
Rugeley · Special · Mixed
Saxon Hill Academy
Lichfield · Special · Mixed
Shenstone Lodge School
Lichfield · Special · Mixed
Sherbrook Primary School
Cannock · Special · Mixed
Sutherland School
Tamworth · Special · Mixed
Sycamore Meadow Outdoor Learning Centre
Stoke-on-Trent · Special · Mixed
The Haven School
Staffordshire · Special · Mixed
The Manor School
Uttoxeter · Special · Mixed
The Meadows School
Leek · Special · Mixed
Two Rivers High School
Tamworth · Special · Mixed
Two Rivers Primary School
Tamworth · Special · Mixed
Walton Hall Academy
Stafford · Special · Mixed
Watermill School
Stoke-on-Trent · Special · Mixed
Wightwick Hall School
Wolverhampton · Special · Mixed
About special (SEND) schools in Staffordshire
Special (SEND) schools in Staffordshire 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 Staffordshire 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 Staffordshire, 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 Staffordshire
Whether or not Staffordshire 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 Staffordshire?
There are 66 special (send) schools in Staffordshire listed on School Signal, of which 16 are rated Outstanding or Good by Ofsted.
Which special school in Staffordshire has the best Ofsted rating?
Aurora Hanley School is among the highest rated special (send) schools in Staffordshire, judged Outstanding at its most recent Ofsted inspection.
How do I get a place at a special school in Staffordshire?
A special school place in Staffordshire 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.