Special (SEND) Schools / Surrey
Special (SEND) Schools in Surrey
Find and compare 81 special (SEND) schools in Surrey - Ofsted ratings, specialisms, needs catered for and how to get a place.
81 special (send) schools in Surrey
Bensham Manor School
Thornton Heath · Special · Mixed
Blossom House School
Surrey · Special · Mixed
Emerald Place Clinic School (EPCS)
Charlwood · Special · Mixed
Fox Grove School
Leatherhead · Special · Mixed
Freemantles School
Woking · Special · Mixed
Jigsaw CABAS School
Surrey · Special · Mixed
Meath School
Chertsey · Special · Mixed
Orpheus Centre
Godstone · Special · Mixed
St Piers College (Young Epilepsy)
Lingfield · Special
Sunnydown School
Caterham · Special · Boys
The Abbey School
Farnham · Special · Mixed
The Children's Trust School
Tadworth · Special · Mixed
Undershaw Education Trust
Hindhead · Special · Mixed
West Hill School
Leatherhead · Special · Mixed
Aurora Poppyfield School
Effingham · Special · Mixed
Aurora Redehall School
Smallfield · Special · Mixed
Bramley Hill School
Walton on the Hill · Special · Mixed
Bramley Oak Academy
Guildford · Special · Boys
Elysian, West Horsley
Leatherhead · Special · Mixed
Fernways School
Windlesham · Special · Mixed
Greenholm School
Sutton · Special · Mixed
JUS Education
Wallington · Special · Mixed
Linden Bridge School
Worcester Park · Special · Mixed
Melrose School
Mitcham/ Raynes Park · Special · Mixed
Papillon House
Tadworth · Special · Mixed
Pathways Education
Farnham · Special · Mixed
Rutherford School
South Croydon · Special · Mixed
St Philip's School
Chessington · Special · Mixed
Unsted Park School
Godalming · Special · Mixed
Woodstock House School
Surbiton · Special · Mixed
Carwarden House Community School
Camberley · Special · Mixed · Progress 8 -1.6
Ashley Park School
Walton-on-Thames · Special · Mixed
Aurora Chaldon School
Redhill · Special · Mixed
Bedelsford School
Kingston upon Thames · Special · Mixed
Bramley Grange Academy
Guildford · Special · Mixed
Brooklands School
REIGATE · Special · Mixed
Burstow Park School
Burstow · Special · Mixed
Canbury School
Kingston upon Thames · Special · Mixed
Castle Garden School
Guildford · Special · Mixed
CCS Beaumont Park
Esher · Special
Clifton Hill School
Caterham · Special · Mixed
Cricket Green School
Mitcham · Special · Mixed
Dysart School
Surbiton · Special · Mixed
Egham Park School Ltd
Egham · Special · Mixed
Elysian, Shamley Green
Surrey · Special · Mixed
Gosden House School
Guildford · Special · Mixed
Hopescourt School
Walton-on-Thames · Special · Mixed
Knowl Hill School
Woking · Special · Mixed
Lavender Lodge School
Mitcham · Special · Mixed
Leith Hill School
Holmbury St Mary · Special · Mixed
Lift Wishmore
Woking · Special · Boys
Limpsfield Grange School
Oxted · Special · Girls
Manor Mead School
Shepperton · Special · Mixed
Maypole School
Sunbury-on-Thames · Special · Mixed
Merrywood House Independent Special School
Surrey · Special · Mixed
Minerva May School
Horley · Special · Mixed
Moon Hall School, Reigate
Reigate · Special · Mixed
Moor House School & College
Oxted · Special · Mixed
More House School
Farnham · Special · Boys
Perseid School
Morden · Special · Mixed
Philip Southcote School
Addlestone · Special · Mixed
Pond Meadow School
Guildford · Special · Mixed
Portesbery School
Deepcut · Special · Mixed
Red Gates School
South Croydon · Special · Mixed
Serenity School
Coulsdon Lane · Special · Mixed
Sherwood Foundation School
Wallington · Special · Mixed
Spring School
Kingston upon Thames · Special · Mixed
St Dominic's School
Godalming · Special · Mixed
St Giles School
South Croydon · Special · Mixed
St Joseph's Specialist Trust
Cranleigh · Special · Mixed
St Nicholas School
Purley · Special · Mixed
St Piers School
Lingfield · Special · Mixed
Supreme Education AP
Croydon · Special · Mixed
The Link School
Croydon · Special · Mixed
The Park School
Woking · Special · Mixed
The Ridgeway School
Farnham · Special · Mixed
Unified Academy
Dorking · Special · Boys
Walton Leigh School
Walton-on-Thames · Special · Mixed
Wandle Valley Academy
Carshalton · Special · Mixed
Woodfield School
Redhill · Special · Mixed
Woodlands School
Leatherhead · Special · Mixed
About special (SEND) schools in Surrey
Special (SEND) schools in Surrey 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 Surrey 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 Surrey, 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 Surrey
Whether or not Surrey 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 Surrey?
There are 81 special (send) schools in Surrey listed on School Signal, of which 29 are rated Outstanding or Good by Ofsted.
Which special school in Surrey has the best Ofsted rating?
Bensham Manor School is among the highest rated special (send) schools in Surrey, judged Outstanding at its most recent Ofsted inspection.
How do I get a place at a special school in Surrey?
A special school place in Surrey 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.