Swiss Cottage School - Development & Research Centre is a council-run special school in Camden, London, for children and young people aged 4 to 19. It supports speech and language, autism, severe learning and 1 other need.
- Ages 4–19
- 264 pupils
- Ofsted: Outstanding
School details
- Type
- Council special school
- Ages
- 4 to 19
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Pupils
- 264 (places for 260)
- Headteacher
- Ms Syra Sowe (Principal)
- Free school meals
- 62.2% of pupils eligible
- Council
- Camden
- School reference (URN)
- 100096
Needs it supports
4 needs: speech and language, autism and 2 more
As listed by the Department for Education, grouped the way EHC plans describe needs.
Communication and interaction
- Autism Other schools for this in Camden (7)
- Speech, language and communication Other schools for this in Camden (2)
Cognition and learning
- Severe learning difficulty
- Profound and multiple learning difficulties
How to get a place
4 steps, starting with an EHC plan
- An EHC plan
Places at schools like this usually come through an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan. If your child doesn’t have one yet, you can ask the council for an assessment yourself.
- Visit and ask questions
See whether the school feels right and whether it can meet your child’s needs. Our list of questions below can help.
- Ask for the school to be named
Tell the council that looks after the plan (often Camden council) that this is the school you want, and ask them to consult it.
- Named in the plan
If the school is named in your child’s plan, it must admit your child. Free home-to-school transport is often part of the arrangement.
Questions to ask when you visit
8 questions to tick off as you go
Ticks stay on this device, so you can use them on the day.
Ofsted
Rated Outstanding, January 2014; school remains Outstanding (March 2023)
Rated Outstanding at its last graded inspection, in January 2014. That was some time ago, so read the latest report for the full picture.
- Leadership and managementOutstanding
Since then: School remains Outstanding (ungraded inspection, March 2023).
Contact and getting there
80 Avenue Road, London, NW8 6HX
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Directions: Walk Public transport Drive
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The school’s details, how to get a place and the questions to ask, in your inbox.
Other SEND schools nearby
- Ormiston Beachcroft Academy Alternative provision · Ages 5–16 · Ofsted: Good 0.4 miles
- Gloucester House, The Tavistock Children's Day Unit Independent · Ages 5–14 · Ofsted: Good 0.7 miles
- Woodside School Independent · Ages 5–16 · Ofsted report card (2026) 0.7 miles
By need in Camden: Autism (8) · SEMH (4) · Speech and language (3) · Moderate learning (2) · Hearing (2) · Physical (2)
Questions about Swiss Cottage School - Development & Research Centre
How do I get a place at Swiss Cottage School - Development & Research Centre?
There’s no catchment area or application round. Places usually come through an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan: ask the council that looks after the plan to consult Swiss Cottage School - Development & Research Centre. If it is named in the plan, the school must admit your child.
What needs does Swiss Cottage School - Development & Research Centre support?
Speech, language and communication, autism, severe learning difficulty and profound and multiple learning difficulties. Every child is different, so ask the school how it would meet your child’s needs.
What ages does Swiss Cottage School - Development & Research Centre take?
Aged 4 to 19, boys and girls.
What is Swiss Cottage School - Development & Research Centre’s Ofsted rating?
Rated Outstanding by Ofsted in March 2023 at its last graded inspection. Newer inspections no longer give a single overall grade, so read the latest report for the full picture.
Where is Swiss Cottage School - Development & Research Centre?
80 Avenue Road, London, NW8 6HX, in Camden.
School data: DfE Get Information About Schools, under the Open Government Licence. Postcode lookups by postcodes.io: contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right, Royal Mail data © Royal Mail copyright and database right, and National Statistics data © Crown copyright and database right. Distances are as the crow flies. Always check details and admissions with the school and your council.