Cherry Garden School is a council-run special school in Southwark, London, for children and young people aged 2 to 11. It supports dyslexia and SpLD, vision, hearing and 6 other needs.
- Ages 2–11
- 112 pupils
- Ofsted: Outstanding
School details
- Type
- Council special school
- Ages
- 2 to 11
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Pupils
- 112 (places for 113)
- Headteacher
- Ms Kelly Hawker (Headteacher)
- Free school meals
- 60.9% of pupils eligible
- Council
- Southwark
- School reference (URN)
- 100881
Needs it supports
9 needs: dyslexia and SpLD, vision and 7 more
As listed by the Department for Education, grouped the way EHC plans describe needs.
Communication and interaction
- Autism Other schools for this in Southwark (12)
- Speech, language and communication Other schools for this in Southwark (2)
Cognition and learning
- Specific learning difficulty (such as dyslexia) Other schools for this in Southwark (1)
- Severe learning difficulty Other schools for this in Southwark (3)
- Profound and multiple learning difficulties Other schools for this in Southwark (3)
Sensory and physical
- Hearing impairment Other schools for this in Southwark (2)
- Visual impairment Other schools for this in Southwark (1)
- Multi-sensory impairment Other schools for this in Southwark (2)
- Physical disability Other schools for this in Southwark (2)
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 Southwark 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, June 2015; standards maintained (December 2024)
Rated Outstanding at its last graded inspection, in June 2015. That was some time ago, so read the latest report for the full picture.
- Leadership and managementOutstanding
- Early yearsOutstanding
Since then: Standards maintained (ungraded inspection, December 2024).
Contact and getting there
41 Bellenden Road, London, SE15 5BB
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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
- St John's and St Clement's Church of England Primary School Mainstream + base · Ages 5–11 0.6 miles
- Haymerle School Special school · Ages 5–11 · Ofsted: Good 0.6 miles
- Tuke School Special school · Ages 11–19 · Ofsted report card (2026) 0.6 miles
By need in Southwark: Autism (13) · Severe learning (4) · PMLD (4) · SEMH (3) · Speech and language (3) · Hearing (3) · Multi-sensory (3) · Physical (3) · Dyslexia and SpLD (2) · Vision (2)
Questions about Cherry Garden School
How do I get a place at Cherry Garden School?
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 Cherry Garden School. If it is named in the plan, the school must admit your child.
What needs does Cherry Garden School support?
Specific learning difficulty (such as dyslexia), visual impairment, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication, autism, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability, 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 Cherry Garden School take?
Aged 2 to 11, boys and girls.
What is Cherry Garden School’s Ofsted rating?
Rated Outstanding by Ofsted in December 2024 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 Cherry Garden School?
41 Bellenden Road, London, SE15 5BB, in Southwark.
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.