Richard Lander School is a mainstream secondary school with an SEN unit in Truro, Cornwall, for children and young people aged 11 to 16. Its SEN unit has 20 places for autism, social, emotional and mental health, physical disability and moderate learning difficulty.
- Ages 11–16
- 1,561 pupils
- Ofsted: Good
School details
- Type
- Mainstream school with an SEN unit
- Ages
- 11 to 16
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Specialist base
- An SEN unit, 20 places, 18 pupils
- Pupils
- 1,561
- Headteacher
- Mr Stephen Mulcahy (Headteacher)
- Council
- Cornwall
- School reference (URN)
- 112055
Needs its base supports
4 needs: autism, SEMH and 2 more
As listed by the Department for Education, grouped the way EHC plans describe needs.
Communication and interaction
Cognition and learning
- Moderate learning difficulty Other schools for this in Cornwall (13)
Social, emotional and mental health
- Social, emotional and mental health Other schools for this in Cornwall (13)
Sensory and physical
- Physical disability Other schools for this in Cornwall (10)
How to get a place
4 steps, starting with an EHC plan
- An EHC plan
Places in an SEN unit or resourced provision are usually for children with 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 about the base
See the school and its specialist base, and ask how children split their time between the base and mainstream classes.
- Ask for the school to be named
Tell the council that looks after the plan (often Cornwall council) that you want this school and its base, 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. Places in the base itself are agreed between the council and the school, so ask how they decide.
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 Good, March 2015; school remains Good (October 2023)
Rated Good at its last graded inspection, in March 2015. That was some time ago, so read the latest report for the full picture.
- Leadership and managementGood
Since then: School remains Good (ungraded inspection, October 2023).
Contact and getting there
Higher Besore Road, Truro, TR3 6LT
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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
- Oak Tree School Independent · Ages 5–18 0.9 miles
- Community & Hospital Education Service Ap Academy Alternative provision · Ages 4–16 · Ofsted: Outstanding 1.6 miles
- Tregolls Academy Mainstream + base · Ages 2–11 · Ofsted report card (2026) 3.0 miles
By need in Cornwall: Autism (18) · SEMH (14) · Moderate learning (14) · Severe learning (14) · Speech and language (13) · Dyslexia and SpLD (11) · Physical (11) · Hearing (9) · Vision (9) · Multi-sensory (9) · PMLD (8)
Questions about Richard Lander School
How do I get a place in Richard Lander School’s specialist base?
Places in an SEN unit or resourced provision usually come through an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan: ask the council that looks after the plan to consult the school about its base. If the school is named in the plan it must admit your child; places in the base itself are agreed between the council and the school.
What needs does Richard Lander School support?
Autism, social, emotional and mental health, physical disability and moderate learning difficulty. Every child is different, so ask the school how it would meet your child’s needs.
What ages does Richard Lander School take?
Aged 11 to 16, boys and girls.
What is Richard Lander School’s Ofsted rating?
Rated Good by Ofsted in October 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 Richard Lander School?
Higher Besore Road, Truro, TR3 6LT, in Cornwall.
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.