Ellen Tinkham School is a foundation special school in Exeter, Devon, for children and young people aged 3 to 19. It supports severe learning and PMLD.
- Ages 3–19
- 240 pupils
- Ofsted: Good
School details
- Type
- Foundation special school
- Ages
- 3 to 19
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Pupils
- 240 (places for 220)
- Headteacher
- Mrs Nikki Burroughs (Headteacher)
- Part of
- SENtient Trust
- Free school meals
- 52.1% of pupils eligible
- Council
- Devon
- School reference (URN)
- 113633
Needs it supports
2 needs: severe learning, PMLD
As listed by the Department for Education, grouped the way EHC plans describe needs.
Cognition and learning
- Severe learning difficulty Other schools for this in Devon (6)
- Profound and multiple learning difficulties Other schools for this in Devon (4)
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 Devon 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 Good, April 2023; school remains Outstanding (Concerns) - S5 Next (March 2020)
Rated Good at its last graded inspection, in April 2023.
- Quality of educationGood
- Behaviour and attitudesOutstanding
- Personal developmentOutstanding
- Leadership and managementGood
- Early yearsOutstanding
- Sixth formGood
- SafeguardingEffective
Since then: School remains Outstanding (Concerns) - S5 Next (ungraded inspection, March 2020).
Contact and getting there
Hollow Lane, Pinhoe, Exeter, EX1 3RW
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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 Luke's Church of England School Mainstream + base · Ages 11–16 · Ofsted: Good 0.3 miles
- Vranch House School Independent · Ages 2–19 · Ofsted: Outstanding 1.0 mile
- Stansfield Academy Alternative provision · Ages 4–16 1.1 miles
By need in Devon: Autism (14) · SEMH (9) · Moderate learning (8) · Speech and language (7) · Severe learning (7) · PMLD (5) · Hearing (5) · Vision (5) · Physical (5) · Dyslexia and SpLD (4) · Multi-sensory (4)
Questions about Ellen Tinkham School
How do I get a place at Ellen Tinkham 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 Ellen Tinkham School. If it is named in the plan, the school must admit your child.
What needs does Ellen Tinkham School support?
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 Ellen Tinkham School take?
Aged 3 to 19, boys and girls.
What is Ellen Tinkham School’s Ofsted rating?
Rated Good by Ofsted in April 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 Ellen Tinkham School?
Hollow Lane, Pinhoe, Exeter, EX1 3RW, in Devon.
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.