Pathfield School is a foundation special school in Barnstaple, Devon, for children and young people aged 3 to 19. It supports severe learning and PMLD.
- Ages 3–19
- 183 pupils
- Ofsted: Good
School details
- Type
- Foundation special school
- Ages
- 3 to 19
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Pupils
- 183 (places for 186)
- Headteacher
- Mr Stuart Allman (Headteacher)
- Part of
- SENtient Trust
- Free school meals
- 47.4% of pupils eligible
- Council
- Devon
- School reference (URN)
- 113638
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, March 2019; standards maintained (October 2024)
Rated Good at its last graded inspection, in March 2019. That was some time ago, so read the latest report for the full picture.
- Leadership and managementGood
- Early yearsGood
- Sixth formGood
- SafeguardingEffective
Since then: Standards maintained (ungraded inspection, October 2024).
Contact and getting there
Abbey Road, Pilton, Barnstaple, EX31 1JU
Loading the map…
Directions: Walk Public transport Drive
Email me these details
The school’s details, how to get a place and the questions to ask, in your inbox.
Other SEND schools nearby
- Pilton Community College Mainstream + base · Ages 11–16 · Ofsted: Good 0.3 miles
- Newport Community School Primary Academy Mainstream + base · Ages 3–11 1.4 miles
- The Lampard Community School Special school · Ages 5–16 · Ofsted: Good 1.5 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 Pathfield School
How do I get a place at Pathfield 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 Pathfield School. If it is named in the plan, the school must admit your child.
What needs does Pathfield 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 Pathfield School take?
Aged 3 to 19, boys and girls.
What is Pathfield School’s Ofsted rating?
Rated Good by Ofsted in October 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 Pathfield School?
Abbey Road, Pilton, Barnstaple, EX31 1JU, 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.