Mountjoy School is a council-run special school in Beaminster, Dorset, for children and young people aged 4 to 19. It supports vision, hearing, speech and language and 5 other needs.
- Ages 4–19
- 112 pupils
- Ofsted: Good
School details
- Type
- Council special school
- Ages
- 4 to 19
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Pupils
- 112 (places for 110)
- Headteacher
- Ms Gillian Howard (Headteacher)
- Free school meals
- 40.2% of pupils eligible
- Council
- Dorset
- School reference (URN)
- 113957
Needs it supports
9 needs: vision, hearing 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 Dorset (12)
- Speech, language and communication Other schools for this in Dorset (10)
Cognition and learning
- Moderate learning difficulty Other schools for this in Dorset (8)
- Severe learning difficulty Other schools for this in Dorset (3)
- Profound and multiple learning difficulties Other schools for this in Dorset (1)
Sensory and physical
- Hearing impairment Other schools for this in Dorset (2)
- Visual impairment Other schools for this in Dorset (2)
- Physical disability Other schools for this in Dorset (6)
It also lists other needs. Ask the school what these are.
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 Dorset 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, November 2022; school remains Good (Concerns) - S5 Next (October 2021)
Rated Good at its last graded inspection, in November 2022.
- Quality of educationGood
- Behaviour and attitudesGood
- Personal developmentGood
- Leadership and managementGood
- Sixth formGood
- SafeguardingEffective
Since then: School remains Good (Concerns) - S5 Next (ungraded inspection, October 2021).
Contact and getting there
Tunnel Road, Beaminster, DT8 3HB
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
- Beaminster School Mainstream + base · Ages 11–18 · Ofsted: Good 0.5 miles
- Horizons Therapeutic Education Trust Alternative provision · Ages 11–18 3.7 miles
- Wadham School Mainstream + base · Ages 11–16 5.1 miles
By need in Dorset: Autism (13) · Speech and language (11) · Moderate learning (9) · Physical (7) · SEMH (6) · Dyslexia and SpLD (5) · Severe learning (4) · Multi-sensory (4) · Hearing (3) · Vision (3) · PMLD (2)
Questions about Mountjoy School
How do I get a place at Mountjoy 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 Mountjoy School. If it is named in the plan, the school must admit your child.
What needs does Mountjoy School support?
Visual impairment, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication, autism, physical disability, moderate learning difficulty, 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 Mountjoy School take?
Aged 4 to 19, boys and girls.
What is Mountjoy School’s Ofsted rating?
Rated Good by Ofsted in November 2022 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 Mountjoy School?
Tunnel Road, Beaminster, DT8 3HB, in Dorset.
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.