Linwood School is a council-run special school in Bournemouth, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, for children and young people aged 2 to 19. It supports speech and language, autism, SEMH and 3 other needs.
- Ages 2–19
- 437 pupils
School details
- Type
- Council special school
- Ages
- 2 to 19
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Pupils
- 437 (places for 422)
- Headteacher
- Mrs Gemma Talbot (Headteacher)
- Free school meals
- 43.2% of pupils eligible
- School reference (URN)
- 113961
Needs it supports
6 needs: speech and language, autism and 4 more
As listed by the Department for Education, grouped the way EHC plans describe needs.
Communication and interaction
- Autism Other schools for this in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (12)
- Speech, language and communication Other schools for this in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (5)
Cognition and learning
- Moderate learning difficulty Other schools for this in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (2)
- Severe learning difficulty Other schools for this in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (4)
- Profound and multiple learning difficulties Other schools for this in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (1)
Social, emotional and mental health
- Social, emotional and mental health Other schools for this in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (6)
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 Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole 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
Graded by area, January 2025; school remains Outstanding (Concerns) - S5 Next (November 2023)
Inspected in January 2025. Inspections from September 2024 to November 2025 graded each area but gave no overall grade.
- Quality of educationOutstanding
- Behaviour and attitudesOutstanding
- Personal developmentOutstanding
- Leadership and managementOutstanding
- Early yearsOutstanding
- Sixth formOutstanding
- SafeguardingEffective
Since then: School remains Outstanding (Concerns) - S5 Next (ungraded inspection, November 2023).
Contact and getting there
Alma Road, Winton, Bournemouth, BH9 1AJ
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
- Cambian Wing College Independent · Ages 16–25 0.4 miles
- Malmesbury Park Primary School Mainstream + base · Ages 3–11 · Ofsted: Good 0.5 miles
- Queen's Park Infant Academy Mainstream + base · Ages 4–7 · Ofsted: Good 0.8 miles
All SEND schools in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole
By need in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole: Autism (13) · SEMH (7) · Speech and language (6) · Severe learning (5) · Moderate learning (3) · PMLD (2) · Dyslexia and SpLD (2) · Physical (2)
Questions about Linwood School
How do I get a place at Linwood 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 Linwood School. If it is named in the plan, the school must admit your child.
What needs does Linwood School support?
Speech, language and communication, autism, social, emotional and mental health, 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 Linwood School take?
Aged 2 to 19, boys and girls.
What is Linwood School’s Ofsted rating?
There’s no overall grade to show. Read the school’s latest inspection report on the Ofsted website.
Where is Linwood School?
Alma Road, Winton, Bournemouth, BH9 1AJ, in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole.
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.