Downs View Special School is a council-run special school in Brighton, Brighton and Hove, for children and young people aged 3 to 19. It supports vision, hearing, speech and language and 6 other needs.
- Ages 3–19
- 224 pupils
- Ofsted: Outstanding
School details
- Type
- Council special school
- Ages
- 3 to 19
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Pupils
- 224 (places for 223)
- Headteacher
- Ms Vanessa Hickey (Headteacher)
- Free school meals
- 60.8% of pupils eligible
- Council
- Brighton and Hove
- School reference (URN)
- 114680
Needs it supports
10 needs: vision, hearing and 8 more
As listed by the Department for Education, grouped the way EHC plans describe needs.
Communication and interaction
- Autism Other schools for this in Brighton and Hove (6)
- Speech, language and communication Other schools for this in Brighton and Hove (4)
Cognition and learning
- Moderate learning difficulty Other schools for this in Brighton and Hove (4)
- Severe learning difficulty Other schools for this in Brighton and Hove (2)
- Profound and multiple learning difficulties Other schools for this in Brighton and Hove (1)
Sensory and physical
- Hearing impairment Other schools for this in Brighton and Hove (4)
- Visual impairment Other schools for this in Brighton and Hove (2)
- Multi-sensory impairment
- Physical disability Other schools for this in Brighton and Hove (1)
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 Brighton and Hove 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 Outstanding, June 2012; standards maintained (June 2025)
Rated Outstanding at its last graded inspection, in June 2012. That was some time ago, so read the latest report for the full picture.
- Leadership and managementOutstanding
Since then: Standards maintained (ungraded inspection, June 2025).
Contact and getting there
Warren Road, Woodingdean, Brighton, BN2 6BB
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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
- Bevendean Primary School and Nursery Mainstream + base · Ages 3–11 1.0 mile
- Longhill High School Mainstream + base · Ages 11–16 · Ofsted: Requires improvement 1.3 miles
- Brighton Aldridge Community Academy Mainstream + base · Ages 11–19 1.6 miles
All SEND schools in Brighton and Hove
By need in Brighton and Hove: Autism (7) · Speech and language (5) · Moderate learning (5) · Hearing (5) · Dyslexia and SpLD (4) · Severe learning (3) · Vision (3) · SEMH (2) · PMLD (2) · Physical (2)
Questions about Downs View Special School
How do I get a place at Downs View Special 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 Downs View Special School. If it is named in the plan, the school must admit your child.
What needs does Downs View Special School support?
Visual impairment, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication, autism, multi-sensory impairment, 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 Downs View Special School take?
Aged 3 to 19, boys and girls.
What is Downs View Special School’s Ofsted rating?
Rated Outstanding by Ofsted in June 2025 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 Downs View Special School?
Warren Road, Woodingdean, Brighton, BN2 6BB, in Brighton and Hove.
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.