St Francis Special School is a council-run special school in Fareham, Hampshire, for children and young people aged 2 to 19. It supports autism, severe learning and PMLD.
- Ages 2–19
- 115 pupils
- Ofsted: Good
School details
- Type
- Council special school
- Ages
- 2 to 19
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Pupils
- 115
- Headteacher
- Mrs Sonia Longstaff-Bishop (Headteacher)
- Free school meals
- 43.3% of pupils eligible
- Council
- Hampshire
- School reference (URN)
- 116618
Needs it supports
3 needs: autism, severe learning and 1 more
As listed by the Department for Education, grouped the way EHC plans describe needs.
Communication and interaction
Cognition and learning
- Severe learning difficulty Other schools for this in Hampshire (12)
- Profound and multiple learning difficulties Other schools for this in Hampshire (8)
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 Hampshire 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, October 2012; school remains Good (June 2023)
Rated Good at its last graded inspection, in October 2012. That was some time ago, so read the latest report for the full picture.
- Leadership and managementGood
Since then: School remains Good (ungraded inspection, June 2023).
Contact and getting there
Patchway Drive, Oldbury Way, Fareham, PO14 3BN
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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
- Heathfield Special School Special school · Ages 3–11 · Ofsted: Good 0.0 miles
- St Jude's Catholic Primary School Mainstream + base · Ages 3–11 · Ofsted: Good 0.6 miles
- Fareham Academy Mainstream + base · Ages 11–16 · Ofsted report card (2026) 0.8 miles
By need in Hampshire: Autism (35) · SEMH (25) · Moderate learning (25) · Speech and language (22) · Hearing (16) · Severe learning (13) · Physical (12) · PMLD (9) · Dyslexia and SpLD (9) · Vision (9) · Multi-sensory (5)
Questions about St Francis Special School
How do I get a place at St Francis 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 St Francis Special School. If it is named in the plan, the school must admit your child.
What needs does St Francis Special School support?
Autism, 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 St Francis Special School take?
Aged 2 to 19, boys and girls.
What is St Francis Special School’s Ofsted rating?
Rated Good by Ofsted in June 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 St Francis Special School?
Patchway Drive, Oldbury Way, Fareham, PO14 3BN, in Hampshire.
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.