Shepherds Down Special School is a council-run special school in Winchester, Hampshire, for children and young people aged 4 to 11. It supports speech and language, autism and moderate learning.
- Ages 4–11
- 198 pupils
- Ofsted: Good
School details
- Type
- Council special school
- Ages
- 4 to 11
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Pupils
- 198
- Headteacher
- Mrs Deborah Gooderham (Headteacher)
- Free school meals
- 30.8% of pupils eligible
- Council
- Hampshire
- School reference (URN)
- 116642
Needs it supports
3 needs: speech and language, autism and 1 more
As listed by the Department for Education, grouped the way EHC plans describe needs.
Communication and interaction
- Autism Other schools for this in Hampshire (34)
- Speech, language and communication Other schools for this in Hampshire (21)
Cognition and learning
- Moderate learning difficulty Other schools for this in Hampshire (24)
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, March 2017; school remains Good (February 2023)
Rated Good at its last graded inspection, in March 2017. That was some time ago, so read the latest report for the full picture.
- Leadership and managementGood
- Early yearsGood
- SafeguardingEffective
Since then: School remains Good (ungraded inspection, February 2023).
Contact and getting there
Shepherds Lane, Compton, Winchester, SO21 2AJ
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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
- Lakeside School Special school · Ages 10–16 · Ofsted: Outstanding 1.9 miles
- Hiltingbury Infant School Mainstream + base · Ages 5–7 · Ofsted: Outstanding 2.4 miles
- Hiltingbury Junior School Mainstream + base · Ages 7–11 · Ofsted: Good 2.4 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 Shepherds Down Special School
How do I get a place at Shepherds Down 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 Shepherds Down Special School. If it is named in the plan, the school must admit your child.
What needs does Shepherds Down Special School support?
Speech, language and communication, autism and moderate learning difficulty. Every child is different, so ask the school how it would meet your child’s needs.
What ages does Shepherds Down Special School take?
Aged 4 to 11, boys and girls.
What is Shepherds Down Special School’s Ofsted rating?
Rated Good by Ofsted in February 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 Shepherds Down Special School?
Shepherds Lane, Compton, Winchester, SO21 2AJ, 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.