Fred Nicholson School is a foundation special school in Swaffham, Norfolk, for children and young people aged 3 to 19. It supports dyslexia and SpLD, vision, hearing and 8 other needs.
- Ages 3–19
- 195 pupils
- Ofsted: Good
School details
- Type
- Foundation special school
- Ages
- 3 to 19
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Pupils
- 195 (places for 224)
- Headteacher
- Mrs Heidi Philpott (Headteacher)
- Opened
- 1 January 1900
- Free school meals
- 58% of pupils eligible
- Council
- Norfolk
- School reference (URN)
- 121256
Needs it supports
11 needs: dyslexia and SpLD, vision and 9 more
As listed by the Department for Education, grouped the way EHC plans describe needs.
Communication and interaction
- Autism Other schools for this in Norfolk (30)
- Speech, language and communication Other schools for this in Norfolk (19)
Cognition and learning
- Specific learning difficulty (such as dyslexia) Other schools for this in Norfolk (8)
- Moderate learning difficulty Other schools for this in Norfolk (22)
- Severe learning difficulty Other schools for this in Norfolk (12)
- Profound and multiple learning difficulties Other schools for this in Norfolk (10)
Social, emotional and mental health
- Social, emotional and mental health Other schools for this in Norfolk (21)
Sensory and physical
- Hearing impairment Other schools for this in Norfolk (12)
- Visual impairment Other schools for this in Norfolk (9)
- Multi-sensory impairment Other schools for this in Norfolk (10)
- Physical disability Other schools for this in Norfolk (9)
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 Norfolk 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, December 2014; some aspects not as strong (March 2025)
Rated Good at its last graded inspection, in December 2014. That was some time ago, so read the latest report for the full picture.
- Leadership and managementGood
Since then: Some aspects not as strong (ungraded inspection, March 2025).
Contact and getting there
77 Lynn Road, Swaffham, PE37 7BB
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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
- Necton VA Primary School Mainstream + base · Ages 3–11 · Ofsted report card (2026) 4.1 miles
- Watton Junior School Mainstream + base · Ages 7–11 7.9 miles
- Sheridan House School Independent · Ages 7–16 · Ofsted: Good 8.6 miles
By need in Norfolk: Autism (31) · Moderate learning (23) · SEMH (22) · Speech and language (20) · Severe learning (13) · Hearing (13) · PMLD (11) · Multi-sensory (11) · Vision (10) · Physical (10) · Dyslexia and SpLD (9)
Questions about Fred Nicholson School
How do I get a place at Fred Nicholson 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 Fred Nicholson School. If it is named in the plan, the school must admit your child.
What needs does Fred Nicholson School support?
Specific learning difficulty (such as dyslexia), visual impairment, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication, autism, social, emotional and mental health, 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 Fred Nicholson School take?
Aged 3 to 19, boys and girls.
What is Fred Nicholson School’s Ofsted rating?
Rated Good by Ofsted in March 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 Fred Nicholson School?
77 Lynn Road, Swaffham, PE37 7BB, in Norfolk.
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.