Barndale School is a council-run special school in Alnwick, Northumberland, for children and young people aged 4 to 19. It supports dyslexia and SpLD, vision, hearing and 5 other needs.
- Ages 4–19
- 110 pupils
- Ofsted: Good
School details
- Type
- Council special school
- Ages
- 4 to 19
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Pupils
- 110 (places for 120)
- Headteacher
- Mr Mark Phillips (Headteacher)
- Boarding
- Boarding school
- Free school meals
- 51% of pupils eligible
- Council
- Northumberland
- School reference (URN)
- 122384
Needs it supports
8 needs: dyslexia and SpLD, vision and 6 more
As listed by the Department for Education, grouped the way EHC plans describe needs.
Communication and interaction
- Autism Other schools for this in Northumberland (14)
- Speech, language and communication Other schools for this in Northumberland (8)
Cognition and learning
- Specific learning difficulty (such as dyslexia) Other schools for this in Northumberland (3)
- Moderate learning difficulty Other schools for this in Northumberland (8)
Social, emotional and mental health
- Social, emotional and mental health Other schools for this in Northumberland (9)
Sensory and physical
- Hearing impairment Other schools for this in Northumberland (5)
- Visual impairment Other schools for this in Northumberland (3)
- Multi-sensory impairment Other schools for this in Northumberland (2)
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 Northumberland 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, April 2024
Rated Good at its last graded inspection, in April 2024.
- Quality of educationGood
- Behaviour and attitudesGood
- Personal developmentGood
- Leadership and managementGood
- SafeguardingEffective
Contact and getting there
Howling Lane, Alnwick, NE66 1DQ
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
- Red Row Primary School Mainstream + base · Ages 2–11 · Ofsted: Good 9.9 miles
- Gust Independent School Independent · Ages 6–17 · Ofsted: Good 17 miles
- NCEA Castle School Special school · Ages 2–19 · Ofsted: Good 18 miles
All SEND schools in Northumberland
By need in Northumberland: Autism (15) · SEMH (10) · Speech and language (9) · Moderate learning (9) · Severe learning (7) · Hearing (6) · PMLD (4) · Dyslexia and SpLD (4) · Vision (4) · Multi-sensory (3) · Physical (3)
Questions about Barndale School
How do I get a place at Barndale 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 Barndale School. If it is named in the plan, the school must admit your child.
What needs does Barndale 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 and moderate learning difficulty. Every child is different, so ask the school how it would meet your child’s needs.
What ages does Barndale School take?
Aged 4 to 19, boys and girls.
What is Barndale School’s Ofsted rating?
Rated Good by Ofsted in April 2024 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 Barndale School?
Howling Lane, Alnwick, NE66 1DQ, in Northumberland.
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.