Downland School is a council-run special school in Devizes, Wiltshire, for children and young people aged 10 to 16. It supports dyslexia and SpLD, autism and SEMH.
- Ages 10–16
- 102 pupils
- Ofsted: Good
School details
- Type
- Council special school
- Ages
- 10 to 16
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Pupils
- 102 (places for 90)
- Headteacher
- Mrs Georgina Keily-Theobald (Headteacher)
- Opened
- 1 January 1900
- Free school meals
- 57.8% of pupils eligible
- Council
- Wiltshire
- School reference (URN)
- 126550
Needs it supports
3 needs: dyslexia and SpLD, autism and 1 more
As listed by the Department for Education, grouped the way EHC plans describe needs.
Communication and interaction
Cognition and learning
- Specific learning difficulty (such as dyslexia) Other schools for this in Wiltshire (13)
Social, emotional and mental health
- Social, emotional and mental health Other schools for this in Wiltshire (11)
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 Wiltshire 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 2014; standards maintained (October 2024)
Rated Good at its last graded inspection, in October 2014. That was some time ago, so read the latest report for the full picture.
- Leadership and managementGood
Since then: Standards maintained (ungraded inspection, October 2024).
Contact and getting there
Downlands Road, Devizes, SN10 5EF
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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
- Wansdyke School Mainstream + base · Ages 4–11 · Ofsted report card (2026) 0.0 miles
- Silverwood School Special school · Ages 4–19 · Ofsted: Good 2.7 miles
- Kingsbury Green Academy Mainstream + base · Ages 11–18 · Ofsted report card (2026) 6.1 miles
By need in Wiltshire: Speech and language (25) · Autism (19) · Dyslexia and SpLD (14) · Moderate learning (13) · SEMH (12) · Hearing (11) · Physical (9) · Severe learning (8) · Multi-sensory (8) · Vision (7) · PMLD (6)
Questions about Downland School
How do I get a place at Downland 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 Downland School. If it is named in the plan, the school must admit your child.
What needs does Downland School support?
Specific learning difficulty (such as dyslexia), autism and social, emotional and mental health. Every child is different, so ask the school how it would meet your child’s needs.
What ages does Downland School take?
Aged 10 to 16, boys and girls.
What is Downland School’s Ofsted rating?
Rated Good by Ofsted in October 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 Downland School?
Downlands Road, Devizes, SN10 5EF, in Wiltshire.
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.