Hillside Specialist School and College is a council-run special school in Preston, Lancashire, for children and young people aged 3 to 19. It supports autism.
- Ages 3–19
- 117 pupils
- Ofsted: Good
School details
- Type
- Council special school
- Ages
- 3 to 19
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Pupils
- 117 (places for 99)
- Headteacher
- Mr Paul Leaper (Acting Head Teacher)
- Free school meals
- 38.6% of pupils eligible
- Council
- Lancashire
- School reference (URN)
- 131479
Needs it supports
1 need: autism
As listed by the Department for Education, grouped the way EHC plans describe needs.
Communication and interaction
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 Lancashire 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, February 2018; school remains Good (March 2024)
Rated Good at its last graded inspection, in February 2018. That was some time ago, so read the latest report for the full picture.
- Leadership and managementGood
- Early yearsGood
- Sixth formGood
- SafeguardingEffective
Since then: School remains Good (ungraded inspection, March 2024).
Contact and getting there
Ribchester Road, Longridge, Preston, PR3 3XB
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
- Brook View School Independent · Ages 8–19 · Ofsted: Good 0.8 miles
- TRUST-Education Group Ltd Independent · Ages 11–16 2.8 miles
- Sir Tom Finney Community High School Special school · Ages 11–19 · Ofsted: Good 4.7 miles
All SEND schools in Lancashire
By need in Lancashire: Speech and language (34) · Autism (30) · SEMH (22) · Moderate learning (21) · Hearing (21) · Severe learning (19) · Vision (19) · Multi-sensory (19) · PMLD (18) · Physical (17) · Dyslexia and SpLD (14)
Questions about Hillside Specialist School and College
How do I get a place at Hillside Specialist School and College?
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 Hillside Specialist School and College. If it is named in the plan, the school must admit your child.
What needs does Hillside Specialist School and College support?
Autism. Every child is different, so ask the school how it would meet your child’s needs.
What ages does Hillside Specialist School and College take?
Aged 3 to 19, boys and girls.
What is Hillside Specialist School and College’s Ofsted rating?
Rated Good by Ofsted in March 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 Hillside Specialist School and College?
Ribchester Road, Longridge, Preston, PR3 3XB, in Lancashire.
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.