Thornbeck College - North East Autism Society is a specialist post-16 college in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, for children and young people aged 16 to 25. It supports autism.
- Ages 16–25
School details
- Type
- Specialist post-16 college
- Ages
- 16 to 25
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Headteacher
- Mrs Fay Strong (Principal)
- Opened
- 20 June 2006
- Council
- County Durham
- School reference (URN)
- 132030
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 County Durham council) that this is the school you want, and ask them to consult it.
- An offer, and the council’s agreement
As an independent school not approved under Section 41, it doesn’t have to accept a place: the school has to offer one, and the council has to agree to name it in the plan.
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
Read the latest inspection report
There’s no grade to show. Read this school’s latest inspection report on the Ofsted website.
Contact and getting there
Thornbeck College (Aycliffe Campus), Cedar Drive, Newton Aycliffe, DL5 6UN
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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
- North East Centre for Autism - Aycliffe School Independent · Ages 3–19 · Ofsted report card (2026) 0.0 miles
- Woodham Academy Mainstream + base · Ages 11–16 · Ofsted: Good 0.5 miles
- Walworth School Special school · Ages 4–11 · Ofsted: Good 1.6 miles
All SEND schools in County Durham
By need in County Durham: Autism (12) · Speech and language (8) · Moderate learning (8) · Severe learning (7) · SEMH (6) · Dyslexia and SpLD (6) · PMLD (5) · Hearing (4) · Vision (3) · Physical (2)
Questions about Thornbeck College - North East Autism Society
How do I get a place at Thornbeck College - North East Autism Society?
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 Thornbeck College - North East Autism Society. As an independent school not approved under Section 41, it has to offer a place and the council has to agree to name it.
What needs does Thornbeck College - North East Autism Society support?
Autism. Every child is different, so ask the school how it would meet your child’s needs.
What ages does Thornbeck College - North East Autism Society take?
Aged 16 to 25, boys and girls.
What is Thornbeck College - North East Autism Society’s Ofsted rating?
There’s no overall grade to show. Read the school’s latest inspection report on the Ofsted website.
Where is Thornbeck College - North East Autism Society?
Thornbeck College (Aycliffe Campus), Cedar Drive, Newton Aycliffe, DL5 6UN, in County Durham.
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.