Alfriston School is a special academy in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, for girls aged 11 to 18. It supports moderate learning.
- Ages 11–18
- 164 pupils
- Girls only
- Ofsted report card (2026)
School details
- Type
- Special academy
- Ages
- 11 to 18
- Boys and girls
- Girls only
- Pupils
- 164 (places for 150)
- Headteacher
- Mrs Claire Smart (Headteacher)
- Part of
- Alfriston School
- Boarding
- Boarding school
- Opened
- 1 March 2012
- Free school meals
- 31.7% of pupils eligible
- Council
- Buckinghamshire
- School reference (URN)
- 137934
Needs it supports
1 need: moderate learning
As listed by the Department for Education, grouped the way EHC plans describe needs.
Cognition and learning
- Moderate learning difficulty Other schools for this in Buckinghamshire (6)
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 Buckinghamshire 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
Report card, January 2026: Needs attention in 4 of 7 areas
Inspected in January 2026 under Ofsted’s new report cards, which grade each area separately, from Exceptional to Urgent improvement, instead of one overall grade.
- InclusionNeeds attention
- Curriculum and teachingNeeds attention
- AchievementNeeds attention
- Attendance and behaviourExpected standard
- Personal development and wellbeingExpected standard
- Post-16Expected standard
- Leadership and governanceNeeds attention
- SafeguardingMet
Since then: School remains Outstanding (Concerns) - S5 Next (ungraded inspection, September 2023).
Contact and getting there
Penn Road, Knotty Green, Beaconsfield, HP9 2TS
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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
- Holtspur School & Pre-School Mainstream + base · Ages 4–11 · Ofsted: Good 1.6 miles
- Sir William Ramsay School Mainstream + base · Ages 11–18 · Ofsted: Inadequate 2.7 miles
- Kings Wood School and Nursery Mainstream + base · Ages 3–11 2.9 miles
All SEND schools in Buckinghamshire
By need in Buckinghamshire: Autism (19) · Speech and language (16) · Moderate learning (7) · SEMH (6) · Severe learning (5) · Hearing (4) · Physical (4) · PMLD (3) · Dyslexia and SpLD (3) · Vision (2)
Questions about Alfriston School
How do I get a place at Alfriston 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 Alfriston School. If it is named in the plan, the school must admit your child.
What needs does Alfriston School support?
Moderate learning difficulty. Every child is different, so ask the school how it would meet your child’s needs.
What ages does Alfriston School take?
Aged 11 to 18, girls only.
What is Alfriston School’s Ofsted rating?
Rated Outstanding by Ofsted in January 2026 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 Alfriston School?
Penn Road, Knotty Green, Beaconsfield, HP9 2TS, in Buckinghamshire.
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.