Willow Dene School is a special academy in Plumstead, Greenwich, for children and young people aged 2 to 19.
- Ages 2–19
- 315 pupils
- Ofsted: Outstanding
School details
- Type
- Special academy
- Ages
- 2 to 19
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Pupils
- 315 (places for 264)
- Headteacher
- Ms Rachel Harrison (Executive Headteacher)
- Part of
- The Compass Partnership of Schools
- Opened
- 1 July 2017
- Free school meals
- 58.9% of pupils eligible
- Council
- Greenwich
- School reference (URN)
- 143595
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 Greenwich 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 Outstanding, November 2022; school remains Good (Improving) - S5 Next (December 2019)
Rated Outstanding at its last graded inspection, in November 2022.
- Quality of educationOutstanding
- Behaviour and attitudesOutstanding
- Personal developmentOutstanding
- Leadership and managementOutstanding
- Early yearsOutstanding
- SafeguardingEffective
Since then: School remains Good (Improving) - S5 Next (ungraded inspection, December 2019).
Contact and getting there
Swingate Lane, Plumstead, SE18 2JD
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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
- ADO River Valley School Independent · Ages 14–19 · Ofsted: Good 0.2 miles
- Plumstead Manor School Mainstream + base · Ages 11–19 · Ofsted: Requires improvement 0.7 miles
- Hook Lane Primary School Mainstream + base · Ages 3–11 · Ofsted: Good 0.9 miles
By need in Greenwich: Autism (13) · Speech and language (5) · Moderate learning (5) · Hearing (4) · SEMH (2) · Severe learning (2)
Questions about Willow Dene School
How do I get a place at Willow Dene 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 Willow Dene School. If it is named in the plan, the school must admit your child.
What ages does Willow Dene School take?
Aged 2 to 19, boys and girls.
What is Willow Dene School’s Ofsted rating?
Rated Outstanding by Ofsted in November 2022 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 Willow Dene School?
Swingate Lane, Plumstead, SE18 2JD, in Greenwich.
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.