Arbour House School is an independent special school in Dorset for children and young people aged 6 to 18.
- Ages 6–18
- 39 pupils
- Ofsted: Outstanding
School details
- Type
- Independent special school
- Ages
- 6 to 18
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Pupils
- 39 (places for 60)
- Headteacher
- Ms Julie Perks
- Opened
- 1 June 2017
- Council
- Dorset
- School reference (URN)
- 143642
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 Dorset 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
Rated Outstanding, June 2025
Rated Outstanding at its last graded inspection, in June 2025.
- Quality of educationOutstanding
- Behaviour and attitudesOutstanding
- Personal developmentOutstanding
- Leadership and managementOutstanding
- SafeguardingEffective
Independent school standards: all standards met.
Contact and getting there
15-17 Glendinning Avenue, Weymouth, DT4 7QF
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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
- Kingfisher School Independent · Ages 6–16 0.7 miles
- The Compass Alternative provision · Ages 5–16 · Ofsted: Good 1.2 miles
- Wyvern Academy Special school · Ages 2–19 · Ofsted: Good 1.7 miles
By need in Dorset: Autism (13) · Speech and language (11) · Moderate learning (9) · Physical (7) · SEMH (6) · Dyslexia and SpLD (5) · Severe learning (4) · Multi-sensory (4) · Hearing (3) · Vision (3) · PMLD (2)
Questions about Arbour House School
How do I get a place at Arbour House 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 Arbour House School. 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 ages does Arbour House School take?
Aged 6 to 18, boys and girls.
What is Arbour House School’s Ofsted rating?
There’s no overall grade to show. Read the school’s latest inspection report on the Ofsted website.
Where is Arbour House School?
15-17 Glendinning Avenue, Weymouth, DT4 7QF, in Dorset.
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.