The Link School is a special academy in Croydon, Sutton, for children and young people aged 4 to 19. It supports speech and language and autism.
- Ages 4–19
- 167 pupils
School details
- Type
- Special academy
- Ages
- 4 to 19
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Pupils
- 167 (places for 148)
- Headteacher
- Mr Joe Shepherd (Headteacher)
- Part of
- Orchard Hill College Academy Trust
- Opened
- 1 July 2017
- Free school meals
- 43.2% of pupils eligible
- Council
- Sutton
- School reference (URN)
- 144851
Needs it supports
2 needs: speech and language, autism
As listed by the Department for Education, grouped the way EHC plans describe needs.
Communication and interaction
- Autism Other schools for this in Sutton (8)
- Speech, language and communication Other schools for this in Sutton (4)
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 Sutton 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
Graded by area, June 2025; school remains Outstanding (November 2019)
Inspected in June 2025. Inspections from September 2024 to November 2025 graded each area but gave no overall grade.
- Quality of educationGood
- Behaviour and attitudesOutstanding
- Personal developmentOutstanding
- Leadership and managementGood
- Sixth formGood
- SafeguardingEffective
Since then: School remains Outstanding (ungraded inspection, November 2019).
Contact and getting there
138 Croydon Road, Beddington, Croydon, CR0 4PG
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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
- Sherwood Foundation School Special school · Ages 2–19 · Ofsted: Good 0.3 miles
- Carew Academy Special school · Ages 5–18 · Ofsted: Outstanding 0.4 miles
- Foresters Primary School Mainstream + base · Ages 3–11 0.8 miles
By need in Sutton: Autism (9) · Speech and language (5) · SEMH (3) · Moderate learning (2) · Severe learning (2) · PMLD (2) · Hearing (2)
Questions about The Link School
How do I get a place at The Link 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 The Link School. If it is named in the plan, the school must admit your child.
What needs does The Link School support?
Speech, language and communication and autism. Every child is different, so ask the school how it would meet your child’s needs.
What ages does The Link School take?
Aged 4 to 19, boys and girls.
What is The Link School’s Ofsted rating?
Rated Outstanding by Ofsted in June 2025 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 The Link School?
138 Croydon Road, Beddington, Croydon, CR0 4PG, in Sutton.
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.