Mill Water School is a special academy in Budleigh Salterton, Devon, for children and young people aged 3 to 19. It supports vision, hearing, speech and language and 6 other needs.
- Ages 3–19
- 119 pupils
- Ofsted: Good
School details
- Type
- Special academy
- Ages
- 3 to 19
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Pupils
- 119 (places for 100)
- Headteacher
- Ms Sarah Pickering (Headteacher)
- Part of
- Special Partnership Trust
- Opened
- 1 February 2025
- Free school meals
- 40.9% of pupils eligible
- Council
- Devon
- School reference (URN)
- 151329
Needs it supports
10 needs: vision, hearing and 8 more
As listed by the Department for Education, grouped the way EHC plans describe needs.
Communication and interaction
- Autism Other schools for this in Devon (13)
- Speech, language and communication Other schools for this in Devon (6)
Cognition and learning
- Moderate learning difficulty Other schools for this in Devon (7)
- Severe learning difficulty Other schools for this in Devon (6)
- Profound and multiple learning difficulties Other schools for this in Devon (4)
Sensory and physical
- Hearing impairment Other schools for this in Devon (4)
- Visual impairment Other schools for this in Devon (4)
- Multi-sensory impairment Other schools for this in Devon (3)
- Physical disability Other schools for this in Devon (4)
It also lists other needs. Ask the school what these are.
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 Devon 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 Good, April 2017; school remains Good (March 2023)
Rated Good at its last graded inspection, in April 2017. That was some time ago, so read the latest report for the full picture.
- Leadership and managementGood
- Early yearsGood
- Sixth formGood
- SafeguardingEffective
Since then: School remains Good (ungraded inspection, March 2023).
Contact and getting there
Bicton, Budleigh Salterton, EX9 7BJ
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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
- Marpool Primary School Mainstream + base · Ages 3–11 · Ofsted: Inadequate 4.6 miles
- Royal Deaf Education Trust Independent · Ages 16–24 5.5 miles
- Royal Deaf Education Trust Special school · Ages 5–19 · Ofsted: Good 5.5 miles
By need in Devon: Autism (14) · SEMH (9) · Moderate learning (8) · Speech and language (7) · Severe learning (7) · PMLD (5) · Hearing (5) · Vision (5) · Physical (5) · Dyslexia and SpLD (4) · Multi-sensory (4)
Questions about Mill Water School
How do I get a place at Mill Water 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 Mill Water School. If it is named in the plan, the school must admit your child.
What needs does Mill Water School support?
Visual impairment, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication, autism, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability, moderate learning difficulty, severe learning difficulty and profound and multiple learning difficulties. Every child is different, so ask the school how it would meet your child’s needs.
What ages does Mill Water School take?
Aged 3 to 19, boys and girls.
What is Mill Water School’s Ofsted rating?
Rated Good by Ofsted in March 2023 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 Mill Water School?
Bicton, Budleigh Salterton, EX9 7BJ, in Devon.
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.