Include - St Matthews is an independent special school in Derby for children and young people aged 11 to 16.
- Ages 11–16
- 42 pupils
- Ofsted report card (2026)
School details
- Type
- Independent special school
- Ages
- 11 to 16
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Pupils
- 42 (places for 50)
- Headteacher
- Mr Sam Johnson
- Opened
- 27 December 2024
- Council
- Derby
- School reference (URN)
- 151335
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 Derby 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
Report card, February 2026: Needs attention in every area
Inspected in February 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 behaviourNeeds attention
- Personal development and wellbeingNeeds attention
- Leadership and governanceNeeds attention
- SafeguardingMet
Independent school standards: did not meet all standards.
Contact and getting there
St Matthews House, Brick Row, Darley Abbey, Derby, DE22 1DQ
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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
- Saint Benedict, A Catholic Voluntary Academy Mainstream + base · Ages 11–19 · Ofsted: Good 0.3 miles
- St Giles' Spencer Academy Special school · Ages 4–11 · Ofsted: Outstanding 1.0 mile
- Aurora Ryefields School Independent · Ages 5–19 1.0 mile
By need in Derby: Autism (14) · SEMH (12) · Speech and language (9) · Moderate learning (9) · Severe learning (7) · Hearing (7) · Physical (7) · PMLD (5) · Dyslexia and SpLD (5) · Vision (5) · Multi-sensory (5)
Questions about Include - St Matthews
How do I get a place at Include - St Matthews?
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 Include - St Matthews. 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 Include - St Matthews take?
Aged 11 to 16, boys and girls.
What is Include - St Matthews’s Ofsted rating?
There’s no overall grade to show. Read the school’s latest inspection report on the Ofsted website.
Where is Include - St Matthews?
St Matthews House, Brick Row, Darley Abbey, Derby, DE22 1DQ, in Derby.
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.