William Henry Smith Specialist College is a specialist post-16 college in Elland, Calderdale, for boys aged 16 to 25.
- Ages 16–25
- Boys only
School details
- Type
- Specialist post-16 college
- Ages
- 16 to 25
- Boys and girls
- Boys only
- Headteacher
- Co Headteacher Leanne Clarke Karl Adamski
- Opened
- 22 May 2026
- Council
- Calderdale
- School reference (URN)
- 152627
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 Calderdale 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
Read the latest inspection report
There’s no grade to show. Read this school’s latest inspection report on the Ofsted website.
Contact and getting there
Providence Street, Huddersfield Road, Elland, HX5 9DL
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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
- Compass Community School North Independent · Ages 11–17 · Ofsted: Good 0.4 miles
- Cross Lane Primary and Nursery School Mainstream + base · Ages 3–11 · Ofsted: Good 0.5 miles
- The William Henry Smith School and Sixth Form Special school · Ages 5–19 · Ofsted: Outstanding 1.4 miles
All SEND schools in Calderdale
By need in Calderdale: Autism (8) · SEMH (5) · Speech and language (4) · Dyslexia and SpLD (4) · Moderate learning (3) · Severe learning (3) · PMLD (3) · Hearing (3) · Vision (3) · Multi-sensory (3) · Physical (3)
Questions about William Henry Smith Specialist College
How do I get a place at William Henry Smith Specialist College?
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 William Henry Smith Specialist College. 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 William Henry Smith Specialist College take?
Aged 16 to 25, boys only.
What is William Henry Smith Specialist College’s Ofsted rating?
There’s no overall grade to show. Read the school’s latest inspection report on the Ofsted website.
Where is William Henry Smith Specialist College?
Providence Street, Huddersfield Road, Elland, HX5 9DL, in Calderdale.
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.