Courtlands Independent Special School
37 Parklands Avenue, Goring By Sea, Worthing, BN12 4NGOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)
Courtlands Independent Special School is a special school in Worthing for ages 11 to 16. It is one of the 332 schools in West Sussex. Its latest Ofsted rating is Good, from an inspection in March 2025.
Ofsted inspection
Inspected 4 March 2025, report published 30 March 2025
- Overall effectiveness
- Good
- Quality of education
- Good
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Good
- Personal development
- Good
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Safeguarding
- Met
What Ofsted said
From the inspection on 4 March 2025
The school's consistently calm, quiet and purposeful atmosphere makes a strong contribution to pupils' learning and well-being. Pupils move around the school sensibly, chatting to each other quietly as they do so. Pupils appreciate their school and treat this historical building, its attractive grounds and everyone in the school with respect. Pupils have often had a difficult time in education prior to joining the school, including extended periods of time outside formal education. Staff establish strong and trusting relationships with pupils. Pupils grow in confidence because they feel secure and valued in school. They work hard and achieve well. Pupils learn a range of valuable skills to support independence, such as how to follow a recipe and how to use kitchen utensils safely. Visits and trips into the local community help to enrich learning and build important social skills. Pupils respond positively to high expectations of their learning and behaviour. Good behaviour is a key feature of the school's strong community ethos. Pupils listen to their teachers and to each other with interest, often offering to help if a classmate gets stuck during lessons. They enjoy opportunities to play games or to catch up with interests during breaktimes and lunchtimes. Visitors are welcomed politely.
What the school should improve
- Support for weaker readers is at an early stage of development. This means that pupils who have fallen behind prior to joining the school do not catch up as quickly as they could. The school should implement actions to ensure that the recently introduced phonics programme is fully established so that pupils become fluent, confident readers.
- The planned curriculum is not implemented as intended in all subjects. This means that learning does not build consistently on what pupils have learned previously where this is the case. The school should ensure that the planned curriculum is followed and delivered consistently in all subjects and that effective oversight is in place to ensure that this is the case.
Pupil numbers and mix
56 pupils on roll, with places for 80
Schools near Courtlands Independent Special School
| School | Distance | Ofsted | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palatine Primary School | 1 mile | Ofsted: Good | 0% met the expected standard |
| Oak Grove College | 1 mile | Ofsted: Good | Not published |
| Seadown School | 2 miles | Ofsted: Good | Not published |
| Red Balloon Worthing Learner Centre | 3 miles | No Ofsted inspection | Attainment 8: 24.9 |
| Springboard Education | 4 miles | Ofsted: Good | Not published |
School details
- School type
- Other independent special school
- Sector
- Independent
- Age range
- 11 to 16
- Gender
- Mixed
- Headteacher
- Mr Mark Birkbeck
- Phone
- 01903255900
- Address
- 37 Parklands Avenue, Goring By Sea, Worthing, BN12 4NG
- Local authority
- West Sussex
- URN
- 149890
School details from Get Information about Schools, 17 September 2026. Ofsted outcomes published to 31 August 2026. Pupil mix from the school census, 2025/26.