Downs View Special School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 17 June 2025

Downs View Special School is an exceptional school. Adults place the needs of the child at the heart of all they do. Pupils flourish at this school and are proud to be part of it. Staff create an atmosphere that is warm, calm and productive. As a result, pupils attend regularly. The school has exceptionally high expectations of all pupils. Consequently, pupils achieve extremely well from their different starting points. Pupils' behaviour, including students at the link college site, is exemplary. They fully understand the school's ethos and values. Pupils accept each other's differences and are supportive of each other during lessons and social times. Pupils are responsible, respectful and active members of the school community who contribute positively to it. The school weaves pupils' personal development, especially the skills needed for adulthood, through everything it does. Helping pupils understand how to take control of their lives starts in the early years and builds until pupils move into either the link college provision or mainstream post-16 provision. Whether this is through the many opportunities in life skill-related activities or classroom work, the impact is consistently strong. This includes pupils' understanding of how to keep themselves safe.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)