Turney Primary and Secondary Special School

Turney Primary and Secondary Special School is a special school for pupils aged 4 to 18 with complex needs and autism, all of whom have education, health and care plans. It is part of a federation with Lansdowne School and shares an executive headteacher. The December 2024 graded inspection found the school performing well across all areas, with good judgements for quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, early years provision and sixth-form provision. Safeguarding arrangements are effective. The school was previously judged outstanding. Pupils are happy, safe and positive about school. They benefit from a calm and orderly environment, high expectations and an ambitious curriculum that is tailored to their needs. Pastoral support is a notable strength, and staff are skilled at helping pupils manage emotions and behaviour sensitively. Pupils attend regularly, learn well and are prepared for independence and adult life, including through the early years and sixth-form provision. Staff feel well supported, and leaders are taking steps to manage workload. The main area for improvement is that, in some aspects of the curriculum, the school is not clear enough about the specific knowledge pupils should learn. As a result, teachers do not always have sufficient guidance on the most important knowledge pupils need to learn and remember. Leaders are already refining the curriculum and supporting staff to implement it effectively.

Strengths

• Pupils are happy, calm and positive about school and learning.
• Staff create a safe, orderly environment where unkind behaviour is dealt with quickly.
• Pastoral support is a notable strength and helps pupils regulate emotions and behaviour sensitively.
• Pupils attend regularly and hardly ever miss school.
• The school has high expectations and pupils achieve well.
• The ambitious curriculum meets the needs of all pupils and is accessible at the right level.
• Communication and literacy skills are prioritised across the curriculum.
• Phonics and mathematics are taught systematically, with learning building logically.
• Leaders use a well-thought-out strategy to support teachers in delivering the revised curriculum.
• The curriculum is broad, including art, music and physical development for healthy lives.
• Teaching is adapted sensitively to pupils' EHC plans and individual needs.
• Personal development teaches pupils about safety, relationships, cultures and online safety.
• Early years provision prepares children well for the next stage and develops curiosity and social skills.
• Sixth-form provision prepares students well for adult life, work and community safety.
• Staff feel well supported and leaders are reducing and streamlining workload.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Areas for Improvement

• In some aspects of the curriculum, the specific knowledge pupils should learn is not clear enough.
• Teachers do not always have sufficient guidance on the most important knowledge pupils need to learn and remember.
• The school needs to refine curriculum explicitness and ensure staff are supported to implement it effectively.

In 2024–25 pupils at Turney Primary and Secondary Special School attended 91.8% of sessions (the national figure for special schools was 87.2%). 24.3% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 35.3%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 2.0% of pupils at Turney Primary and Secondary Special School were suspended at least once (nationally 5.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Turney Primary and Secondary Special School had 7.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for special schools was 6.6). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 39.3% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.5%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26 Turney Primary and Secondary Special School had 161 pupils, 100.0% of them with an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 99.5%).

It says it provides for: speech, language and communication needs; autistic spectrum disorder.

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded special school schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 Turney Primary and Secondary Special School received £41,577 and spent £40,668 for each of its 161 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £592,000 (£3,675 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

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What is Turney Primary and Secondary Special School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Turney Primary and Secondary Special School is Good, from an inspection in January 2025.

When was Turney Primary and Secondary Special School last inspected by Ofsted?

Turney Primary and Secondary Special School was last inspected in January 2025.

How many pupils does Turney Primary and Secondary Special School have?

Turney Primary and Secondary Special School has 161 pupils on roll.

What age range does Turney Primary and Secondary Special School cover?

Turney Primary and Secondary Special School for pupils aged 4 to 18.

What are Turney Primary and Secondary Special School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 0% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Turney Primary and Secondary Special School?

Turney Primary and Secondary Special School is at Turney Road, London, SE21 8LX.