Heathfield Special School

Heathfield Special School continues to perform well, maintaining its designation as a good school. Pupils show a strong enjoyment in learning and demonstrate excellent behavior, thriving under a well-structured curriculum that caters to their individual special educational needs. Leaders are focused on improving outcomes for all students, ensuring that personal targets are integrated into the curriculum and that pupils are prepared for their next educational steps. The school benefits from a supportive environment where staff are dedicated to the well-being and progress of the pupils.

Strengths

• Pupils show high levels of enjoyment and engagement in their learning.
• Staff have high expectations for pupil behavior, contributing to a calm atmosphere.
• The curriculum is cohesive and caters well to different special educational needs.
• Strong teamwork and collaboration among staff create a supportive school environment.
• Pupils are well-prepared for secondary school transitions.

Areas for Improvement

• Planning for progression is not consistently strong in all subjects.

In 2024–25 pupils at Heathfield Special School attended 92.7% of sessions (the national figure for special schools was 87.2%). 23.3% 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, 0.7% of pupils at Heathfield 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 Heathfield Special School had 7.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for special schools was 6.6). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 16.7% 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 Heathfield Special School had 150 pupils, 100.0% of them with an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 99.5%).

It says it provides for: specific learning difficulty; moderate learning difficulty; severe learning difficulty; social, emotional and mental health; speech, language and communication needs; hearing impairment; vision impairment; multi-sensory impairment; physical disability; autistic spectrum disorder; other difficulty or disability.

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 Heathfield Special School received £24,945 and spent £24,336 for each of its 150 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £740,000 (£4,933 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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• Secondary Schools

All schools in Fareham · Hampshire local authority: places and applications

What is Heathfield Special School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Heathfield Special School is Good, from an inspection in November 2022.

When was Heathfield Special School last inspected by Ofsted?

Heathfield Special School was last inspected in November 2022.

How many pupils does Heathfield Special School have?

Heathfield Special School has 150 pupils on roll.

What age range does Heathfield Special School cover?

Heathfield Special School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Heathfield Special School's SATs (KS2) results?

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

Where is Heathfield Special School?

Heathfield Special School is at Oldbury Way, Fareham, Hampshire, PO14 3BN.