Shepherds Down Special School

Special school · Primary, ages 4 to 11 · Mixed

Shepherds Lane, Compton, Winchester, SO21 2AJ

01962 713445 · School website · Map and directions

OfstedGoodInspected 21 March 2017; confirmed 2023
Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths0%England 62% · 2024/25
Pupils198 Pupil numbers in January of each year: 141 in 2019, 158 in 2021, 160 in 2022, 168 in 2023, 172 in 2024, 195 in 2025, 198 in 2026. Across England, special state school pupil numbers were up 39% from 2019 to 2025.
Free school meals31%of pupils eligible now

Ofsted inspection

Ofsted rated this school Good at the inspection that started on 21 March 2017.

This inspection used Ofsted's older format with four grades: Outstanding, Good, Requires improvement and Inadequate. Newer inspections use report cards. What changed.

AreaGrade
Quality of educationGood
Outcomes for pupilsGood
Behaviour and attitudesGood
Leadership and managementGood
Early yearsGood
SafeguardingEffective

Since then, a shorter ungraded inspection on 22 February 2023: Ofsted found the school was still Good.

Read the full Ofsted reports for this school

Source: Ofsted state-funded schools inspection data.

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Results

Key stage 2 (SATs, age 11), 2024/25

26 pupils in this year group.

0% — 63 points below the Hampshire average, and 62 points below the England average.

MeasureThis schoolHampshireEngland
Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths 0% 63% 62%
Reached the higher standard in reading, writing and maths 0% 9% 8%
Met the expected standard in reading 0% 76% 75%
Met the expected standard in writing 0% 74% 72%
Met the expected standard in maths 0% 74% 74%
Average reading scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 is the expected standard. Not published 106 106
Average maths scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 is the expected standard. Not published 104 105

"Not published": No figure published.

Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths, over time
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% England 2022/23: 60%England 2023/24: 61%England 2024/25: 62% This school 2022/23: 0%This school 2023/24: 0%This school 2024/25: 0% This school England 62% 2022/23 0% 2023/24 0% 2024/25 0%

Source: DfE key stage 2 performance tables, 2024/25. England figures are for state-funded schools.

Admissions

Apply through the council where you live, even if the school is in a different council area. This school is in Hampshire. The national closing date for primary applications is 15 January, and offers are sent on 16 April.

Admissions dates and schools in Hampshire

Pupils, staff and SEND

This is a special school for children with an education, health and care plan (EHCP). Places are arranged through the council's SEND team, not the normal admissions round. It caters for: Speech, language and communication needs; Autism; Moderate learning difficulties.

PupilsThis schoolHampshireEngland
Eligible for free school meals in the last 6 years 34.9% 45.4%* 51.9%
With an education, health and care plan 100.0% 99.3%* 99.5%
Receiving special educational needs support 0.0% 0.7%* 0.5%
English as an additional language 10.8% 7.3%* 14.4%
Overall absence (sessions missed) 8.3% 12.6%* 12.8%
Persistently absent (missed 10% or more) 26.0% 34.3%* 35.3%
Suspensions per 100 pupils 0.0 19.1 12.3
Pupils suspended at least once 0.0% 7.4% 5.1%
Pupils permanently excluded0 pupils 0.00% 0.08% 0.08%
Pupils per teacher 7.5 6.1 6.6
Pupils per adult (teachers and support staff) 2.3 2.3 2.3
Teachers who left during the year 20.1% 14.5%* 14.3%*

Comparisons are with special schools. * Calculated by SchoolScores from the council's or England's schools, weighted by pupils (or teachers, for turnover); other figures are published by DfE. Sources: DfE school census 2024/25; DfE pupil absence 2024/25; DfE suspensions and permanent exclusions 2024/25; DfE school workforce census 2025/26; DfE teacher turnover 2024/25.

SEND provision: Get Information about Schools (DfE).

Nearby special schools

Straight-line distance. Distance isn't the same as a catchment area.

Questions parents ask

What is Shepherds Down Special School's Ofsted rating?

Shepherds Down Special School was rated Good by Ofsted at its inspection in 21 March 2017. At a shorter ungraded inspection in 22 February 2023, Ofsted found the school was still Good.

How did Shepherds Down Special School do in its SATs?

In 2024/25, 0% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths, 62 points below the England average of 62%.

Sources

Spotted a mistake? Report it and we'll check it against the source.

Page updated 26 September 2026.