Southlands School
Address
Map
Southlands School

Vicar's Hill, Boldre, Lymington
,
Hampshire
,
S041 5QB

England
Coordinates50°46′28″N 1°32′23″W / 50.774560118373444°N 1.539646437011284°W / 50.774560118373444; -1.539646437011284
Information
TypeIndependent Specialist School (Unapproved) and Children’s Home
Religious affiliation(s)None
Established1971
Local authorityHampshire County Council
Department for Education URN116564 Tables
OfstedReports
PrincipalAlison Priddle
ProprietorCambian Asperger Syndrome Service Limited
GenderMixed
Age7 to 19
Enrolment37
Capacity64
Websitehttps://www.cambiangroup.com/specialist-education/our-schools/asperger-schools/southlands-school/

Southlands School is a specialist school and children's home, located in the parish of Boldre, near Lymington, Hampshire, England.[1][2][3] Established in 1971, as an independent school,[4] it currently operates under the Cambian Group.[5]

On 12 May 1987 Southlands, historically known as Vicars Hill House,[6] became a grade II listed building.[7]

In 1995, Southlands established itself as the first residential specialist school in the United Kingdom for students with a diagnosis of Asperger syndrome.[8] In 2014, after expanding its residential provisions, Southlands registered as a children's home.

Since its withdrawal from approval as an independent specialist school under section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014, the school can no longer be subject to a request for it to be named in an Education, Health and Care plan.[9][10][11]

Controversies

In September 2019, the school was examined by the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse;[12] the school's children's home was later judged as 'Inadequate' by Ofsted.[13]

In July 2022, an English teacher at the school was banned from teaching indefinitely after she was accused of failing to maintain professional boundaries. The teacher had asked to be alone with a pupil and had contacted the pupils mother under the pseudonym Tom Jones.[14]

References

  1. ^ "Southlands School - GOV.UK". get-information-schools.service.gov.uk. Retrieved 20 April 2022.
  2. ^ "Southlands School only one of its type in Europe". New Milton Advertiser. 20 September 1997. p. 13. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
  3. ^ "Southlands School beat all corners". New Milton Advertiser. 9 July 1998. p. 13. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
  4. ^ "Independent Schools (Hansard, 21 January 1980)". api.parliament.uk. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
  5. ^ "Southlands School | Asperger Schools | Cambian Education". www.cambiangroup.com. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
  6. ^ "Gazetteer of New Forest Houses, c.1851 to c.1921". www.catherineglover.org.uk. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
  7. ^ "Southlands School". Historic England. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
  8. ^ "Southlands School, Hampshire". www.autism.org.uk. Retrieved 20 April 2022.
  9. ^ "Southlands School - GOV.UK". get-information-schools.service.gov.uk. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
  10. ^ "Independent special schools and colleges". GOV.UK. 7 July 2023. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
  11. ^ "Children and Families Act, s41". Legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
  12. ^ "Two Hampshire schools to be examined in Child Sexual Abuse inquiry". Daily Echo. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
  13. ^ "Find an inspection report and registered childcare". reports.ofsted.gov.uk. 7 September 2022. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
  14. ^ "Teacher at specialist school banned after breaching professional standards". Bournemouth Echo. Retrieved 12 September 2022.
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