Schools with severe learning difficulties provision in County Durham

For pupils with significant intellectual disabilities who need support with independence and communication as well as learning. County Durham has 1 mainstream school with a unit or resourced provision for severe learning difficulties and 6 special schools that cater for it.

Mainstream schools with a unit or resourced provision (1)

Pupils have a specialist base and staff inside an ordinary school. Places are separate from the school's main admissions and normally need an EHC plan.

School	Provision	Ages	Town	Places	Ofsted	Score
Greenland Community Primary SchoolPrimary school · also autism, hearing impairment, moderate learning difficulties and more	SEN unit	4-11	Stanley	25	Not inspected	93

Special schools (6)

Special schools take pupils with an education, health and care plan; the council names the school in the plan. Many cater for several needs.

School	Provision	Ages	Town	Places	Ofsted	Score
Croft Community SchoolSpecial school · also autism, moderate learning difficulties, speech, language and communication, specific learning difficulties	Special school	4-16	Stanley	316 pupils	Report card 2026	–
Durham Trinity School & Sports CollegeSpecial school · also autism, moderate learning difficulties, profound and multiple learning difficulties	Special school	2-19	Durham	254 pupils	Not inspected	–
Evergreen Primary SchoolSpecial school · also autism, profound and multiple learning difficulties	Special school	2-11	Bishop Auckland	211 pupils	Good 2022	–
Hope Wood AcademySpecial school · also autism, hearing impairment, moderate learning difficulties, profound and multiple learning difficulties and more	Special school	2-19	Durham	250 pupils	Not inspected	–
The Oaks Secondary SchoolSpecial school · also autism, moderate learning difficulties, profound and multiple learning difficulties	Special school	11-19	Spennymoor	349 pupils	Outstanding 2023	–
Villa Real SchoolSpecial school · also autism, profound and multiple learning difficulties	Special school	2-19	Consett	125 pupils	Good 2020	–

Other councils All schools in County Durham

Other needs

Autism Speech, language and communication Social, emotional and mental health Moderate learning difficulties Profound and multiple learning difficulties Hearing impairment Visual impairment Multi-sensory impairment Physical disability Specific learning difficulties Other needs

How to read this

The list comes from the Department for Education's register of schools (Get Information about Schools), which records the type of SEN provision each school has and how many pupils are in a resourced provision or SEN unit. Resourced provision means extra staff and funding for a group of pupils who spend most of their time in ordinary classes. A SEN unit is a separate class within the school. Both need a place agreed by the council through an education, health and care plan; ask the council's SEND team, not the school's admissions office. The register is only as good as what schools report, so check with the school before relying on it.