Hillside Special School is a not applicable school in Sudbury, serving pupils aged 4 to 19. The school is a community special school and operates as a mixed school. It follows a not applicable admissions policy. It does not have a designated religious character, which may suit families looking for a non-faith school. The school also offers a sixth form, allowing students to continue into post-16 education on site.
Hillside Special School currently has around 86 pupils on roll, which is about 100% of its capacity. The gender split is relatively balanced, with approximately 68.6% boys and 31.4% girls. Around 45.2% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which gives an indication of the socio-economic mix. The school has a diverse intake across different backgrounds and needs.
Overall absence at the school is 11%. Persistent absence is recorded at 28%.
The majority of pupils are from a white british background (83.7%).
Safeguarding was judged to be effective, which is a key consideration for many parents.
Around SUPP of pupils move on to sustained destinations after Year 11. Most continue into education (SUPP) , including SUPP who stay in school sixth forms and SUPP progressing to further education , while SUPP enter apprenticeships .
| Address: | Hitchcock Place, Sudbury, CO10 1NN |
| Website: | http://www.hillsidespecial.org.uk |
| Telephone: | 01787372808 |
| School Type: | Community special school |
| Education phase: | Not applicable |
| Local authority: | Suffolk |
| Headteacher / Principal: | Mrs Lizzi Murphy |
| Religious character: | Does not apply |
| Admissions policy: | Not applicable |
| Unique reference: | 124903 |
Ofsted inspection date: 24/06/2025
Safeguarding is effective
| Age Range: | 4 - 19 |
| Gender: | Mixed |
| School Capacity: | 86 |
| Number of Pupils: | 86 |
| Number of Boys: | 59 |
| Number of Girls: | 27 |
| School | England state-funded schools: | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall absence: | 11% | 4% |
| Persistent absence: | 28% | 8.2% |
| White British | 83.70% | 72 |
| Other White | 7.00% | 6 |
| Other (any other ethnic group) | 2.30% | 2 |
| Other Black | 2.30% | 2 |
| Other Mixed | 1.20% | 1 |
| African | 1.20% | 1 |
| Indian | 1.20% | 1 |
| Unclassified | 1.20% | 1 |
| White and Asian | 0.00% | 0 |
| White and Black African | 0.00% | 0 |
| Irish | 0.00% | 0 |
| Pakistani | 0.00% | 0 |
| Bangladeshi | 0.00% | 0 |
| Other Asian | 0.00% | 0 |
| Chinese | 0.00% | 0 |
| Caribbean | 0.00% | 0 |
| White and Black Caribbean | 0.00% | 0 |
| Gypsy/Roma | 0.00% | 0 |
| Irish Traveller (Traveller of Irish heritage) | 0.00% | 0 |
Progress scores show how pupils performed compared with pupils nationally who had similar prior attainment. Scores above 0 are better than average; below 0 are worse than average.
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Woodhall Primary School Mayflower Way , CO10 1ST | 3out of 4 | 164 yd | Academy sponsor led | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Woodhall Community Primary School Mayflower Way , CO10 1ST | - not rated | 164 yd | Community school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Tudor Church of England Primary School, Sudbury Tudor Road , CO10 1NL | 3out of 4 | 395 yd | Academy sponsor led | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Tudor Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, Sudbury Tudor Road , CO10 1NL | - not rated | 395 yd | Voluntary controlled school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| St Joseph's Roman Catholic Primary School Beaconsfield Road , CO10 1JP | 3out of 4 | 941 yd | Voluntary aided school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ormiston Sudbury Academy Tudor Road , CO10 1NW | 2out of 4 | 178 yd | Academy sponsor led | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Sudbury Upper School and Arts College Tudor Road , CO10 1NW | - not rated | 178 yd | Foundation school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Thomas Gainsborough School Head Lane , Great Cornard CO10 0JU | - not rated | 3,190 yd | Foundation school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Uplands Community Middle School York Road , CO10 1NG | - not rated | 482 yd | Community school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| All Saints Church of England Voluntary Controlled Middle School, Sudbury Acton Lane , CO10 0AA | - not rated | 754 yd | Voluntary controlled school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hillside Special School Hitchcock Place , CO10 1NN | - not rated | 0 yd | Community special school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Salters Hall School Stour Street , CO10 2AX | - not rated | 1,448 yd | Other independent school | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Chalk Hill Cats Lane , CO10 2SF | 2out of 4 | 1,794 yd | Academy special sponsor led | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Chalk Hill Cats Lane , CO10 2SF | - not rated | 1,951 yd | Academy alternative provision sponsor led | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Hampden House Hostel Cats Lane , Great Cornard CO10 2SF | - not rated | 1,951 yd | Miscellaneous | Not Applicable | Not applicable | More About School |
School statistics for this postcode are based on Ofsted rankings.