Hurst Lodge School Review 2026: Where Potential Meets Possibility

In the aftermath of the Second World War, Miss Dorice Stainer, a former prima ballerina and sister of film star Leslie Howard, established Hurst Lodge as a haven centred on dance and the arts. The school that began as dancing classes has evolved into something far more ambitious. Today, Hurst Lodge occupies a purpose-built campus at Yateley Hall in Hampshire, serving 146 pupils aged 2-19 with a genuine commitment to inclusive education. What distinguishes this school is not selective admissions or published rankings, but rather its unwavering philosophy that every child possesses untapped potential waiting to be revealed.

The atmosphere here is genuinely purposeful. Hurst Lodge School in Yateley, Yateley has a clear sense of identity shaped by its setting and community. Classes are deliberately small, with Lodge provision groups averaging just 8 pupils and Moderate Learning Difficulties classes around 10. This is an independent school where the defining characteristic is flexibility. Hurst Lodge offers three distinct learning pathways based on individual need. The mainstream Hurst pathway gives students access to traditional GCSE and A-level studies with tailored support. The specialist Lodge pathway serves those requiring a bespoke curriculum enriched with occupational therapy and speech-language support. The Moderate Learning Difficulties provision serves students working significantly below their age level but whose talents are nurtured across creative and vocational subjects.

The most recent ISI inspection in February 2024 confirmed that the school meets all required standards. Critically, inspectors found that pupils demonstrate high respect and appreciation for diversity, that learning support assistants enable students with additional needs to progress toward independence, and that the extracurricular programme allows pupils to excel in numerous creative pursuits. The inspection revealed a school where anti-bullying initiatives are embedded and where students with SEND receive effective, tailored support through carefully designed learning programmes and specialist resources.

Hurst Lodge occupies Yateley Hall, set within 16 acres of landscaped grounds. The setting itself communicates the school's values. There is space here. Space to think, to explore, to discover strengths rather than endure endless pressure to conform. The Early Years provision operates within its own enclosed garden featuring logs, a playhouse, and natural outdoor play spaces. Senior students benefit from the outdoor classroom, woods, and trim trail. This physical environment reflects the school's educational philosophy: learning happens everywhere, not just within four walls.

The school relocated to this permanent Hampshire campus in September 2021 following a challenging merger period. Between 2018 and 2020, the school was known as HawleyHurst after merging with Hawley Place. That period included a Department for Education warning notice, though it was lifted the following year after improvements were demonstrated. What matters now is that from that turbulent period, a stronger and more focused institution emerged. The teaching team remains the same as the original Hurst Lodge that operated in Ascot, Berkshire, preserving continuity despite geographical upheaval.

Miss Victoria Smit serves as Head Teacher, leading a school that is decidedly non-selective and deliberately inclusive. The school's values centre on creating independent thinkers who will emerge as confident, responsible citizens. Staff consistently emphasise what makes each student extraordinary rather than ordinary. School culture rewards effort as well as achievement. This distinction matters profoundly for children who have experienced education as a series of failures rather than discoveries.

Visitors to the school report seeing pupils who appear genuinely comfortable, staff who know individual students intimately, and a community united by something closer to mutual respect than hierarchy. The ISI inspection highlighted pupils' high respect and appreciation for diversity within the school community, an observation that would ring hollow in many schools but here appears grounded in daily practice.

We do not publish traditional results data for Hurst Lodge School. The nature of the student cohort means that GCSE grades, whether grades 9-7 or lower, would reveal little about genuine progress. Instead, progress is measured against individual EHCP targets and tracked through the Routes for Learning and MAPP assessment frameworks.

What matters is that students make tangible progress toward their individually defined goals. The ISI inspection found that teaching supports good pupil progress. Where students are working at significantly lower levels than their peers, the curriculum is completely individualised. For example, Moderate Learning Difficulties students may work three or four years below their chronological age in core academics but develop genuine talents in non-academic areas. The school deliberately enables mixing between pathway groups, so students benefit from social relationships with peers across all provisions while accessing teaching pitched to their specific learning level.

Mainstream & Specialist Pathways

The Hurst pathway serves students able to access mainstream GCSE and A-level study alongside support. These pupils study core subjects alongside two or three option choices in Years 9-11, including traditional academic subjects (English, Mathematics, Sciences, Humanities, Modern Languages) and creative options (Art, Drama, Music, Textiles, Food Technology). The school offers both traditional and vocational routes, with BTEC and Functional Skills options where pupils are unable to access full GCSEs. This curriculum flexibility is essential for a cohort that may include students with dyslexia, ADHD, ASC, or social anxiety, barriers that would create failure in a less adaptive environment but become entirely manageable when curriculum structure is tailored to learning profile rather than age.

The Lodge pathway provides a completely specialist curriculum embedded within Occupational Therapy and Speech-Language Therapy. These are not separate clinical interventions conducted outside the classroom, but fully integrated into daily teaching and learning. Pupils in Lodge classes benefit from exceptionally small groups, bespoke curricula, and a pathway toward in England recognised qualifications. Class sizes of around 8 mean each student receives individualised attention that mainstream schools, however excellent, cannot replicate.

The Moderate Learning Difficulties pathway serves pupils working at significantly lower developmental levels. Form tutors deliver core subjects at appropriate levels, and the school creates bridges enabling MLD students to participate in creative and vocational subjects alongside their peers. This structural design prevents segregation while respecting learning needs.

Therapy & Specialist Support

Where Hurst Lodge distinguishes itself most clearly is in integrated specialist support. The school employs Level 7 Learning Support Teachers specialising in dyslexia, dyspraxia, and dyscalculia. Occupational Therapists and SALT (Speech and Language Therapy) professionals work on both individual and group bases. ELSAs provide targeted emotional support, and Drawing & Talking Therapists are available for pupils experiencing emotional difficulties. This is not a school that identifies needs and then refers externally; these services exist on-site and are woven into the school day.

For pupils with PMLD (Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties), the school offers multi-sensory experiences and therapy-enriched environments designed specifically to enable communication and engagement. The specialised provision means that a child who has never been able to communicate meaningfully can discover voice through total communication approaches using speech, signing, symbols, objects of reference, and eye-gaze technology.

The school's educational approach rests on an understanding of the individual pupil rather than standardised curriculum delivery. The statement "the better we know who they are, the better we can support them on the journey to who they can become" captures the essence of practice across all pathways.

Teaching staff combine expertise in mainstream curriculum delivery with training in special educational needs. The ISI inspection observed that while excellent teaching practice exists, it is not yet fully disseminated across all learning areas, indicating areas for development. Nevertheless, pupils consistently move forward, learning happens, and the school achieves the fundamental objective of enabling students who may have experienced school as a place of humiliation to experience it instead as a place where they belong.

Curriculum structure reflects the school's inclusive philosophy. For older students, ASDAN short courses develop skills across topics and curriculum areas, internally moderated and accrediting up to 60 hours of activity. These courses build toward personal development qualifications. The Unit Award Scheme (UAS), an AQA-accredited programme, records achievement using a 'can do' approach designed to boost confidence and motivation.

Residential experiences form a significant part of learning. Junior pupils in Year 4 undertake a residential to Devon, whilst Year 5 and 6 pupils go to the Isle of Wight. These trips involve team-building, geography field work, ICT work, and physical challenges such as climbing and abseiling. Senior pupils benefit from annual ski trips to the French Alps, biannual World War 1 Battlefields trips, and visits to the school's twin towns in Meudon, France and Oberusel, Germany. These experiences serve a dual purpose: they build academic understanding and they cement relationships, enabling students to discover capabilities they did not know they possessed.

In the 2024 leavers cohort (8 students), 25% progressed to university and 13% entered employment. The data is limited by cohort size, though meaningful patterns emerge. The school's role is not to push students toward university as though it were the only measure of success. Instead, Hurst Lodge enables each leaver to move into a pathway reflecting their abilities, ambitions, and support needs.

For students in the Hurst pathway capable of accessing A-level study, destinations span higher education, gap year travel, apprenticeships, and direct employment. The new Sixth Form provision (announced November 2024 for entry in 2026) will expand post-16 options and enable more students to remain at the school through A-level study. For pupils in Lodge and MLD provisions, post-19 destinations typically include specialist colleges, adult day services, or supported living arrangements. The school's dedicated Transition Coordinator ensures progression planning begins early and involves families, local authority commissioning teams, and where relevant, adult social care.

The extracurricular programme is where the school's values become most visible. This is not a school presenting a checkbox list of optional clubs; instead, students engage in substantive programmes across creative arts, sport, technology, and personal development.

Creative Arts & Performance

Drama and dance occupy a central position in Hurst Lodge's identity, reflecting the school's heritage and founder Miss Stainer's belief that the arts are fundamental to education. All pupils are taught dance as part of the curriculum, and A-level theatre studies and BTEC diplomas in performing arts are available for senior students. The majority of pupils participate in school productions throughout the year. Some girls perform in dance shows, with past students progressing to West End and national productions, a tangible reminder that Hurst Lodge has launched professional careers.

The school hosts regular visits from theatre companies and musical ensembles, and hosts its own performances. The Great Hall, recently identified as an additional space for performing arts, enables productions of genuine scale. Music is taught as part of the curriculum, with instrumental exams available and musical groups including choirs and ensembles. Students engage with concerts, study music at GCSE and A-level, and develop instrumental skills through both school provision and external tutors. Musical experiences range from classroom learning to Chapel performances to visiting orchestras.

Art and design programmes include traditional studio practice in painting and drawing alongside textiles, pottery, photography, and graphics. Year 11 students can pursue Art GCSE, whilst older students access A-level qualifications. Creative work extends beyond formal tuition. Students participate in regular trips to museums, galleries, study centres, and theatres, returning with inspiration for their own creative practice. The school's 16-acre grounds provide natural subjects for plein air work, and the outdoor classroom enables large-scale artistic projects.

Sport & Physical Education

Sport is compulsory and offers options spanning netball, hockey, athletics, swimming, tennis, judo, and football. GCSE and A-level PE qualifications are available. The school holds RLSS (Royal Life Saving Society) exam provision. All pupils engage in debating, careers education, sport, and PSHE as core entitlements. Senior students participate in a fully integrated programme of sports and environmental education alongside academics.

The swimming provision benefits from the school's extensive grounds. Pupils develop competence in water from early years through to senior phase. Tennis courts, a football pitch, and other facilities enable year-round sport. Physical activity is embedded in the school day, contributing to both physical development and emotional regulation.

ASDAN & Skills Development

The school is a registered ASDAN member (an education charity delivering learning programmes focused on real-world skills). ASDAN courses develop personal, social, and work-related abilities through practical pedagogy, ensuring pupils engage with content and develop capabilities relevant to further education, training, and employment. Certificate of Personal Effectiveness and Personal Development Programmes provide formal accreditation.

The Unit Award Scheme (UAS) complements ASDAN provision. Delivered through AQA, this 'can do' approach to accreditation boosts confidence and motivation. For students who have experienced education as failure, a system that recognises and celebrates achievement fundamentally reshapes their relationship with learning.

Trips & Residential Learning

School trips and excursions are integral rather than peripheral. The residential experiences deserve particular mention. Junior pupils experience residential learning in Devon (Year 4) and the Isle of Wight (Years 5-6). Senior pupils undertake the annually popular ski trip to the French Alps, engaging in winter sports, team building, and cultural immersion. The biannual World War 1 Battlefields trip provides history study within the locations where events unfolded. Twin town exchanges to Meudon (France) and Oberusel (Germany) enable cultural learning and language development.

These trips serve multiple functions. They build academic knowledge, develop independence, strengthen peer relationships, and often provide transformative experiences for pupils who may not otherwise travel internationally. For a student with anxiety or previous school avoidance, a successful residential trip can become a turning point in self-belief.

Community & Environmental Involvement

The school holds the highest aspirations for pupils' contributions to community and environment. Environmental responsibility is actively taught through practical activities. Students engage with carbon and waste-reduction programmes. The school maintains outdoor growing spaces, producing some of its own food. This is not performative environmentalism but genuine engagement with sustainable practices.

Co-curricular clubs and Forest School provisions extend learning outdoors. Students explore nature, develop environmental awareness, and build resilience through outdoor challenges. The pirate ship, trim trail, and digging pit in the Early Years garden reflect the school's commitment to play-based learning across all phases.

Hurst Lodge is an independent school. Fees range from £4,355-£8,980 annually depending on provision pathway and intensity of support. A child in the mainstream Hurst provision would typically pay less than one requiring full specialist Lodge provision with intensive therapy. The school builds fees discussions into the admissions process.

Many families secure Education, Health and Care Plan funding which can substantially reduce private fees. Local authorities fund elements of provision for pupils with identified SEND. The school works with families to explore all available funding avenues before finalising fees.

The school indicates there is no single fee level because provision is genuinely bespoke. A child working at lower developmental levels in a smaller class with integrated therapy will require different resource allocation than a student accessing mainstream GCSE curriculum alongside support. This honesty about cost-to-deliver is refreshing.

The hallmark of a good special school is how it handles the emotional and relational dimensions of education. Hurst Lodge excels here. Small class sizes mean staff know students intimately. Form tutors, houseparents (where applicable), and the wider team understand each student's triggers, strengths, preferences, and aspirations. This knowledge enables rapid intervention when pupils struggle and celebration when they succeed.

Anti-bullying initiatives are in place and demonstrate effectiveness. The ISI inspection noted pupils' high respect and appreciation for diversity, suggesting that the school's inclusive philosophy creates a culture where difference is normalised rather than mocked. For students who have experienced bullying in mainstream settings, this cultural shift can be profound.

Emotional support is available through ELSAs and Drawing & Talking Therapists. Students experiencing anxiety, trauma, or emotional difficulties can access support within the school day. The Transition Coordinator specifically supports pupils who have experienced emotional-based school avoidance, recognising that returning to education after anxiety-driven absence requires particular care.

The school operates Monday to Thursday 8:45am-4:00pm and Friday 8:45am-1:30pm. This schedule is deliberately less intensive than some provisions, recognising that students with complex needs may find full weeks exhausting. The shorter Friday may also reduce fatigue and enable weekend recovery.

Parents report feeling genuinely supported. The school emphasises partnership with families, recognising that parents' knowledge of their child is essential to effective provision. One parent testimonial captures this: "The care taken over getting to know and understand our child has meant that he has flourished, becoming the best possible version of himself. As parents we feel hugely supported, our knowledge of our child appreciated and used to provide the best level of care specific to his needs."

Hurst Lodge School is non-selective and welcomes students with a range of abilities and needs. The school caters for pupils with SEND including autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, dyslexia, social anxiety, communication difficulties, and complex medical needs. The school does not restrict admission to specific entry points; students join throughout the academic year as spaces and appropriate provision become available.

For pupils with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs), the local authority SEND admissions panel manages the process. The school works with families and commissioning authorities to determine whether the school's provision appropriately matches the pupil's needs. Assessment involves observation in the pupil's current setting and home, medical review where relevant, and transition planning meetings.

Contact the school directly for enquiries. Families are encouraged to visit and spend time understanding the school's environment and provisions. If all parties agree the school is appropriate, a formal offer follows.

The complex nature of provision means there is no 'one-size-fits-all' fee structure. Fees vary significantly depending on the particular educational needs of the child and funding available. Discussion of fees forms part of the admissions conversation. Private fees range from approximately £4,355-£8,980 per year depending on provision level and intensity of support required. Many families secure funding through their local authority EHCP, which can substantially reduce or eliminate private fees. Parents should discuss funding options directly with the admissions team.

No entrance test or formal assessment forms part of selection. Instead, the school seeks to understand each child's learning profile, strengths, barriers, and aspirations. The question guiding admissions is not "Is this child academic enough?" but rather "Can this school meet this child's needs and help them flourish?"

The school operates Monday to Thursday 8:45am-4:00pm and Friday 8:45am-1:30pm. Students wear school hoodies and polo shirts (small brand indicators permitted on other clothing). Uniform flexibility reflects the school's individualistic ethos. School meals are provided.

Transport is typically arranged by the local authority for EHCP-funded pupils, though families should verify this during admissions discussions. The school is located in Yateley, Hampshire, with good road access. Train connections from London Waterloo pass through nearby stations (Camberley, Basingstoke).

Wraparound care is not explicitly advertised, but families should discuss before and after school arrangements directly with the admissions team.

The Early Years provision (for children aged 4-6) operates within the wider school campus. The dedicated Early Years building provides part-time and full-time options with a staff-to-pupil ratio of 1:6 or better. Early Years settings follow the EYFS curriculum, emphasising play-based learning, outdoor exploration, and secure relationships.

Special school provision differs fundamentally from mainstream. This is not a small prep school with a slight SEN focus. This is a special school where the majority of pupils have EHCP or identified SEND. If your child has typical development and learning pace, this environment would not be appropriate. The school is designed for children whose barriers to learning, whether learning difficulty, neurodevelopmental condition, or emotional dysregulation, require specialist expertise and resource.

Progress may look different here. In mainstream education, progress is measured by grades and test scores. At Hurst Lodge, progress might be learning to regulate emotions, developing independent self-care skills, achieving first meaningful communication, or simply building confidence that school is a safe place. Parents must define what meaningful progress looks like for their child and ensure the school's definition aligns.

The specialist provision is excellent, but intensity of support has limits. The school cannot meet needs requiring nursing care or extreme behaviour management challenge. Discussions with the admissions team should be completely frank about what the school can and cannot provide for a specific child.

The school is still recovering from a turbulent period. The 2018-2020 HawleyHurst merger and Department of Education warning notice show recent institutional vulnerability. The February 2024 ISI inspection found all standards met, which is positive, but families may wish to understand the school's sustainability plan and leadership stability longer term.

Access to mainstream peers is structured but intentional. Students work within their pathway groups for much of the day, mixing with other pathways during creative, vocational, and social times. This is deliberate design, mixing for mixing's sake can be counterproductive, but families should understand this isn't a fully integrated mainstream environment.

Hurst Lodge School serves a population that mainstream education has often failed. The school's achievement is in creating an environment where children with SEND, learning difficulties, neurodiversity, or trauma can experience school as a place of discovery rather than humiliation. The creative arts tradition, specialist therapy provision, small class sizes, and commitment to individualised progress make this an genuinely inclusive special school.

The ISI inspection confirmed all standards met. More importantly, pupil testimonials and parent reports suggest the school achieves its central purpose: helping each child experience themselves as capable and valued. The newest Sixth Form provision (launching 2026) expands pathways for older students.

This school is best suited to families of pupils with identified special educational needs who seek a genuine specialist environment combining academic learning with integrated therapy, strong pastoral care, and commitment to developing the whole child. The school is not appropriate for families seeking an academically selective environment or for typically developing children. For pupils with identified SEND, this school represents something rare: a setting where the child is the curriculum, not an obstacle to it.