Local Authorities

Landon School Harmondsworth is an independent specialist day school for children and young people aged 5 to 18 with autism and severe learning difficulties. Every pupil at Landon is placed and funded by a local authority through an Education, Health and Care Plan, and we currently work with 11 commissioning authorities across London and the South East.

Landon opened in October 2024 and was rated Outstanding by Ofsted at its first standard inspection in July 2025, nine months later.

We know that commissioners need more than a good school. You need a placement that meets the needs set out in the plan, remains stable over time, and comes with clear and timely information. This page sets out who we place, what makes Landon different, and how we work with local authorities from first consultation onwards.

Who we place

We admit pupils whose primary needs are autism and severe learning difficulties. That is our whole specialism. We are not a generic special school with an autism unit attached; our staffing, environment, curriculum and therapy are all built around this one group of learners.

Many of our pupils have significant communication needs, and some do not yet use speech. Many also have sensory processing differences and behaviour that challenges. We take pupils across three phases, Primary, Secondary and Post-16, so a pupil who joins us at 5 can remain with us until 19. For local authorities, that means one stable placement through to adulthood rather than a series of transitions at 11 and 16.

We consider consultations from any local authority. Our site in Harmondsworth sits beside Heathrow, within easy reach of the M4 and M25, which makes daily transport practical from across West London, Surrey and Berkshire.

What makes Landon different

Safe. Happy. Learning.

Our ethos is a sequence, not a slogan. A pupil who does not feel safe cannot be happy, and a pupil who is not settled and regulated cannot learn. We therefore put emotional regulation and communication first, and build learning on top of them. This is why placements at Landon tend to settle, and why they hold.

One adult for every two pupils

Our standard staffing ratio is one adult to every two pupils across the school. This is the baseline for every class, not an enhancement that has to be negotiated separately.

Therapy built into the school day

Our in-house therapy team, led by our Head of Integrated Therapies, works within classrooms rather than alongside them. We use a tiered model: universal strategies used by every adult, every day; targeted work in small groups; and specialist, individual intervention where a pupil needs it. Therapists contribute written reports to every annual review and attend review meetings in transition years. Read more on our Therapy page.

A curriculum matched to how each pupil learns

Every pupil follows one of three pathways, Explore, Semi-Formal or Formal, informed by the Equals curriculum and the SCERTS framework. Pathways are based on how a pupil learns, not their age, and are reviewed regularly so pupils can move as they develop. Progress is measured against each pupil's own starting point. Read more on our Pathways page.

Preparing for adulthood from the first day

The four national Preparing for Adulthood outcomes shape our curriculum from Primary onwards. From Year 9, every annual review has a Preparing for Adulthood focus, and in Post-16 those outcomes become the curriculum itself. We plan next destinations early with families, local authorities and adult services. Read more on our Preparing for Adulthood page.

Behaviour understood as communication

We treat behaviour that challenges as communication of an unmet need. Each pupil who needs one has an individual emotional regulation support plan, and we monitor physical intervention closely with the aim of reducing it.

Working with local authorities

We respond to every consultation promptly and within statutory timescales, and our answer is a clear one. We only offer a place when we are confident we can meet the needs in the plan; if we cannot, we say so and explain why, so that you can move quickly to an alternative.

Fees are agreed directly with each commissioning authority and set out clearly in the placement agreement, so it is plain what the placement includes. Our standard provision, including the staffing ratio and integrated therapy described above, is part of the core offer.

Once a pupil is with us, we keep you informed. Annual reviews are held on time, with written contributions from teaching staff and therapists. If a pupil's needs change significantly, we raise it early so it can be considered through an interim review rather than at the point of crisis.

How to consult with us

1. Send the consultation to admissions@landonschool.co.uk with the EHCP (draft or final), recent professional reports, information from the current setting, and any risk assessments or behaviour support plans.
2. Our senior leaders and therapy team review the papers to consider whether we can meet the pupil's needs.
3. Where appropriate, we meet or observe the pupil in their current setting and invite the family to visit Landon.
4. We respond to you formally in writing, confirming whether we can meet need, whether a place is available, and the provision and fee.
5. Once Landon is named in the EHCP, we agree a personalised transition plan with the family and current setting, which may include visits, transition days and a phased start.

Our Admissions page sets out the same process for families, and our Admissions Policy is available on the Policies page.

Contact us

To send a consultation, or to discuss a pupil informally before sending formal papers, please email admissions@landonschool.co.uk or call 020 8153 0201. Commissioning officers and caseworkers are welcome to visit the school by arrangement.