Silverwood School (formerly Rowdeford School and briefly North Wiltshire School) is a special needs community school, near Rowde, Wiltshire, England, for young people with complex needs and autistic spectrum disorders (ASD) aged between 5 and 16.[2] The school caters for 130 pupils. In 2008 the school was awarded specialist status in communication and interaction.
| Silverwood School | |
|---|---|
| Address | |
 | |
, , SN10 2QQ England | |
| Coordinates | 51°22′08″N 2°02′02″W / 51.369°N 2.034°W |
| Information | |
| Type | Community special school |
| Local authority | Wiltshire Council |
| Department for Education URN | 148145 Tables |
| Ofsted | Reports |
| Head teacher | Sean McKeown[1] |
| Gender | Coeducational |
| Age | 5 to 16 |
| Enrolment | 404 (May 2023) |
| Website | www |
The school is run by Wiltshire Council with additional support from Silverwood School Charity Trust (formed in 2001 as Rowdeford Charity Trust), an independent charity that supports the advancement of education for young people with disabilities and special needs.[3] The school is built around Rowdeford House, a two-storey country house built in 1812 for Wadham Locke,[4] later MP for Devizes.
Weekday boarding places were provided for 23 children, reducing to 16 places in September 2016. Wiltshire Council withdrew funding for these in March 2018, causing boarding cease in July 2018.[5]
In 2020, Rowdeford School formally merged with Larkrise School in Trowbridge and St Nicholas School in Chippenham to form North Wiltshire School. The school operates over the three former school sites with a unified management structure. The former Rowdeford site acts as the headquarters of the school.[6] In 2021 the school was renamed Silverwood School. The former Rowdeford site is in the process of being completely rebuilt and will (when completed) be the only site for the whole school.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b Baker, John (12 February 2021). "School starts new chapter as permanent head is appointed and emerging build plans are shared". The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald. Retrieved 28 November 2021.
- ^ "Rowdeford School, Rowde". Wiltshire Community History. Wiltshire Council. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
- ^ "Silverwood School Charity Trust, registered charity no. 3983941". Charity Commission for England and Wales.
- ^ Historic England. "Rowdeford School (1033882)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 9 December 2019.
- ^ "Rowde special school to shut its boarding house". The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald. 23 April 2018. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
- ^ McLaughlin, Matthew (4 June 2020). "Big step forward for merger of three special schools in Wiltshire". Wiltshire Times. Retrieved 28 November 2021.