Welcome to Clare Mount Specialist Sports College. Our vision is that our pupils and staff are seen as ‘role models and catalysts for change’. Our mission and moral purpose focus around the CHILD, developing a sense of belonging so that every child can thrive. As a school community, CHILD stands for:

• Child-centred – Relationships are key and we are committed to knowing the individual needs and interests of our pupils.
• Health and well-being – We believe in health and happiness. If we get the physical, social and emotional foundations right and help our pupils to feel ‘settled and safe’, then personal development and academic success will follow.
• Inspiration – By using inspirational people and events we inspire our pupils to aim higher and learn from the personal journeys of others.
• Links. We work with other organisations with a shared vision and purpose to offer our pupils a broader range of high-quality opportunities, achieving together what otherwise might be impossible.
• Destination. Ultimately, we prepare our pupils for adulthood and give them the skills and experiences to be successful.

Our ambition is to be the best possible school for secondary-aged children with a primary need of MLD and ASC in the UK. Please refer to our admissions policy to be clear about our school offer. 

We believe in promoting health and happiness for all in our community. We are committed to being a ‘Beacon’ for inclusive practice and well-being. This is demonstrated by our ‘exceptional’ practice which is recognised in becoming 1 of 5 founder Beacon Well Schools for the Youth Sport Trust and achieving Beacon status through the National Autistic Society. We believe in the current educational landscape that every teacher is now a teacher of special educational needs and we are committed to working with other schools to share our experiences and learning in order to boost staff expertise and parent confidence.

Clare Mount is the largest Secondary Special School in the UK as far as we are aware. As of September 2025, we have 461 students on roll. We are no longer a small setting. Having said that, Special schools are small for a reason and we do not want to get any bigger. The formula to our success is small classes sizes and sensory spaces that pupils can retreat to if they are dysregulated or need a movement break.

Classes are typically 8-12 in size and the children flourish in the close-knit environment and never cease to amaze us with their fantastic achievements year on year. There is a purposeful, calm atmosphere in the school where children have fun, are expected to work to the very best of their abilities, learn new skills and behave well. The students are supported by a hard-working team of teachers, teaching assistants, learning mentors and a diverse group of visiting professionals. All of our staff work tirelessly to make the students’ learning journey a rewarding experience and their commitment and dedication to delivering this aim is unfailing. It is a real privilege to be Headteacher of this school. Our educational journey is a true partnership between our pupils, parents, staff and wider community.

 I hope you find the information displayed here useful, whether you are a pupil having a peek at what your friends have been doing, a prospective parent wanting to find out more about our school, or an existing parent simply wanting to keep up to date with life at Clare Mount.

This website is updated frequently with the latest news, information, calendar dates as well as a gallery of photos highlighting the children’s work and events.

Mr D. Keefe

B.Soc.Sci, PGCE, MPQH, MA.