Welcome

The Windmill School opened in September 2023 as an all age special free school for up to 90 pupils aged 5-19 with a primary diagnosis of autism. It has been developed by senior leaders from Oak Lodge School in East Finchley, building on their skills and experience in autism education and supported by a team of specialist academics and education consultants including autistic scholars. 

The language used to describe autism is currently the subject of intense discussion. All content on our website will include identity first language (e.g., autistic person’) so that we are respectful to those on the autism spectrum their families and supporters. We recognise autism as a lifespan condition avoiding any deficit-model terminology. 

The Windmill School complements the existing range of generic special schools and autism specific provisions in mainstream schools, to offer places for children whose autism is the major barrier to their learning and who find the sensory aspects of those environments too challenging for successful progress in their learning.

We have strong links with IOE Centre for Research in Autism and Education as the Headteacher is a doctoral researcher part of the CRAE team. Therefore our attention to real world autism research that is directly applicable in the classroom with a positive impact on outcomes has enabled us to design and implement a specialist curriculum.