special school

British

noun

a school for children who are unable to benefit from ordinary schooling because they have learning or physical disabilities, etc

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

He was sent initially to a regular school, but before long was transferred against his wishes to a special school.

From BBC • Jun. 24, 2026

Independent special schools charge an average of £63,000 per child per year, more than twice the £26,000 cost of a state special school.

From BBC • Feb. 20, 2026

Caroline Campbell's autistic son Oscar is coming to the end of his time in his special school.

From BBC • Feb. 9, 2026

Councils also pay independent special school fees for around 38,000 pupils, partly because of a lack of specialist places in the state sector.

From BBC • Feb. 5, 2026

"I've got an ID because my dad teaches here. I take courses from a special school up on the North Shore."

From "Things Not Seen" by Andrew Clements

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023