diff --git a/backend/data_loader.py b/backend/data_loader.py
index 62aa4a5..bf0e2a5 100644
--- a/backend/data_loader.py
+++ b/backend/data_loader.py
@@ -100,6 +100,46 @@ def search_schools_typesense(query: str, limit: int = 250) -> List[int]:
         return []
 
 
+# The most a public endpoint will return in one response.
+SUGGEST_MAX_LIMIT = 20
+
+# Fields a suggestion row carries, and the default when the document omits an
+# optional one. phase and school_type are optional in the Typesense schema.
+_SUGGEST_FIELDS = ("school_name", "local_authority", "postcode",
+                   "phase", "school_type")
+
+
+def suggest_schools_typesense(query: str, limit: int = 8) -> List[dict]:
+    """Autosuggest rows straight from Typesense. Never raises.
+
+    Returns documents rather than URNs, unlike search_schools_typesense, so the
+    caller needs no DataFrame. Every field below is already in the index — see
+    pipeline/scripts/sync_typesense.py — which is what makes this cheap enough
+    to run per keystroke.
+    """
+    client = _get_typesense_client()
+    if client is None:
+        return []
+    try:
+        result = client.collections["schools"].documents.search({
+            "q": query,
+            "query_by": "school_name,local_authority",
+            "per_page": max(1, min(limit, SUGGEST_MAX_LIMIT)),
+            "typo_tokens_threshold": 1,
+        })
+    except Exception:
+        # A dropdown that quietly stops appearing is the right failure here.
+        return []
+
+    rows = []
+    for hit in result.get("hits", []):
+        doc = hit.get("document", {})
+        row = {"urn": int(doc.get("urn", 0))}
+        row.update({f: str(doc.get(f, "") or "") for f in _SUGGEST_FIELDS})
+        rows.append(row)
+    return rows
+
+
 def normalize_school_type(school_type: Optional[str]) -> Optional[str]:
     """Convert cryptic school type codes to user-friendly names."""
     if not school_type:
diff --git a/backend/tests/test_suggest.py b/backend/tests/test_suggest.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b380f8d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/tests/test_suggest.py
@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
+"""Tests for school autosuggest (spec 2026-08-26)."""
+
+from backend import data_loader
+
+
+class _FakeDocs:
+    def __init__(self, hits, explode=False):
+        self._hits = hits
+        self._explode = explode
+        self.last_params = None
+
+    def search(self, params):
+        self.last_params = params
+        if self._explode:
+            raise RuntimeError("typesense is down")
+        return {"hits": [{"document": d} for d in self._hits]}
+
+
+class _FakeClient:
+    def __init__(self, hits, explode=False):
+        self.docs = _FakeDocs(hits, explode)
+        self.collections = {"schools": type("C", (), {"documents": self.docs})()}
+
+
+_HIT = {
+    "urn": 100010, "school_name": "Brecknock Primary School",
+    "local_authority": "Camden", "postcode": "NW1 1AA",
+    "phase": "Primary", "school_type": "Community school",
+}
+
+
+def _use(monkeypatch, client):
+    monkeypatch.setattr(data_loader, "_get_typesense_client", lambda: client)
+
+
+def test_returns_the_fields_a_suggestion_needs(monkeypatch):
+    # Local authority is not decoration: there are many schools called
+    # "St Mary's", and a list without it cannot be chosen between.
+    _use(monkeypatch, _FakeClient([_HIT]))
+    out = data_loader.suggest_schools_typesense("breck")
+    assert out == [{
+        "urn": 100010, "school_name": "Brecknock Primary School",
+        "local_authority": "Camden", "postcode": "NW1 1AA",
+        "phase": "Primary", "school_type": "Community school",
+    }]
+
+
+def test_a_missing_optional_field_becomes_an_empty_string(monkeypatch):
+    # phase and school_type are optional in the Typesense schema. A missing
+    # key must not KeyError in the keystroke path.
+    _use(monkeypatch, _FakeClient([{"urn": 1, "school_name": "X",
+                                    "local_authority": "Y", "postcode": "Z"}]))
+    out = data_loader.suggest_schools_typesense("x")
+    assert out[0]["phase"] == "" and out[0]["school_type"] == ""
+
+
+def test_typesense_unavailable_gives_no_suggestions_rather_than_raising(monkeypatch):
+    _use(monkeypatch, None)
+    assert data_loader.suggest_schools_typesense("anything") == []
+
+
+def test_a_typesense_error_gives_no_suggestions_rather_than_raising(monkeypatch):
+    _use(monkeypatch, _FakeClient([], explode=True))
+    assert data_loader.suggest_schools_typesense("anything") == []
+
+
+def test_the_limit_is_passed_through_and_clamped(monkeypatch):
+    client = _FakeClient([])
+    _use(monkeypatch, client)
+    data_loader.suggest_schools_typesense("x", limit=500)
+    assert client.docs.last_params["per_page"] == 20