What are the best special needs schools in Lancashire?

Based on Ofsted ratings and exam results, the top-ranked special needs schools in Lancashire include Bleasdale School, Beaumont College - A Salutem/Ambito College, and Brookfield School. Rankings are updated regularly using the latest data from the Department for Education.

How many Ofsted Outstanding special needs schools are in Lancashire?

Lancashire has 93 special needs schools rated Outstanding by Ofsted. A further 455 are rated Good, meaning 90% of inspected schools hold a Good or Outstanding rating.

How are special needs schools in Lancashire ranked on Eduscope?

Schools are ranked using a composite score that combines Ofsted or ISI inspection ratings, Key Stage exam results, pupil progress measures, and other performance indicators published by the Department for Education. The score is recalculated regularly as new data becomes available.

What is the average class size in Lancashire special needs schools?

The average pupil-teacher ratio across special needs schools in Lancashire is 19:1. While this is not a direct measure of class size, it indicates the level of teaching resource available per pupil.

Best Special Needs Schools in Lancashire

35 special needs schools found

Key Facts

Lancashire is home to 35 special needs schools, accounting for 2.7% of all schools in the area, with a total of 3,886 pupils being supported.
Ofsted inspections have rated 94.3% of special needs schools in Lancashire as Good or Outstanding, with 16 schools achieving an Outstanding rating and 17 rated Good.
Special needs schools in Lancashire have a significantly higher proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at 52.1%, and a lower proportion of pupils with English as an additional language at 9.5%.
The pupil-teacher ratio in special needs schools across Lancashire is 7.71, with each pupil receiving an average of £28,631 in spending, and 34.2% of pupils experiencing persistent absence.

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Special

Bleasdale School

Ofsted

Outstanding

Carnforth, LA5 0RG

Special · Primary · Ages 2–19

KS2 Expected–

Absence16.0%

Pupils59

P/T Ratio5.4

Beaumont College - A Salutem/Ambito College

Ofsted

Good

Lancaster, LA2 6AP

Special · Primary · Ages 18–25

Brookfield School

Ofsted

Good

Poulton-Le-Fylde, FY6 7HE

Special · Primary · Ages 11–16

KS2 Expected–

Absence25.6%

Pupils84

P/T Ratio6.5

Pendle Community High School & College

Ofsted

Outstanding

Nelson, BB9 8LF

Special · Primary · Ages 11–19

KS2 Expected–

Absence9.8%

Pupils163

P/T Ratio8.4

Shaftesbury High School

Ofsted

Good

Chorley, PR7 3NQ

PRU · Primary · Ages 11–16

KS2 Expected–

Absence–

Pupils103

P/T Ratio9.4

Thornton-Cleveleys Red Marsh School

Ofsted

Outstanding

Blackpool, FY5 4HH

Special · Primary · Ages 2–19

KS2 Expected0%

Absence9.1%

Pupils134

P/T Ratio8.9

Oswaldtwistle School

Ofsted

Good

Accrington, BB5 3DA

PRU · Primary · Ages 11–16

KS2 Expected–

Absence–

Pupils87

P/T Ratio8.4

Sir Tom Finney Community High School

Ofsted

Good

Preston, PR2 6EE

Special · Primary · Ages 11–19

KS2 Expected–

Absence10.9%

Pupils237

P/T Ratio7.9

Moorbrook School

Ofsted

Good

Preston, PR2 3DB

Special · Primary · Ages 11–16

KS2 Expected–

Absence42.7%

Pupils72

P/T Ratio6.2

Elm Tree Community Primary School

Ofsted

Outstanding

Skelmersdale, WN8 6SA

Special · Primary · Ages 4–11

KS2 Expected0%

Absence10.6%

Pupils155

P/T Ratio6.5

The Loyne Specialist School

Ofsted

Outstanding

Lancaster, LA1 2QD

Special · Primary · Ages 4–19

KS2 Expected0%

Absence8.4%

Pupils116

P/T Ratio6.5

The Rose School

Ofsted

Req. Impr.

Burnley, BB11 4DT

Special · Primary · Ages 11–16

KS2 Expected–

Absence39.0%

Pupils71

P/T Ratio6.5

Stepping Stones School

Ofsted

Outstanding

Lancaster, LA1 4HT

PRU · Primary · Ages 5–11

KS2 Expected–

Absence–

Pupils24

P/T Ratio5.2

Broadfield Specialist School

Ofsted

Outstanding

Burnley, BB11 5BT

Special · Primary · Ages 11–19

KS2 Expected–

Absence9.4%

Pupils242

P/T Ratio6.1

Golden Hill Pupil Referral Unit

Ofsted

Outstanding

Leyland, PR25 1QS

PRU · Primary · Ages 4–11

KS2 Expected–

Absence–

Pupils41

P/T Ratio7.6

Rawtenstall Cribden House Community Special School

Ofsted

Outstanding

Rossendale, BB4 6RX

Special · Primary · Ages 5–11

KS2 Expected5%

Absence5.8%

Pupils102

P/T Ratio9.1

Hope High School

Ofsted

Good

Skelmersdale, WN8 9DP

Special · Primary · Ages 11–16

KS2 Expected–

Absence17.3%

Pupils113

P/T Ratio7.1

The Acorns School

Ofsted

Good

Ormskirk, L39 4QX

PRU · Primary · Ages 11–16

KS2 Expected–

Absence–

Pupils67

P/T Ratio9.5

Royal Cross Primary School

Ofsted

Outstanding

Preston, PR2 1NT

Special · Primary · Ages 4–11

KS2 Expected–

Absence8.3%

Pupils31

P/T Ratio6.0

Ridgewood Community High School

Ofsted

Good

Burnley, BB10 2AT

Special · Primary · Ages 11–19

KS2 Expected–

Absence13.7%

Pupils190

P/T Ratio9.5

Valley College

Ofsted

Req. Impr.

Rossendale, BB4 6LR

Special · Primary · Ages 19–25

West Lancashire Community High School

Ofsted

Good

Skelmersdale, WN8 8EH

Special · Primary · Ages 11–19

KS2 Expected–

Absence11.1%

Pupils164

P/T Ratio7.8

Larches High School

Ofsted

Good

Preston, PR1 6AA

PRU · Primary · Ages 11–16

KS2 Expected–

Absence–

Pupils105

P/T Ratio6.9

The Coppice School

Ofsted

Good

Preston, PR5 6GY

Special · Primary · Ages 2–19

KS2 Expected0%

Absence17.3%

Pupils66

P/T Ratio7.3

Frequently Asked Questions

There are 35 special needs schools in Lancashire, including state-funded, academies, and independent schools.

Area Benchmarks

Metric	Lancashire	England
School QualityGood or Outstanding (Ofsted)	94%	90%
AttendancePersistent Absence	34%	20%
ResourcesPupil-Teacher Ratio	7.7:1	18.1:1
Spending per Pupil	£28,631	£7,460

About This Data

•School information is sourced from Get Information About Schools (GIAS), the official UK government register maintained by the Department for Education.
•Inspection ratings are from Ofsted (state schools) and ISI (independent schools).
•Performance data includes Key Stage 2, GCSE, and A-Level results from the Department for Education.

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Best Special Needs Schools in Lancashire

Key Facts

Bleasdale School

Beaumont College - A Salutem/Ambito College

Brookfield School

Pendle Community High School & College

Shaftesbury High School

Thornton-Cleveleys Red Marsh School

Oswaldtwistle School

Sir Tom Finney Community High School

Moorbrook School

Elm Tree Community Primary School

The Loyne Specialist School

The Rose School

Stepping Stones School

Broadfield Specialist School

Golden Hill Pupil Referral Unit

Rawtenstall Cribden House Community Special School

Hope High School

The Acorns School

Royal Cross Primary School

Ridgewood Community High School

Valley College

West Lancashire Community High School

Larches High School

The Coppice School

Frequently Asked Questions

How many special needs schools are in Lancashire?

What are the best special needs schools in Lancashire?

How many Ofsted Outstanding special needs schools are in Lancashire?

How are special needs schools in Lancashire ranked on Eduscope?

What is the average class size in Lancashire special needs schools?

Area Benchmarks

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