Ash Meadow School, St Helens
Ash Meadow School is a special school for pupils aged 5 to 19 in St Helens. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in July 2023. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in July 2025 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Good (2023)
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Ash Meadow School in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Ash Meadow School are Lansbury Bridge School (2.5 miles, Good); Mill Green School (2.5 miles, Outstanding); This Is My Education - TIME (2.9 miles, Requires improvement, selective); and Brookfields School (2.9 miles, Outstanding).
Lansbury Bridge SchoolMill Green SchoolThis Is My Education - TIMEBrookfields School
Who goes there
Almost every pupil at Ash Meadow School has an education, health and care plan (54 of 54 in 2026).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Lea Green Rail Station, about 1130 metres away (roughly a 14-minute walk).
11 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Jubits Lane (adjacent), 40 metres away.
Sources: DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport)
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 1 year agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Safeguarding: effective
Independent school standards
Met all the independent school standards.
- Part 1: quality of educationMet
- Part 2: pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural developmentMet
- Part 3: welfare, health and safetyMet
- Part 4: suitability of staff and proprietorsMet
- Part 5: premises and accommodationMet
- Part 6: information for parentsMet
- Part 7: handling of complaintsMet
- Part 8: leadership and managementMet
Source: Ofsted, non-association independent schools inspections and outcomes (Open Government Licence)
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's July 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Ash Meadow School provides specialist support for pupils with autism, emotional and mental health needs in a thoughtfully designed environment. The school has invested significantly in high-quality facilities including specialist teaching spaces, music rooms, and outdoor areas tailored to pupils' developmental needs. Staff are well-trained with strong safeguarding practices and appropriate supervision levels to support each child's individual needs.
Key Strengths
- Strong safeguarding systems with well-trained staff and clear procedures reflected in up-to-date policies
- Excellent health and safety compliance including fire safety procedures, risk assessments and swift maintenance responses
- High-quality premises with purposely designed spaces and resources tailored to pupils' special educational needs
- Experienced staff with relevant expertise and appropriate supervision ratios for the increased pupil numbers
- Clear leadership vision and effective systems to check compliance with standards
Safeguarding
Safeguarding is effective - the school has a comprehensive published policy reflecting current statutory guidance, staff have secure understanding of whistleblowing procedures, and safeguarding leaders have additional training and expertise to maintain a strong safeguarding culture.
Ash Meadow School is an independent special school for pupils aged 5-19 with autism, social and emotional mental health needs, and speech, language and communication difficulties. The school is expanding from 35 to 89 pupils across two sites.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with Ash Meadow School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 8
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 4
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 8 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 6 slight.
4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 3 in a vehicle or otherwise.
1 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in St. Helens is 11.5 (the median across 80 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
61%
Available places
54 pupils
89 places
35 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - St Helens
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for St Helens
Across St. Helens council
Places available
2,109
Applications
1,849
Got 1st preference
93.3%
Got preferred school
98.4%
All secondary applications across St. Helens council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(4)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
54
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Ash Meadow School is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
No need-level breakdown available
Pupil Demographics
Key Indicators
54
Total Pupils
40
Boys
14
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Ash Meadow School
Showing 10 of 13 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Ash Meadow School
What is Ash Meadow School's Ofsted rating?
Ash Meadow School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in July 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in July 2023, it was rated Good.
Does Ash Meadow School meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in July 2023, Ash Meadow School met all the independent school standards.
How many pupils go to Ash Meadow School?
Ash Meadow School has around 54 pupils on roll.
Does Ash Meadow School have specialist SEN provision?
Ash Meadow School is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
How do I apply to Ash Meadow School?
Ash Meadow School is an independent school and runs its own admissions rather than going through the local authority. Contact the school directly for entry requirements, assessment dates, fees and any bursaries.
How many road collisions happen near Ash Meadow School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 8 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 6 slight. 4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 3 in a vehicle or otherwise. 1 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in St. Helens is 11.5 (the median across 80 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Ash Meadow School?
Ash Meadow School is at Jubits Lane, St Helens, St Helens, WA9 4RT.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)