Firwood High School, Bolton
Firwood High School is a special school for pupils aged 11 to 19 in Bolton, part of Woodbridge Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in November 2012. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in March 2023 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Good (2012)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Firwood High School in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Firwood High School are Breightmet School (0.8 miles, Requires improvement); Birtenshaw School Bolton (1.7 miles, Good); EdStart Schools Bolton (2 miles); and LifeBridge ASEND (2.1 miles, Good).
Breightmet SchoolBirtenshaw School BoltonEdStart Schools BoltonLifeBridge ASEND
The trust
Firwood High School is one of 2 schools run by Woodbridge Trust, an academy trust.
Where pupils go next
Of the 28 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 100% stayed in education or training for at least two terms.
Who goes there
52.5% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 30.7% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (48%), Asian (28%) and Black (10%).
Almost every pupil at Firwood High School has an education, health and care plan (259 of 261 in 2026). The most common need among them is autism.
Firwood High School provides for pupils with severe learning difficulties.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Hall i' th' Wood Rail Station, about 1.1 miles away in a straight line.
15 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is The White Horse (outside), 130 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Firwood High School issued 15 suspensions, 6.5 for every 100 pupils, and 1 permanent exclusion.
Sources: DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 4 years agoThis judgement is from November 2012, 13 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its November 2012 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
52.5%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
SLD
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with Firwood High School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Firwood High School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Firwood High School is in Bolton; for families living there:
Apply to Bolton for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 4
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 4 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 3 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
0 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 Bolton is 14 (the median across 148 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
174%
Over capacity
261 pupils
150 places
111 pupils over capacity
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Bolton
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Bolton
Across Bolton council
Places available
4,385
Applications
3,868
Got 1st preference
87.1%
Got preferred school
96.8%
All secondary applications across Bolton council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(2)
Ungraded inspection: The school remains Good.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
2
SEN Support
259
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Firwood High School provides for pupils with severe learning difficulties.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
261
Total Pupils
166
Boys
95
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
40
Teachers
6.5:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£52,737
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
13.9%
Overall absence
37.6%
Persistent absence
170
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Firwood High School
Showing 10 of 14 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Firwood High School
What is Firwood High School's Ofsted rating?
Firwood High School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in March 2023, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in November 2012, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Firwood High School?
No fixed boundary. When Firwood High School is oversubscribed, Bolton allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Firwood High School?
Firwood High School has around 261 pupils on roll. 53% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Firwood High School have specialist SEN provision?
Firwood High School provides for pupils with severe learning difficulties.
What is attendance like at Firwood High School?
13.9% of sessions were missed at Firwood High School in 2024/25. 37.6% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Firwood High School?
Apply through Bolton's coordinated admissions process, naming Firwood High School on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
How many road collisions happen near Firwood High School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 4 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 3 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 0 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 Bolton is 14 (the median across 148 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Firwood High School?
Firwood High School is at Stitch-MI Lane, Bolton, Lancashire, BL2 4HU.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)