Great Howarth School, Rochdale
Great Howarth School is a special school for pupils aged 7 to 18 in Rochdale. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in May 2024. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in March 2026 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Good (2024)
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Great Howarth School in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Great Howarth School are Meadows School (0.3 miles, Good); Springside (0.6 miles, Good); Whitehall Academy (1.3 miles); and Healey Learning Centre (1.3 miles, Good).
Meadows SchoolSpringsideWhitehall AcademyHealey Learning Centre
Who goes there
Almost every pupil at Great Howarth School has an education, health and care plan (35 of 35 in 2026).
Great Howarth School is approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014, so parents can ask for it to be named in their child's education, health and care (EHC) plan.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Smithy Bridge Rail Station, about 1.1 miles away in a straight line.
5 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Princess Avenue (near), 260 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Great Howarth School stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Sources: DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 7 months agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Sixth Form
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 March 2026 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Great Howarth School provides specialist support for pupils with special educational needs, offering high-quality facilities designed specifically for their learning needs. The school demonstrates strong leadership and clear commitment to pupil wellbeing through comprehensive safeguarding procedures and regular staff training. Leadership is proactive in planning for growth, ensuring adequate staffing and facilities to maintain safety and quality as the school expands.
Key Strengths
- Robust safeguarding procedures with regular staff training and effective communication with external professionals
- Well-maintained premises with high-standard refurbishments and new purpose-built facilities meeting health and safety requirements
- Thorough leadership and management with secure understanding of independent school standards
- Comprehensive health, safety, and fire safety arrangements including appropriate risk assessments
- Suitable provision for pupils' welfare including medical facilities, accessible toilets, and outdoor spaces
Safeguarding
Safeguarding is effective - the school has suitable policies, robust reporting procedures, regular staff training, and communicates effectively with other professionals to keep pupils safe.
Great Howarth School is a special needs independent school in Rochdale that caters to pupils with social, emotional, mental health needs and autism, all of whom have education, health, and care plans. The school is likely to meet independent school standards following material changes to increase its capacity from 35 to a recommended 75 pupils.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
Approved
Section 41
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with Great Howarth School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 1
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 1 road collision in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 0 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
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 Rochdale is 10 (the median across 106 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
47%
Available places
35 pupils
75 places
40 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Rochdale
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Rochdale
Across Rochdale council
Places available
3,030
Applications
2,860
Got 1st preference
86.8%
Got preferred school
97.0%
All secondary applications across Rochdale council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(8)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
35
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Great Howarth School is approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014, so parents can ask for it to be named in their child's education, health and care (EHC) plan.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
No need-level breakdown available
Pupil Demographics
Key Indicators
35
Total Pupils
28
Boys
7
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Great Howarth School
Showing 10 of 13 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Great Howarth School
What are GCSE results like at Great Howarth School?
The Department for Education's GCSE measures do not count IGCSEs, which many independent schools take instead of GCSEs, so the Attainment 8 and English and maths figures it publishes for Great Howarth School can understate its results. We do not rank or compare them; ask the school for its own GCSE and IGCSE results.
What is Great Howarth School's Ofsted rating?
Great Howarth School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in March 2026, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in May 2024, it was rated Good.
Does Great Howarth School meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in May 2024, Great Howarth School met all the independent school standards.
How many pupils go to Great Howarth School?
Great Howarth School has around 35 pupils on roll.
Does Great Howarth School have specialist SEN provision?
Great Howarth School is approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014, so parents can ask for it to be named in their child's education, health and care (EHC) plan.
How do I apply to Great Howarth School?
Great Howarth 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 Great Howarth School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 1 road collision in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 0 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 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 Rochdale is 10 (the median across 106 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Great Howarth School?
Great Howarth School is at Great Howarth Road, Rochdale, Lancashire, OL12 9HJ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)