Landgate School, Bryn, Wigan
Landgate School, Bryn is a special school for pupils aged 4 to 19 in Wigan. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in November 2016. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in January 2025 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Good (2016)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Landgate School, Bryn in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Landgate School, Bryn are Martha H School (0.6 miles); Learn 4 Life School (1 mile, Good); Hope School (1 mile, Outstanding); and Willow Grove Primary School (1.5 miles, Good).
Martha H SchoolLearn 4 Life SchoolHope SchoolWillow Grove Primary School
What parents say
59 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Landgate School, Bryn (as of September 2025): 100% would recommend the school, 100% say their child is happy there and 50% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that they would recommend the school (100%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (50%).
Where pupils go next
Of the 13 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 100% stayed in education or training for at least two terms.
Who goes there
48% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 5.6% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
Almost every pupil at Landgate School, Bryn has an education, health and care plan (177 of 177 in 2026). The most common need among them is speech, language and communication needs.
Landgate School, Bryn provides for pupils with speech, language and communication needs and autism.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Bryn Rail Station, about 810 metres away (roughly a 10-minute walk).
5 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Sougher's Lane (near), 120 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Landgate School, Bryn issued 4 suspensions, 2.9 for every 100 pupils, and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: Ofsted Parent View; DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from November 2016, 9 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Sixth Form
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's January 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Landgate School creates a joyful, supportive environment where children with autism and communication needs thrive academically and personally. Teachers use sophisticated strategies to understand each child's unique way of communicating and adapt lessons moment-by-moment to ensure they learn successfully. The school goes beyond academics by building real independence skills through community partnerships - for example, sixth-formers learn to shop independently at local supermarkets using the school's communication tools.
Key Strengths
- Exceptional personalized learning tailored to each pupil's needs with deep understanding of communication and sensory requirements - staff adapt teaching flexibly in the moment
- Rich, ambitious curriculum with strong emphasis on reading, phonics, and cultural capital experiences including regular educational visits and woodland provision
- Outstanding personal development offer covering healthy living, positive relationships, independent living skills, and careers preparation with real community connections
- Warm, caring staff who know pupils extremely well and support them with kindness, resulting in excellent behaviour and strong sense of belonging
- Strong parent partnerships with families reporting the school has 'changed our family's life'
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with strong culture around pupil protection and safeguarding put pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Woodland provision with den-building and tool use, Duke of Edinburgh's Award, careers events with local employers, educational visits, sensory stories, library access, role-play activities, school garden centre and supermarket community engagement
Landgate School is a joyful special school where pupils with autism and communication difficulties flourish through highly individualized support. The school has achieved Outstanding grades across all areas, including quality of education, behaviour, personal development, and leadership.
At a Glance
48.0%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
Speech and language, Autism
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
59 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 0% to 9% (2024 to 2025).
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with Landgate School, Bryn
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Landgate School, Bryn from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Landgate School, Bryn is in Wigan; for families living there:
Apply to Wigan for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 7
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 7 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 5 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on a bicycle and 1 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 Wigan is 10 (the median across 146 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
135%
Over capacity
177 pupils
131 places
46 pupils over capacity
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Wigan
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Wigan
Across Wigan council
Places available
4,061
Applications
3,718
Got 1st preference
91.1%
Got preferred school
97.6%
All secondary applications across Wigan council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(11)
Ungraded inspection: The school remains Good and may be improving; its next inspection will be a full graded one.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
177
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Landgate School, Bryn provides for pupils with speech, language and communication needs and autism.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
177
Total Pupils
137
Boys
40
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
22
Teachers
8.0:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£52,024
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
10.0%
Overall absence
30.7%
Persistent absence
114
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
Landgate School, Bryn
Showing 10 of 14 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Landgate School, Bryn
What are SATs results like at Landgate School, Bryn?
Of the pupils at Landgate School, Bryn who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 9% reached the expected standard in reading and 0% did so in maths.
What is Landgate School, Bryn's Ofsted rating?
Landgate School, Bryn's most recent Ofsted inspection, in January 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in November 2016, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Landgate School, Bryn?
No fixed boundary. When Landgate School, Bryn is oversubscribed, Wigan allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Landgate School, Bryn?
Landgate School, Bryn has around 177 pupils on roll. 48% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Landgate School, Bryn have specialist SEN provision?
Landgate School, Bryn provides for pupils with speech, language and communication needs and autism.
What is attendance like at Landgate School, Bryn?
10% of sessions were missed at Landgate School, Bryn in 2024/25. 30.7% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Landgate School, Bryn?
Apply through Wigan's coordinated admissions process, naming Landgate School, Bryn 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 Landgate School, Bryn?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 7 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 5 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on a bicycle and 1 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 Wigan is 10 (the median across 146 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Landgate School, Bryn?
Landgate School, Bryn is at Landgate Lane, Ashton-in-Makerfield, Wigan, Greater Manchester, WN4 0EP.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)