Poppy Field School, Widnes
Poppy Field School is a special school for pupils aged 4 to 19 in Widnes. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in May 2024.
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2024)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Poppy Field School in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Poppy Field School are The Raise Academy (0.9 miles); Chesnut Lodge Special School (1.1 miles, Good); Ashley High School (1.1 miles, Outstanding); and Brookfields School (1.2 miles, Outstanding).
The Raise AcademyChesnut Lodge Special SchoolAshley High SchoolBrookfields School
Who goes there
Almost every pupil at Poppy Field School has an education, health and care plan (29 of 29 in 2026).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Widnes Rail Station, about 1.2 miles away in a straight line.
11 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is WIDNES TOWN HALL, 210 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Poppy Field 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 · 2 years 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
Ofsted rated this school Outstanding at its May 2024 inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management.
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 Poppy Field School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 43
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 9
- Children hurt
- 8
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 43 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 9 serious and 34 slight.
8 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 5 in a vehicle or otherwise.
10 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 Halton is 9.5 (the median across 70 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
73%
Available places
29 pupils
40 places
11 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Widnes
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Widnes
Across Halton council
Places available
1,690
Applications
1,471
Got 1st preference
96.2%
Got preferred school
99.2%
All secondary applications across Halton council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(2)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
29
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Poppy Field 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
29
Total Pupils
21
Boys
8
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Poppy Field School
Showing 10 of 14 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Poppy Field School
What is Poppy Field School's Ofsted rating?
Poppy Field School was rated Outstanding at its most recent Ofsted inspection in May 2024.
Does Poppy Field School meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in May 2024, Poppy Field School met all the independent school standards.
How many pupils go to Poppy Field School?
Poppy Field School has around 29 pupils on roll.
Does Poppy Field School have specialist SEN provision?
Poppy Field School is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
How do I apply to Poppy Field School?
Poppy Field 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 Poppy Field School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 43 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 9 serious and 34 slight. 8 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 5 in a vehicle or otherwise. 10 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 Halton is 9.5 (the median across 70 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Poppy Field School?
Poppy Field School is at 18 Lugsdale Road, Widnes, WA8 6DH.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)