Rainbow Hub School, Ormskirk
Rainbow Hub School is a special school for pupils aged 4 to 16 in Ormskirk. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in November 2024. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in May 2025 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2024)
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Rainbow Hub School in detail
Rainbow Hub School in its own words
In its own words: "Families are right at the heart of Rainbow Hub. Based in Mawdesley, Lancashire, we’re a charity providing therapeutic services for children and young people with physical disabilities as a result of a neurological condition or brain injury."
Vision and values (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Rainbow Hub School are My Life Learning (3.3 miles); Fir Tree College (4.1 miles, Good); Westmorland School (4.5 miles, Good); and Oliver House School (4.5 miles, Outstanding).
My Life LearningFir Tree CollegeWestmorland SchoolOliver House School
Who goes there
Almost every pupil at Rainbow Hub School has an education, health and care plan (12 of 12 in 2026).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Rufford Rail Station, about 2.6 miles away in a straight line.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Rainbow Hub School stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 6 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences and burglary. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Lancashire (109).
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 · 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 May 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Rainbow Hub School excels at tailoring its curriculum to each pupil's individual needs and abilities. The school places pupils' wellbeing and personal development at the heart of everything it does, with a particular focus on building independence skills. Staff are well-trained, receive regular safeguarding updates, and know their pupils exceptionally well.
Key Strengths
- Clear, well-adapted curriculum matched to pupils' individual needs and abilities
- Strong focus on pupils' personal, social and emotional development with emphasis on independence skills
- Rigorous staff recruitment and training systems ensuring high-quality teaching
- Effective assessment systems that track small steps of progress and maintain high aspirations
- Robust safeguarding policies and vigilant staff who know pupils well
Areas for Improvement
- Website completion to ensure all required safeguarding and school information is publicly available
- Continued refinement of systems to review compliance with independent school standards
Safeguarding
Safeguarding is effective - the school has a suitable policy reflecting up-to-date guidance, staff receive regular training and updates, and are vigilant and know pupils well.
Rainbow Hub School is an independent special school for pupils with physical disabilities arising from neurological conditions or brain injury. The inspection assessed the school's plans to extend provision from ages 4-11 to 4-16, and found it is likely to meet all relevant independent school standards.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Latest from Rainbow Hub School
Hurlston Hall Golf Day raised over £14,000 for Rainbow Hub
27 Jul 2026
Supermums’ Summer Soiree raises over £10,000 for Rainbow Hub
17 Jul 2026
Rainbow Hub thank North West businesses for their support as they celebrate their 25th anniversary year
6 Jul 2026
Preston gym Find Your Way Fitness celebrates 1st Birthday with Silent Disco raising £2,500 for Rainbow Hub
29 Jun 2026
Rainbow Hub staff and children thank their fantastic volunteers
2 Jun 2026
Rainbow Ramblers raise £13,000 with money still coming in
25 May 2026
From Rainbow Hub School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with Rainbow Hub School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 1
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- 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, 0 serious and 1 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 Lancashire is 12 (the median across 707 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
38%
Available places
12 pupils
32 places
20 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Ormskirk
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Ormskirk
Across Lancashire council
Places available
14,702
Applications
13,782
Got 1st preference
87.1%
Got preferred school
97.2%
All secondary applications across Lancashire council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
12
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Rainbow Hub 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
12
Total Pupils
7
Boys
5
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Questions parents ask about Rainbow Hub School
What is Rainbow Hub School's Ofsted rating?
Rainbow Hub School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in May 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in November 2024, it was rated Outstanding.
Does Rainbow Hub School meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in November 2024, Rainbow Hub School met all the independent school standards.
How many pupils go to Rainbow Hub School?
Rainbow Hub School has around 12 pupils on roll.
Does Rainbow Hub School have specialist SEN provision?
Rainbow Hub School is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
How do I apply to Rainbow Hub School?
Rainbow Hub 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 Rainbow Hub 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, 0 serious and 1 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 Lancashire is 12 (the median across 707 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Rainbow Hub School?
Rainbow Hub School is at Rainbow Hub, Salt Pit Lane, Ormskirk, Lancashire, L40 2QX.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)