Ridgewood Community High School, Burnley
Ridgewood Community High School is a special school for pupils aged 11 to 19 in Burnley. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in February 2013. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in November 2023 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Good (2013)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Ridgewood Community High School in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Ridgewood Community High School are Compass Community School Lancashire (0.7 miles, Good); Silver Birch School (0.7 miles); Holly Grove School (0.7 miles, Outstanding); and The Rose School (2.3 miles, Requires improvement).
Compass Community School LancashireSilver Birch SchoolHolly Grove SchoolThe Rose School
Where pupils go next
Of the 21 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2022/23, 95% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 29% to a further education college.
Who goes there
60.4% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 24% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
Almost every pupil at Ridgewood Community High School has an education, health and care plan (192 of 192 in 2026). The most common need among them is autism.
Ridgewood Community High School provides for pupils with specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, visual impairment, other difficulties or disabilities, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability, moderate learning difficulties, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Burnley Central Rail Station, about 1.2 miles away in a straight line.
6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Sir John Thursby Coll (outside), 40 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 213 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and public order offences. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Lancashire (109), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Ridgewood Community High School issued 17 suspensions, 8.9 for every 100 pupils, and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoThis judgement is from February 2013, 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 February 2013 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
60.4%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
SpLD, Vision, Other +8
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with Ridgewood Community High School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Ridgewood Community High School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Ridgewood Community High School is in Lancashire; for families living there:
- Lancashire's school travel policy: school transport policies
- How to apply: Apply for free home to school transport assistance
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 13
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 8
- Children hurt
- 5
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 13 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 8 serious and 5 slight.
5 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
4 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
Area Demand Pressure - Burnley
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Burnley
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(5)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
192
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Ridgewood Community High School provides for pupils with specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, visual impairment, other difficulties or disabilities, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability, moderate learning difficulties, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
192
Total Pupils
135
Boys
57
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
22
Teachers
8.7:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£49,404
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
14.2%
Overall absence
31.8%
Persistent absence
157
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
Ridgewood Community High School
Showing 10 of 13 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Ridgewood Community High School
What are GCSE results like at Ridgewood Community High School?
In the 2025 results, pupils at Ridgewood Community High School achieved an Attainment 8 score of 0. 0% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is Ridgewood Community High School's Ofsted rating?
Ridgewood Community High School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in November 2023, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in February 2013, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Ridgewood Community High School?
No fixed boundary. When Ridgewood Community High School is oversubscribed, Lancashire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Ridgewood Community High School?
Ridgewood Community High School has around 192 pupils on roll. 60% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Ridgewood Community High School have specialist SEN provision?
Ridgewood Community High School provides for pupils with specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, visual impairment, other difficulties or disabilities, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability, moderate learning difficulties, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties.
What is attendance like at Ridgewood Community High School?
14.2% of sessions were missed at Ridgewood Community High School in 2024/25. 31.8% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Ridgewood Community High School?
Apply through Lancashire's coordinated admissions process, naming Ridgewood Community 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 Ridgewood Community High School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 13 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 8 serious and 5 slight. 5 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 4 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 Ridgewood Community High School?
Ridgewood Community High School is at Eastern Avenue, Burnley, Lancashire, BB10 2AT.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)