Samuel Laycock School, Ashton-Under-Lyne
Samuel Laycock School is a special school for pupils aged 11 to 17 in Ashton-Under-Lyne, part of New Bridge Multi Academy Trust.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Samuel Laycock School in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Samuel Laycock School are The Limes School (1.1 miles, Good); Works 4 U Support Services (Norman Mackie & Associates Ltd) (1.4 miles); Stansfield House (1.5 miles); and Minds Education (1.8 miles).
The Limes SchoolWorks 4 U Support Services (Norman Mackie & Associates Ltd)Stansfield HouseMinds Education
The trust
Samuel Laycock School is one of 8 schools run by New Bridge Multi Academy Trust, an academy trust.
What parents say
12 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Samuel Laycock School (as of September 2025): 50% would recommend the school, 75% say their child is happy there and 20% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that the school supports their child's wider development (75%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (20%).
Where pupils go next
Of the 46 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 94% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 70% to a further education college.
Who goes there
56.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 6% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (80%) and Asian (7%).
Almost every pupil at Samuel Laycock School has an education, health and care plan (252 of 252 in 2026). The most common need among them is a moderate learning difficulty.
Samuel Laycock School has a resourced provision for autism and moderate learning difficulties: 261 places, 261 pupils on roll.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Ashton-under-Lyne Rail Station, about 1.1 miles away in a straight line.
11 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Great Academy Ashton (outside), 150 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Samuel Laycock School stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Samuel Laycock School issued 34 suspensions, 14.2 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); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Samuel Laycock School has had no graded Ofsted inspection since it took its current form in April 2022. Before that, as Samuel Laycock School (URN 106280), it was rated Requires Improvement in March 2020.
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
Samuel Laycock School has high expectations for pupils' personal and academic achievement. These expectations are fully realised. The school harnesses and nurtures pupils' talents and interests. For example, in performing arts, pupils find their voice and the confidence to perform. In sports, pupils develop leadership skills and use these skills to coach others. Lunch clubs, after school clubs and residential activities stretch and challenge pupils to try something new.
Pupils talk with enthusiasm about their trips abroad, the school choir and their love of the outdoors. In Year 11, pupils stay in a self-catering caravan by the sea. They shop and cook their own food. They also plan their activities. This experience further develops their independence and readiness for leaving school.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
The school has ensured that the curriculum meets the wide range of pupils' special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) in the school. Vocational pathways in key stage 4 give pupils the knowledge, skills and qualifications that they need to progress successfully into post-16 training, work or education. The curriculum is sequenced well to allow pupils to build knowledge securely over time.
The curriculum has been further refined to better meet the needs of pupils with more complex SEND. Additional pathways for pupils with sensory and communication needs have been established. Although this change has had a positive start, it is too soon to measure the impact. There is more work to do to ensure that these pupils achieve highly.
From Ofsted's October 2024 ungraded inspection report: the opening paragraphs of each section, quoted word for word. Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
At a Glance
56.3%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
Resourced provision: Autism, MLD
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
12 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with Samuel Laycock School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Samuel Laycock School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Samuel Laycock School is in Tameside; for families living there:
Apply to Tameside for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 9
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 3
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 9 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 7 slight.
3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
3 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 Tameside is 12 (the median across 111 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
140%
Over capacity
252 pupils
180 places
72 pupils over capacity
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Ashton-Under-Lyne
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Ashton-Under-Lyne
Across Tameside council
Places available
3,293
Applications
2,719
Got 1st preference
86.7%
Got preferred school
96.3%
All secondary applications across Tameside council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
252
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Samuel Laycock School has a resourced provision for autism and moderate learning difficulties: 261 places, 261 pupils on roll.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
252
Total Pupils
188
Boys
64
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
26
Teachers
9.7:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£52,725
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
10.1%
Overall absence
32.2%
Persistent absence
245
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
Samuel Laycock School
Showing 10 of 15 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Samuel Laycock School
What are GCSE results like at Samuel Laycock School?
In the 2026 results, pupils at Samuel Laycock School achieved an Attainment 8 score of 1.1. 0% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is Samuel Laycock School's Ofsted rating?
Samuel Laycock School has had no graded Ofsted inspection since it took its current form in April 2022. Before that, as Samuel Laycock School (URN 106280), it was rated Requires Improvement in March 2020.
What is the catchment area for Samuel Laycock School?
No fixed boundary. When Samuel Laycock School is oversubscribed, Tameside allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Samuel Laycock School?
Samuel Laycock School has around 252 pupils on roll. 56% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Samuel Laycock School have specialist SEN provision?
Samuel Laycock School has a resourced provision for autism and moderate learning difficulties: 261 places, 261 pupils on roll.
What is attendance like at Samuel Laycock School?
10.1% of sessions were missed at Samuel Laycock School in 2024/25. 32.2% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Samuel Laycock School?
Apply through Tameside's coordinated admissions process, naming Samuel Laycock 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 Samuel Laycock School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 9 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 7 slight. 3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 3 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 Tameside is 12 (the median across 111 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Samuel Laycock School?
Samuel Laycock School is at Broadoak Road, Ashton-Under-Lyne, Lancashire, OL6 8RF.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)