Sandside Lodge School, Ulverston
Sandside Lodge School is a special school for pupils aged 4 to 19 in Ulverston. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in April 2013. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in June 2024 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Good (2013)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Sandside Lodge School in detail
Sandside Lodge School in its own words
In its own words: "Sandside Lodge is a place where all students feel safe, secure and cared for. We follow the Thrive Approach and trauma informed practices to highlight gaps in emotional development which in turn supports learning and encourages new pathways in the brain."
Vision and values (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Where pupils go next
Of the 7 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 86% stayed in education or training for at least two terms.
Who goes there
34.6% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 6.7% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
Almost every pupil at Sandside Lodge School has an education, health and care plan (104 of 104 in 2026). The most common need among them is autism.
Sandside Lodge School has a resourced provision for 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, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Station Entrance, about 1.1 miles away in a straight line.
1 bus stop is within a five-minute walk; the closest is Cross Lane (near), 190 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 34 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, public order offences and criminal damage and arson. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Westmorland and Furness (11), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
Sandside Lodge School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
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 · 2 years agoThis judgement is from April 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 and may be improving; its next inspection will be a full graded one.
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
Pupils thrive at Sandside Lodge School. They benefit from expert staff who have a strong understanding of how to support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The school places a clear focus on developing the independence of pupils. Alongside this, there is a relentless determination to ensure that pupils are suitably prepared for adulthood. All pupils are nurtured as individuals. Pupils are happy at school.
The school has high expectations for pupils, and it constantly strives for pupils to achieve more. This is particularly evident in the development of pupils' communication and language skills, where pupils make considerable progress.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
The school has fully redesigned the curriculum since the last inspection. This has ensured that pupils experience an ambitious curriculum that offers a broad range of subjects while remaining bespoke to their needs. The school has thought carefully about the order that pupils need to build their learning from their personal starting points. Teachers deliver the curriculum with considerable expertise. They are highly adept at using assessment strategies to check for gaps in pupils' learning. Teachers use this information judiciously to adapt learning activities to meet pupils' needs.
The school works closely with a wide range of external agencies to ensure that it can respond quickly to any changes in pupils' SEND. The school ensures that staff are fully updated about any additional needs that pupils may have. A wealth of external specialists support teaching staff to provide appropriate therapy to meet pupils' needs. This ensures that pupils continue to learn well.
From Ofsted's June 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.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its April 2013 inspection - up from Requires Improvement.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
34.6%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
Resourced provision: SpLD, Vision, Other +7
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Keep up with Sandside Lodge School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Sandside Lodge School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Sandside Lodge School is in Westmorland and Furness; for families living there:
- Westmorland and Furness's school travel policy: Home to School Transport Policy 2027 to 2028 (Reception to Year 11)
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 2
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 2 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 1 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
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 Westmorland and Furness is 3 (the median across 161 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
113%
Over capacity
104 pupils
92 places
12 pupils over capacity
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Ulverston
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Ulverston
Across Westmorland and Furness council
Places available
2,857
Applications
1,903
Got 1st preference
96.4%
Got preferred school
99.5%
All secondary applications across Westmorland and Furness council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(8)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
104
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Sandside Lodge School has a resourced provision for 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, 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
104
Total Pupils
61
Boys
43
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
17
Teachers
6.1:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£48,632
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
8.6%
Overall absence
26.3%
Persistent absence
80
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
Questions parents ask about Sandside Lodge School
What are SATs results like at Sandside Lodge School?
Of the pupils at Sandside Lodge School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 0% reached the expected standard in reading and 0% did so in maths.
What is Sandside Lodge School's Ofsted rating?
Sandside Lodge School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in June 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in April 2013, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Sandside Lodge School?
No fixed boundary. When Sandside Lodge School is oversubscribed, Westmorland and Furness allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Sandside Lodge School?
Sandside Lodge School has around 104 pupils on roll. 35% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Sandside Lodge School have specialist SEN provision?
Sandside Lodge School has a resourced provision for 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, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties.
What is attendance like at Sandside Lodge School?
8.6% of sessions were missed at Sandside Lodge School in 2024/25. 26.3% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Sandside Lodge School?
Apply through Westmorland and Furness's coordinated admissions process, naming Sandside Lodge 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 Sandside Lodge School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 2 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 1 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 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 Westmorland and Furness is 3 (the median across 161 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Sandside Lodge School?
Sandside Lodge School is at Springfield Road, Ulverston, Cumbria, LA12 0DZ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)