Sandy Lane Nursery and Forest School, Warrington
Sandy Lane Nursery and Forest School is a nursery school for pupils aged 2 to 4 in Warrington. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in November 2012. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in March 2023 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2012)
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Sandy Lane Nursery and Forest School in detail
Sandy Lane Nursery and Forest School in its own words
The school runs a breakfast club and after-school care.
Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Who goes there
2.9% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 24.5% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 19 pupils (18.6%) received SEN support and 11 (10.8%) had an education, health and care plan. The most common need among them is speech, language and communication needs.
Sandy Lane Nursery and Forest School has a SEN unit for specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, visual impairment, other difficulties or disabilities, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, social, emotional and mental health needs, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability, moderate learning difficulties, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties: 22 places, 22 pupils on roll.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Padgate Rail Station, about 1.5 miles away in a straight line.
13 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is St Stephens Church (opposite), 30 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Sandy Lane Nursery and Forest School stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 208 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 Warrington (96), as is usual near a town centre.
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 · 4 years agoThis judgement is from November 2012, 13 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Outstanding.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Outstanding at its November 2012 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
2.9%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
SEN unit: SpLD, Vision, Other +9
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 1 nearby nursery school
Keep up with Sandy Lane Nursery and Forest School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Sandy Lane Nursery and Forest School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Sandy Lane Nursery and Forest School is in Warrington; for families living there:
Apply to Warrington for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 24
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 4
- Children hurt
- 4
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 24 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 20 slight.
4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot.
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 Warrington is 11 (the median across 96 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 - Warrington
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Warrington
Across Warrington council
Places available
2,880
Applications
2,620
Got 1st preference
88.9%
Got preferred school
98.2%
All secondary applications across Warrington council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(6)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
19
SEN Support
11
EHC Plans
29.4%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Sandy Lane Nursery and Forest School has a SEN unit for specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, visual impairment, other difficulties or disabilities, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, social, emotional and mental health needs, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability, moderate learning difficulties, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties: 22 places, 22 pupils on roll.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
102
Total Pupils
61
Boys
41
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
4
Teachers
25.5:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£61,400
Mean salary
2026 data
Questions parents ask about Sandy Lane Nursery and Forest School
What is Sandy Lane Nursery and Forest School's Ofsted rating?
Sandy Lane Nursery and Forest School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in March 2023, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in November 2012, it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for Sandy Lane Nursery and Forest School?
No fixed boundary. When Sandy Lane Nursery and Forest School is oversubscribed, Warrington allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Sandy Lane Nursery and Forest School?
Sandy Lane Nursery and Forest School has around 102 pupils on roll. 3% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Sandy Lane Nursery and Forest School have specialist SEN provision?
Sandy Lane Nursery and Forest School has a SEN unit for specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, visual impairment, other difficulties or disabilities, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, social, emotional and mental health needs, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability, moderate learning difficulties, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties: 22 places, 22 pupils on roll.
How do I apply to Sandy Lane Nursery and Forest School?
Apply through Warrington's coordinated admissions process, naming Sandy Lane Nursery and Forest 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 Sandy Lane Nursery and Forest School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 24 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 20 slight. 4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot. 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 Warrington is 11 (the median across 96 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Sandy Lane Nursery and Forest School?
Sandy Lane Nursery and Forest School is at Sandy Lane, Orford, Warrington, Cheshire, WA2 9HY.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)