St Bernard's School, Louth
St Bernard's School is a special school for pupils aged 2 to 19 in Louth, part of Inspire Connected Communities Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in March 2013. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in May 2024 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Good (2013)
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
St Bernard's School in detail
St Bernard's School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "Welcome to St Bernard's School! We are proud to be part of the Inspire Connected Communities Trust, a family of schools committed to collaboration, community impact and excellence in education. At St Bernard's, we recognise that every child is unique."
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include choir, STEM, Duke of Edinburgh and forest school.
Headteacher's welcome (school website)Clubs (school website)
Source: The school's own website
The trust
St Bernard's School is one of 4 schools run by Inspire Connected Communities Trust, an academy trust.
Where pupils go next
Of the 6 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 100% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 17% to a further education college.
Who goes there
64.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 0.9% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
Almost every pupil at St Bernard's School has an education, health and care plan (115 of 115 in 2026). The most common need among them is speech, language and communication needs.
St Bernard's 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, moderate learning difficulties, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties: 62 places, 76 pupils on roll.
Getting there
There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of St Bernard's School.
4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Wood Lane (adjacent), 110 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 123 crimes within a mile of the school, most often anti-social behaviour, violence and sexual offences and criminal damage and arson. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Lincolnshire (33), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, St Bernard's School issued 1 suspension, 0.9 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 · 2 years agoThis judgement is from March 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's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
The school's bespoke approach to the curriculum means that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) thrive and achieve well. Many parents and carers have positive views. One parent, echoing the views of many, commented, 'My child attending St Bernard's has been transformational. They are happy and settled.'
The school's values of 'communication, community, and connection' are part of everyday life. Pupils with speech, language and communication needs are supported well. For example, the school uses signing, symbols and electronic aids to help meet pupils' needs. Pupils enjoy a range of community visits, including trips to the Spout Yard Café, Lincolnshire Showground, and the local town centre. Sixth-form students appreciate the overnight stays in Norfolk and London. These opportunities help pupils to connect with places that are different from those they usually experience.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
Leaders, including those with responsibility for governance, have maintained a good standard of education, while skilfully overseeing a period of transition and change. This has included successfully moving into a new school building and overseeing the recent merger of two local multi-academy trusts.
Pupils' education, health and care plans (EHC plans) are carefully considered by the school when designing an ambitious curriculum for pupils with diverse needs. Early communication, reading, mathematics and science have been prioritised. These subject curriculums are well thought through and enable pupils to build knowledge and skills over time. For example, in mathematics, pupils build their learning to tell the time and use money as part of work experience in a local café. However, some subject curriculums are not as ambitious. They do not set out the knowledge that pupils need to know over time. This can lead to unnecessary repetition of learning for some pupils.
From Ofsted's May 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 March 2013 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
64.3%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
Resourced provision: SpLD, Vision, Other +8
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2023/24KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
2023/24 academic year
Social & online
Keep up with St Bernard's School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St Bernard's School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St Bernard's School is in Lincolnshire; for families living there:
Apply to Lincolnshire for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
No injury road collisions were reported to the police within 500 m of the school's mapped location in 2021 to 2025.
The typical figure for schools in Lincolnshire is 6 (the median across 401 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
105%
Over capacity
115 pupils
110 places
5 pupils over capacity
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Louth
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Louth
Across Lincolnshire council
Places available
9,247
Applications
7,828
Got 1st preference
84.7%
Got preferred school
96.4%
All secondary applications across Lincolnshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
115
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
St Bernard's 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, moderate learning difficulties, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties: 62 places, 76 pupils on roll.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
115
Total Pupils
72
Boys
43
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
9
Teachers
12.8:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£49,563
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
12.3%
Overall absence
44.4%
Persistent absence
81
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 St Bernard's School
What are SATs results like at St Bernard's School?
Of the pupils at St Bernard's School who took the 2024 Key Stage 2 assessments, 0% reached the expected standard in reading and 0% did so in maths.
What is St Bernard's School's Ofsted rating?
St Bernard's School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in May 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in March 2013, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for St Bernard's School?
No fixed boundary. When St Bernard's School is oversubscribed, Lincolnshire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to St Bernard's School?
St Bernard's School has around 115 pupils on roll. 64% are eligible for free school meals.
Does St Bernard's School have specialist SEN provision?
St Bernard's 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, moderate learning difficulties, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties: 62 places, 76 pupils on roll.
What is attendance like at St Bernard's School?
12.3% of sessions were missed at St Bernard's School in 2024/25. 44.4% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Bernard's School?
Apply through Lincolnshire's coordinated admissions process, naming St Bernard's 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 St Bernard's School?
No injury road collisions were reported to the police within 500 m of the school's mapped location in 2021 to 2025. The typical figure for schools in Lincolnshire is 6 (the median across 401 schools, same distance and years).
Where is St Bernard's School?
St Bernard's School is at Wood Lane, Louth, Lincolnshire, LN11 8RS.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)