Stanley School, Wirral
Stanley School is a special school for pupils aged 2 to 11 in Wirral. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in March 2013. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in March 2023 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Good (2013)
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Stanley School in detail
Stanley School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "We are a primary specialist school for pupils aged 2-11 who have complex SEND and are supported by an Education, Health and Care plan. Every decision we make is focused on ensuring our children have school experiences that help them develop educationally and socially in an engaging, fun, caring and supportive environment."
Headteacher's welcome (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Stanley School are Meadowside School (2.3 miles, Requires improvement); Foxfield School (2.3 miles, Good); Gilbrook School (2.5 miles, Outstanding); and Horizons Independent School (3.2 miles, selective).
Meadowside SchoolFoxfield SchoolGilbrook SchoolHorizons Independent School
Who goes there
43.7% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 6% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
Almost every pupil at Stanley School has an education, health and care plan (183 of 183 in 2026). The most common need among them is a severe learning difficulty.
Stanley School provides for pupils with autism, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Heswall Rail Station, about 1.2 miles away in a straight line.
13 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Kingsley Close (adjacent), 170 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Stanley School stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 54 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, criminal damage and arson and anti-social behaviour. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Wirral (155).
Suspensions and exclusions
Stanley School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
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; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 4 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 Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its March 2013 inspection - down from Outstanding.
Rated Outstanding for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
43.7%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
Autism, SLD, PMLD
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Latest from Stanley School
Success at Panathlon Athletics Event
20 May 2026
Swim Team Shines at Panathlon Swimming Gala
9 Apr 2026
Merseyside Primary Panathlon Challenge
19 Dec 2025
Positive Eye Visit
16 May 2025
A day at the Zoo
17 May 2024
Bumblebees visit the farm!
1 May 2024
From Stanley School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with Stanley School
Before and after school care
Stanley School is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school. Source: Free breakfast clubs: schools on the programme, Department for Education Free breakfast clubs in Wirral
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Stanley School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Stanley School is in Wirral; for families living there:
Apply to Wirral for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 12
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 12 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 9 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on a bicycle.
2 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 Wirral is 15 (the median across 136 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
108%
Over capacity
183 pupils
170 places
13 pupils over capacity
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Wirral
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Wirral
Across Wirral council
Places available
3,889
Applications
3,305
Got 1st preference
95.3%
Got preferred school
99.1%
All secondary applications across Wirral council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(6)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
183
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Stanley School provides for pupils with autism, 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
183
Total Pupils
128
Boys
55
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
26
Teachers
7.0:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£49,180
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
8.5%
Overall absence
27.5%
Persistent absence
171
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about Stanley School
What are SATs results like at Stanley School?
Of the pupils at Stanley School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 0% reached the expected standard in reading and 0% did so in maths.
What is Stanley School's Ofsted rating?
Stanley School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in March 2023, 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 Stanley School?
No fixed boundary. When Stanley School is oversubscribed, Wirral allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Stanley School?
Stanley School has around 183 pupils on roll. 44% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Stanley School have specialist SEN provision?
Stanley School provides for pupils with autism, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties.
What is attendance like at Stanley School?
8.5% of sessions were missed at Stanley School in 2024/25. 27.5% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Stanley School?
Apply through Wirral's coordinated admissions process, naming Stanley 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.
Does Stanley School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Stanley School is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school.
How many road collisions happen near Stanley School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 12 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 9 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on a bicycle. 2 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 Wirral is 15 (the median across 136 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Stanley School?
Stanley School is at Greenbank Drive, Pensby, Wirral, Merseyside, CH61 5UE.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)