The Holden School, Leigh
The Holden School is a special school for pupils aged 4 to 18 in Leigh.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
The Holden School in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to The Holden School are Expanse Learning (Expanse Group Ltd) (0.7 miles, Good); Elysium Training & Consultancy Ltd (0.9 miles); Oakfield High School and College (2.4 miles, Outstanding); and The Parks School (3.1 miles, Good).
Expanse Learning (Expanse Group Ltd)Elysium Training & Consultancy LtdOakfield High School and CollegeThe Parks School
Who goes there
Almost every pupil at The Holden School has an education, health and care plan (70 of 70 in 2026).
The Holden School is approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014, so parents can ask for it to be named in their child's education, health and care (EHC) plan.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Daisy Hill Rail Station, about 3 miles away in a straight line.
6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Malham Close (near), 130 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood The Holden School stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
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 GIASISI Inspection Reports
Independent schools in England are inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI), not Ofsted. Ofsted last inspected this school in 30 April 2024, before the latest ISI inspection.
Non-Routine Inspection
9 June 2026
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
Approved
Section 41
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Latest from The Holden School
Important Update: Changes to Education Penalty Notices for School Absence
28 Sep 2026
Headline: 🌟 Catch Up on the Latest School News! 🌟
17 Jul 2026
🏛️ Elm Class Time-Travels to Ancient Rome! 🛡️
16 Jul 2026
Are you ready to turn your summer into an epic adventure?
6 Jul 2026
🌲🏕️ Pine Class Adventure at Forest School! 🏕️🌲
6 Jul 2026
🩺 Is My Child Too Ill for School? A Helpful Guide for Parents
6 Jul 2026
From The Holden School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Keep up with The Holden School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 11
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 11 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 10 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot.
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 Wigan is 10 (the median across 146 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
83%
Available places
70 pupils
84 places
14 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Leigh
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Leigh
Across Wigan council
Places available
4,061
Applications
3,718
Got 1st preference
91.1%
Got preferred school
97.6%
All secondary applications across Wigan council (2026/27), not just this school.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
70
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
The Holden School is approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014, so parents can ask for it to be named in their child's education, health and care (EHC) plan.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
No need-level breakdown available
Pupil Demographics
Key Indicators
70
Total Pupils
59
Boys
11
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
The Holden School
Showing 10 of 15 linked schools
Questions parents ask about The Holden School
What are GCSE results like at The Holden School?
The Department for Education's GCSE measures do not count IGCSEs, which many independent schools take instead of GCSEs, so the Attainment 8 and English and maths figures it publishes for The Holden School can understate its results. We do not rank or compare them; ask the school for its own GCSE and IGCSE results.
When was The Holden School last inspected?
The Holden School is inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) rather than Ofsted. Its most recent ISI inspection was a non-routine inspection in June 2026.
How many pupils go to The Holden School?
The Holden School has around 70 pupils on roll.
Does The Holden School have specialist SEN provision?
The Holden School is approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014, so parents can ask for it to be named in their child's education, health and care (EHC) plan.
How do I apply to The Holden School?
The Holden School is an independent school and runs its own admissions rather than going through the local authority. Contact the school directly for entry requirements, assessment dates, fees and any bursaries.
How many road collisions happen near The Holden School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 11 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 10 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot. 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 Wigan is 10 (the median across 146 schools, same distance and years).
Where is The Holden School?
The Holden School is at Firs Lane, Leigh, Greater Manchester, WN7 4SB.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)