The Loyne Specialist School, Lancaster
The Loyne Specialist School is a special school for pupils aged 4 to 19 in Lancaster. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in June 2014. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in January 2024 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2014)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
The Loyne Specialist School in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to The Loyne Specialist School are Beaumont College - A Salutem/Ambito College (0.8 miles, Good); and Morecambe Road School (0.8 miles, Good).
Beaumont College - A Salutem/Ambito CollegeMorecambe Road School
Where pupils go next
Of the 7 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 100% stayed in education or training for at least two terms.
Who goes there
43% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 6.6% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
Almost every pupil at The Loyne Specialist School has an education, health and care plan (121 of 121 in 2026). The most common need among them is autism.
The Loyne Specialist School provides for pupils with specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, visual impairment, 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.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Lancaster Rail Station, about 0.8 miles away in a straight line.
22 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Borwick Drive (by), 80 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood The Loyne Specialist 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 368 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Lancashire (109), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, The Loyne Specialist 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 · 3 years agoThis judgement is from June 2014, 12 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 June 2014 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
43.0%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
SpLD, Vision, Hearing +8
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 2 nearby schools
Keep up with The Loyne Specialist School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to The Loyne Specialist School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. The Loyne Specialist School is in Lancashire; for families living there:
- Lancashire's school travel policy: school transport policies
- How to apply: Apply for free home to school transport assistance
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 25
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 4
- Children hurt
- 11
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 25 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 21 slight.
11 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot, 3 on a bicycle and 4 in a vehicle or otherwise.
11 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 Lancashire is 12 (the median across 707 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
106%
Over capacity
121 pupils
114 places
7 pupils over capacity
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Lancaster
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Lancaster
Across Lancashire council
Places available
14,702
Applications
13,782
Got 1st preference
87.1%
Got preferred school
97.2%
All secondary applications across Lancashire council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(6)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
121
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
The Loyne Specialist School provides for pupils with specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, visual impairment, 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.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
121
Total Pupils
78
Boys
43
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
18
Teachers
6.7:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£45,518
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
7.8%
Overall absence
24.1%
Persistent absence
87
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
The Loyne Specialist School
Showing 10 of 14 linked schools
Questions parents ask about The Loyne Specialist School
What are SATs results like at The Loyne Specialist School?
Of the pupils at The Loyne Specialist School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 0% reached the expected standard in reading and 0% did so in maths.
What is The Loyne Specialist School's Ofsted rating?
The Loyne Specialist School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in January 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in June 2014, it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for The Loyne Specialist School?
No fixed boundary. When The Loyne Specialist School is oversubscribed, Lancashire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to The Loyne Specialist School?
The Loyne Specialist School has around 121 pupils on roll. 43% are eligible for free school meals.
Does The Loyne Specialist School have specialist SEN provision?
The Loyne Specialist School provides for pupils with specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, visual impairment, 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.
What is attendance like at The Loyne Specialist School?
7.8% of sessions were missed at The Loyne Specialist School in 2024/25. 24.1% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to The Loyne Specialist School?
Apply through Lancashire's coordinated admissions process, naming The Loyne Specialist 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 The Loyne Specialist School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 25 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 21 slight. 11 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot, 3 on a bicycle and 4 in a vehicle or otherwise. 11 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 Lancashire is 12 (the median across 707 schools, same distance and years).
Where is The Loyne Specialist School?
The Loyne Specialist School is at Sefton Drive, Lancaster, Lancashire, LA1 2QD.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)