The Parks School, Hindley
The Parks School is a special school for pupils aged 11 to 16 in Hindley. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in February 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2025)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
The Parks School in detail
The Parks School in its own words
In its own words: "Quality provider of Residential Child Care, Specialist Education, Supported Accommodation and Family Support. Quality provider of specialist support & residential care for young people with complex needs. Community based support services for vulnerable children, young people, adults & families"
Vision and values (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to The Parks School are Oakfield High School and College (1 mile, Outstanding); Newbridge Learning Community (1.2 miles, Good); Fix-It (UK) Ltd (1.4 miles); and CEWE School (1.7 miles, Good).
Oakfield High School and CollegeNewbridge Learning CommunityFix-It (UK) LtdCEWE School
Who goes there
Almost every pupil at The Parks School has an education, health and care plan (21 of 21 in 2026).
The Parks 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 Hindley Rail Station, about 660 metres away (roughly a 8-minute walk).
16 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is King Street (opposite), 70 metres away.
Sources: DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport)
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Safeguarding: effective
Independent school standards
Met all the independent school standards.
- Part 1: quality of educationMet
- Part 2: pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural developmentMet
- Part 3: welfare, health and safetyMet
- Part 4: suitability of staff and proprietorsMet
- Part 5: premises and accommodationMet
- Part 6: information for parentsMet
- Part 7: handling of complaintsMet
- Part 8: leadership and managementMet
Source: Ofsted, non-association independent schools inspections and outcomes (Open Government Licence)
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's February 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
The Parks School excels at giving pupils a fresh start and rebuilding their love of learning. Staff create trusting relationships and a calm environment where pupils behave well and focus on their studies. The school provides inspiring enrichment activities and carefully planned PSHE education that prepare pupils to be confident and ready for independent adult life.
Key Strengths
- Creates a safe, trusting environment where pupils re-engage with learning and enjoy attending school
- Well-taught phonics programme effectively addresses reading gaps and builds fluent, confident readers
- Rich personal development opportunities including weekly visits to museums, farms and markets that enhance pupils' understanding of the wider world
- Skilled staff who adapt teaching to meet individual needs and help pupils develop confidence and independence
- Effective careers guidance and support that results in pupils securing college places, mentorship programmes or work
Areas for Improvement
- Teachers do not check and address gaps in pupils' prior knowledge well enough, so pupils sometimes struggle to understand new learning without necessary background knowledge
- Need to more systematically identify and close knowledge gaps from pupils' interrupted previous education
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective and the school has a safeguarding policy that meets current statutory requirements.
Extracurricular Activities
Weekly visits to museums, farms and markets, art and design certificates, food technology certificates, online safety education, careers exploration visits, college and workplace mentorship programmes
The Parks School is a special independent school rated Good overall that provides education for pupils aged 11-16 with social, emotional and mental health needs. The school has established an ambitious curriculum with high expectations, and pupils who have been out of education now re-engage with learning in a safe, inspiring environment.
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
Keep up with The Parks School
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 35
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 11
- Children hurt
- 4
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 35 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 11 serious and 24 slight.
4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
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 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
70%
Available places
21 pupils
30 places
9 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Hindley
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Hindley
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.
Inspection History(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
21
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
The Parks 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
21
Total Pupils
16
Boys
5
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
The Parks School
Showing 10 of 15 linked schools
Questions parents ask about The Parks School
What are GCSE results like at The Parks 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 Parks School can understate its results. We do not rank or compare them; ask the school for its own GCSE and IGCSE results.
What is The Parks School's Ofsted rating?
The Parks School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in February 2025.
Does The Parks School meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in February 2025, The Parks School met all the independent school standards.
How many pupils go to The Parks School?
The Parks School has around 21 pupils on roll.
Does The Parks School have specialist SEN provision?
The Parks 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 Parks School?
The Parks 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 Parks School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 35 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 11 serious and 24 slight. 4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 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 Wigan is 10 (the median across 146 schools, same distance and years).
Where is The Parks School?
The Parks School is at Market Street, Hindley, Hindley, WN2 3AN.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)