The Willows, Rishton
The Willows is a special school for pupils aged 5 to 16 in Rishton. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in July 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2025)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
The Willows in detail
The Willows in its own words
In its own words: "Where our staff team is inspired and amazed by our pupils who have a diverse range of needs, talents, and interests. Where our staff team is inspired and amazed by our pupils who have a diverse range of needs, talents, and interests. Ensuring it is a good decision is critical."
Vision and values (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to The Willows are Park View (1.1 miles, Good); Oswaldtwistle White Ash School (1.6 miles, Outstanding); Newfield School (2.7 miles, Requires improvement); and Eden School (4.7 miles, Good).
Park ViewOswaldtwistle White Ash SchoolNewfield SchoolEden School
Who goes there
Almost every pupil at The Willows has an education, health and care plan (23 of 23 in 2026).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Rishton Rail Station, about 600 metres away (roughly a 7-minute walk).
5 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Roebuck Inn (adjacent), 150 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 58 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and vehicle crime. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Lancashire (109).
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 GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 1 year 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 July 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
The Willows excels at helping pupils who have struggled with education get back on track. Staff build trusting relationships and create a caring environment where pupils flourish and want to attend. The school provides an ambitious curriculum with enriching trips and visitors that help pupils develop independence and broaden their understanding of the world.
Key Strengths
- Strong transition programme that helps pupils quickly settle and integrate into school routines
- Excellent reading support with targeted phonics instruction matched to pupils' needs
- High attendance and positive behaviour supported by trusting staff relationships
- Enriching activities including trips, visitors, and community service that broaden pupils' horizons
- Well-maintained facilities with bright, clean teaching spaces and safe outdoor areas
Areas for Improvement
- Teachers do not consistently use assessment information to plan appropriate next steps in learning
- Some activities do not support the intended learning, particularly in PSHE
- Limited opportunities for pupils to practise and consolidate understanding in some subjects
- Misconceptions sometimes not identified and addressed before moving to new learning
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with clear policies meeting current statutory requirements and a positive safeguarding culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Zoo visits, school kitchen cooking sessions, talks from local police officers, litter picking, reading with care home residents
The Willows is a good independent special school that has created a highly successful learning environment for pupils with SEND who have previously struggled with education. Pupils re-engage well with learning, achieve from their different starting points, and benefit from a caring, ambitious curriculum.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with The Willows
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 27
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 10
- Children hurt
- 6
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 27 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 10 serious and 17 slight.
6 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise.
6 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
57%
Available places
23 pupils
40 places
17 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Rishton
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Rishton
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(2)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
23
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
The Willows is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
No need-level breakdown available
Pupil Demographics
Key Indicators
23
Total Pupils
22
Boys
1
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Rishton Methodist Primary School
St Charles' Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy
Rishton St Peter and St Paul's Church of England Primary School
Great Harwood St John's Church of England Primary School
Clayton-le-Moors All Saints' Church of England Primary School
The Willows
Showing 10 of 15 linked schools
Questions parents ask about The Willows
What is The Willows's Ofsted rating?
The Willows was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in July 2025.
Does The Willows meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in July 2025, The Willows met all the independent school standards.
How many pupils go to The Willows?
The Willows has around 23 pupils on roll.
Does The Willows have specialist SEN provision?
The Willows is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
How do I apply to The Willows?
The Willows 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 Willows?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 27 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 10 serious and 17 slight. 6 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise. 6 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 Willows?
The Willows is at Willow Grange, Henry Street, Rishton, Lancashire, BB1 4JJ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)