Westmorland School, Chorley
Westmorland School is a special school for pupils aged 5 to 16 in Chorley. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in February 2025. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in July 2025 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Good (2025)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Westmorland School in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Westmorland School are Mayfield School (0.1 miles, Good); Chorley Astley Park School (0.9 miles, Outstanding); Mayfield House School (1.1 miles, Inadequate); and Oliver House School (1.4 miles, Outstanding).
Mayfield SchoolChorley Astley Park SchoolMayfield House SchoolOliver House School
What parents say
22 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Westmorland School (as of September 2025): 96% would recommend the school, 100% say their child is happy there and 75% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that they are kept well informed about progress (100%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (75%).
Who goes there
Almost every pupil at Westmorland School has an education, health and care plan (86 of 86 in 2026).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Chorley Rail Station, about 0.8 miles away in a straight line.
9 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Firemans Lane (by), 30 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Westmorland 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 239 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and criminal damage and arson. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Lancashire (109), as is usual near a town centre.
Sources: Ofsted Parent View; 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
Westmorland School provides a safe, well-maintained learning environment specifically designed for pupils with special educational needs. The school demonstrates strong leadership with careful planning to maintain high standards while expanding capacity. All staff are thoroughly vetted and trained, with excellent facilities including specialist teaching spaces and extensive outdoor areas for learning.
Key Strengths
- Strong safeguarding culture with well-trained staff and robust policies reflecting latest guidance
- Rigorous health and safety systems including regular maintenance checks and fire safety compliance
- Well-maintained premises with high-standard refurbishment and suitable facilities for increased pupil numbers
- Comprehensive risk assessment procedures tailored to pupils' individual needs
- Clear leadership with established systems to monitor compliance with standards
Safeguarding
Safeguarding is effective - the school has a strong safeguarding culture with well-trained designated leads, comprehensive policies published on the website, and clear whistleblowing procedures in place.
Westmorland School is an independent special school for pupils aged 5-16 with SEND, operating from two sites. The inspection assessed the school's readiness to increase pupil numbers from 80 to 96.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
22 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with Westmorland School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 17
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 3
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 17 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 3 serious and 13 slight.
3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 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 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
90%
Near capacity
86 pupils
96 places
10 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Chorley
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Chorley
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(9)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
86
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Westmorland School 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
86
Total Pupils
64
Boys
22
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Westmorland School
Showing 10 of 15 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Westmorland School
What is Westmorland School's Ofsted rating?
Westmorland School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in July 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in February 2025, it was rated Good.
Does Westmorland School meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in February 2025, Westmorland School met all the independent school standards.
How many pupils go to Westmorland School?
Westmorland School has around 86 pupils on roll.
Does Westmorland School have specialist SEN provision?
Westmorland School is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
How do I apply to Westmorland School?
Westmorland 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 Westmorland School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 17 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 3 serious and 13 slight. 3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 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 Lancashire is 12 (the median across 707 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Westmorland School?
Westmorland School is at Weldbank Lane, Chorley, Lancashire, PR7 3NQ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)