Willow House School, Greater Manchester
Willow House School is a special school for pupils aged 5 to 14 in Greater Manchester. It was rated Requires improvement at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in October 2024. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in November 2025 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Requires improvement (2024)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Willow House School in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Willow House School are Royal School, Manchester (0.1 miles, Outstanding); Royal College Manchester (Seashell Trust) (0.1 miles, Outstanding); Oakgrove School (0.5 miles); and Valley School (1.4 miles, Outstanding).
Royal School, ManchesterRoyal College Manchester (Seashell Trust)Oakgrove SchoolValley School
Who goes there
Almost every pupil at Willow House School has an education, health and care plan (6 of 6 in 2026).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Handforth Rail Station, about 0.8 miles away in a straight line.
4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Seashell Trust (outside), 90 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Willow House School stands in is among the 20% least 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 GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 11 months agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Safeguarding: effective
Independent school standards
Did not meet the independent school standards in Part 1 (quality of education), Part 3 (welfare, health and safety) and Part 8 (leadership and management).
- Part 1: quality of educationNot met
- Part 2: pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural developmentMet
- Part 3: welfare, health and safetyNot met
- 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 managementNot met
Progress-monitoring inspection, 4 November 2025: The school met all the standards Ofsted checked.
Source: Ofsted, non-association independent schools inspections and outcomes (Open Government Licence)
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's November 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Willow House School has turned around previous concerns and now provides high-quality teaching tailored to each child's needs. Pupils are developing independent learning skills with genuine engagement in their work, and the school has established robust systems to support pupils with EHC plans. Strong leadership and a committed staff training programme ensure consistent quality across all subjects, including creative and aesthetic education.
Key Strengths
- Comprehensive curriculum policy now in place that reflects the ages, aptitudes and needs of all pupils, including those with EHC plans
- Teaching enables pupils to acquire new knowledge with well-planned lessons and effective use of classroom resources
- Effective assessment framework established, with staff using assessment information to address learning gaps
- Strong safeguarding procedures in place with regular staff training and secure reporting systems
- New experienced executive headteacher and improved leadership oversight providing better accountability
Safeguarding
Safeguarding is effective - the school has a suitable policy, secure reporting procedures, communicates effectively with other agencies, and ensures all staff receive regular training to recognise when pupils may be at risk of harm.
Willow House School is a specialist setting that has made significant improvements following previous inspection concerns about curriculum delivery and leadership. The school now meets all independent school standards that were checked during this inspection.
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 Willow House School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 13
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 5
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 13 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 5 serious and 8 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
0 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 Stockport is 8 (the median across 135 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
86%
Available places
6 pupils
7 places
1 spare place
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Greater Manchester
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Greater Manchester
Across Stockport council
Places available
3,325
Applications
3,368
Got 1st preference
79.9%
Got preferred school
94.2%
All secondary applications across Stockport council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(8)
Independent school Progress Monitoring inspection
Outcome: the school met all the standards Ofsted checked.
Independent School standard inspection
Did not meet the independent school standards in Part 1 (quality of education), Part 3 (welfare, health and safety) and Part 8 (leadership and management).
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
6
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Willow House 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
6
Total Pupils
5
Boys
1
Girls
2026 academic year
Questions parents ask about Willow House School
What is Willow House School's Ofsted rating?
Willow House School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in November 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in October 2024, it was rated Requires Improvement.
Does Willow House School meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in October 2024, Willow House School did not meet the independent school standards in Part 1 (quality of education), Part 3 (welfare, health and safety) and Part 8 (leadership and management). At a later progress-monitoring inspection in November 2025, the school met all the standards Ofsted checked.
How many pupils go to Willow House School?
Willow House School has around 6 pupils on roll.
Does Willow House School have specialist SEN provision?
Willow House School is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
How do I apply to Willow House School?
Willow House 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 Willow House School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 13 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 5 serious and 8 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 0 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 Stockport is 8 (the median across 135 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Willow House School?
Willow House School is at 120 Stanley Road, Cheadle Hulme, Greater Manchester, Greater Manchester, SK8 6RF.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)