Woodlands, Rossendale
Woodlands is a special school for pupils aged 6 to 14 in Rossendale. It was rated Requires improvement at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in March 2025. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in February 2026 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Requires improvement (2025)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Woodlands in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Woodlands are New Park Academy (0.3 miles, Good); Chatsworth High School and Community College (1.3 miles, Outstanding); Oakwood Academy (1.3 miles, Outstanding); and Egerton High School (1.6 miles, Good).
New Park AcademyChatsworth High School and Community CollegeOakwood AcademyEgerton High School
Who goes there
Almost every pupil at Woodlands has an education, health and care plan (5 of 5 in 2026).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Patricroft Rail Station, about 490 metres away (roughly a 6-minute walk).
13 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Patricroft Bridge (cnr), 70 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 0 crimes within a mile of the school. 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 · 8 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) 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 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 managementNot met
Progress-monitoring inspection, 10 February 2026: 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 February 2026 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Woodlands excels at supporting pupils to build important knowledge in reading, writing and mathematics, while also helping them connect learning across subjects like art and design. The school creates a personalised learning environment where teaching activities take account of each pupil's individual interests, and staff use precise assessment to quickly address any gaps in knowledge. With strong leadership and ongoing professional development for staff, the school ensures consistent, high-quality support for its pupils.
Key Strengths
- Staff receive strong training and professional development to teach the curriculum effectively, with leaders monitoring how teachers apply learning in practice
- Teaching activities are well-designed and personalised to pupils' individual interests to engage them in learning
- Assessment systems help staff identify gaps in pupils' knowledge and address misconceptions promptly, supporting positive progress from different starting points
- Leaders have implemented robust oversight at all levels, with the proprietor engaging external experts to ensure standards are met consistently
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective - the school's safeguarding policy is available to parents and carers, and pre-employment checks are properly recorded.
Woodlands is a small independent special school for up to nine pupils aged 6-14 with social, emotional and mental health needs. The school has now met all independent school standards that were previously unmet, demonstrating significant progress.
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 Woodlands
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 32
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 9
- Children hurt
- 7
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 32 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 9 serious and 23 slight.
7 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 6 on foot and 1 on a bicycle.
9 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
56%
Available places
5 pupils
9 places
4 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Rossendale
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Rossendale
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)
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) and Part 8 (leadership and management).
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
5
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Woodlands 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
5
Total Pupils
4
Boys
1
Girls
2026 academic year
Questions parents ask about Woodlands
What is Woodlands's Ofsted rating?
Woodlands's most recent Ofsted inspection, in February 2026, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in March 2025, it was rated Requires Improvement.
Does Woodlands meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in March 2025, Woodlands did not meet the independent school standards in Part 1 (quality of education) and Part 8 (leadership and management). At a later progress-monitoring inspection in February 2026, the school met all the standards Ofsted checked.
How many pupils go to Woodlands?
Woodlands has around 5 pupils on roll.
Does Woodlands have specialist SEN provision?
Woodlands is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
How do I apply to Woodlands?
Woodlands 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 Woodlands?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 32 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 9 serious and 23 slight. 7 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 6 on foot and 1 on a bicycle. 9 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 Woodlands?
Woodlands is at Church Lane, Edenfield, Rossendale, Lancashire, BL0 0QL.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)