Woodlands School, Blackpool
Woodlands School is a special school for pupils aged 2 to 19 in Blackpool. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in September 2013. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in May 2024 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Good (2013)
Data last updated 1 Nov 2026
Woodlands School in detail
Woodlands School in its own words
In its own words: "Our pupils have a wide range of learning needs including severe, profound and complex learning difficulties and many have a broad range of additional special educational needs, including hearing or visual impairments, epilepsy or other health conditions, and autistic spectrum disorder. T ogether we R aise A spirations for I ndependence and L ife-long learning."
Vision and values (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Woodlands School are Park Community Academy (under 0.1 miles, Outstanding); Blackpool Skills Academy (0.7 miles); Spen Brook School (1.2 miles, Good); and The Maple School (1.3 miles).
Park Community AcademyBlackpool Skills AcademySpen Brook SchoolThe Maple School
Who goes there
69.4% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 9% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
Almost every pupil at Woodlands School has an education, health and care plan (110 of 111 in 2026). The most common need among them is autism.
Woodlands School provides for pupils with hearing impairment, autism, physical disability, moderate learning difficulties, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Blackpool North Rail Station, about 0.9 miles away in a straight line.
14 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Health Centre (by), 140 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 1025 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and public order offences. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Blackpool (336), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Woodlands School issued 3 suspensions, 2.8 for every 100 pupils, and no permanent exclusions.
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; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoThis judgement is from September 2013, 13 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good.
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
Pupils enjoy school. Staff know and respond to pupils' additional needs well. This puts pupils at ease and helps them to feel safe. Pupils receive effective support to express their feelings using a range of appropriate communication strategies. This helps pupils to feel heard and understood by staff and each other.
Pupils, including students in the sixth form, benefit from staff's effective use of sensory strategies. This helps them to feel calm and regulate their behaviour. Staff quickly respond to pupils' individual needs if they struggle with any emotional difficulties. As a result, pupils quickly return to their learning activities.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
All pupils have an education, health and care (EHC) plan. With the guidance of external specialists when required, the school identifies the additional needs of pupils accurately.
The school has recently refined the curriculum pathways that pupils, from the early years to the sixth form, follow. These pathways are designed to help meet pupils' special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) well. Furthermore, they prepare pupils to be increasingly independent and ready for adulthood.
From Ofsted's May 2024 ungraded inspection report: the opening paragraphs of each section, quoted word for word. Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its September 2013 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
69.4%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
Hearing, Autism, Physical +3
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with Woodlands School
Nurseries
The nearest nurseries and pre-schools to Woodlands School, with their latest published grades:
- Meadow Nursery - Day nursery, 0.1 milesOfsted report card, 22 July 2026: Strong standard in 3 areas, Expected standard in 3 areas; safeguarding standards met
- West Park Kindergarten - Day nursery, 0.2 milesOfsted, 11 February 2025: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
- Ashcroft Nursery - Day nursery, 0.3 milesOfsted, 21 August 2023: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
- Embrace Lodge Kindergarten - Day nursery, 0.4 milesOfsted report card, 11 June 2026: Expected standard in 6 areas; safeguarding standards met
- Primrose House Nursery - Day nursery, 0.6 milesOfsted report card, 6 August 2026: Expected standard in 1 area, Needs attention in 5 areas; safeguarding standards met
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Woodlands School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Woodlands School is in Blackpool; for families living there:
Apply to Blackpool for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 53
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 13
- Children hurt
- 7
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 53 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 13 serious and 39 slight.
7 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot, 2 on a bicycle and 3 in a vehicle or otherwise.
5 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 Blackpool is 39 (the median across 51 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight are DfT estimates (severity adjustment). Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
101%
Over capacity
111 pupils
110 places
1 pupil over capacity
as recorded on GIAS
Across Blackpool council
Places available
1,545
Applications
1,503
Got 1st preference
84.9%
Got preferred school
94.7%
All secondary applications across Blackpool council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(6)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
1
SEN Support
110
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Woodlands School provides for pupils with hearing impairment, autism, physical disability, moderate learning difficulties, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
111
Total Pupils
80
Boys
31
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
14
Teachers
7.9:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£58,389
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.7%
Overall absence
16.5%
Persistent absence
97
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Woodlands School
Showing 10 of 15 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Woodlands School
What are SATs results like at Woodlands School?
Of the pupils at Woodlands School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 0% reached the expected standard in reading and 0% did so in maths.
What is Woodlands School's Ofsted rating?
Woodlands School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in May 2024, was ungraded. At its last graded inspection, in September 2013, it was rated Good.
How many pupils go to Woodlands School?
Woodlands School has around 111 pupils on roll. 69% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Woodlands School have specialist SEN provision?
Woodlands School provides for pupils with hearing impairment, autism, physical disability, moderate learning difficulties, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties.
What is attendance like at Woodlands School?
5.7% of sessions were missed at Woodlands School in 2024/25. 16.5% of pupils were persistently absent.
How many road collisions happen near Woodlands School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 53 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 13 serious and 39 slight. 7 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot, 2 on a bicycle and 3 in a vehicle or otherwise. 5 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 Blackpool is 39 (the median across 51 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Woodlands School?
Woodlands School is at Whitegate Drive, Blackpool, Lancashire, FY3 9HF.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)