Woodside Lodge Outdoor Learning Centre, Leicestershire
Woodside Lodge Outdoor Learning Centre is a special school for pupils aged 5 to 19 in Leicestershire. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in May 2024. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in July 2025 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2024)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Woodside Lodge Outdoor Learning Centre in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Woodside Lodge Outdoor Learning Centre are Compass Community School Mountfields Park (1.5 miles, Good); Hardwick House School (1.6 miles); ASPIRE: Lifeskills (1.6 miles, Good); and Quorn Hall School (1.7 miles).
Compass Community School Mountfields ParkHardwick House SchoolASPIRE: LifeskillsQuorn Hall School
Who goes there
Almost every pupil at Woodside Lodge Outdoor Learning Centre has an education, health and care plan (50 of 50 in 2026).
Getting there
The nearest tram or metro stop is Quorn & Woodhouse (Great Central Railway), about 1100 metres away (roughly a 14-minute walk).
Sources: DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport)
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
Woodside Lodge prioritises pupil safety and wellbeing through a dedicated key worker system where each staff member meets with assigned pupils twice daily. The school has strong safeguarding practices with comprehensive staff training, regular communication with parents, and robust procedures for responding to concerns. Pupils learn essential life skills including online safety, community safety, and preparation for independence.
Key Strengths
- All staff receive comprehensive safeguarding training with weekly reinforcement of key messages
- Pupils meet with assigned key workers twice daily to monitor welfare and provide support
- School has robust risk assessment procedures covering all bases and educational visits
- Thorough health and safety checks, fire risk assessments, and regular fire drills across all sites
- Strong communication with parents and carers regarding pupil welfare concerns
Safeguarding
Safeguarding is effective - all staff understand their responsibilities, know how to escalate concerns both internally and externally, pupils feel safe and know they can speak to staff, and leaders respond to concerns in a timely manner with appropriate external agency involvement.
Extracurricular Activities
Physical education at local sports centre (for pupils without on-site showers), educational visits
Woodside Lodge Outdoor Learning Centre is an independent special school for pupils aged 5-19 with autism, operating across four bases. The school is likely to meet independent school standards if approved for its material change to increase pupil numbers from 45 to 55.
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 Woodside Lodge Outdoor Learning Centre
Getting There
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 6
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 6 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 5 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
4 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 Leicestershire is 3 (the median across 329 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
91%
Near capacity
50 pupils
55 places
5 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Leicestershire
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Leicestershire
Across Leicestershire council
Places available
8,516
Applications
7,490
Got 1st preference
90.2%
Got preferred school
98.1%
All secondary applications across Leicestershire council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(5)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
50
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Woodside Lodge Outdoor Learning Centre 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
50
Total Pupils
34
Boys
16
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Woodside Lodge Outdoor Learning Centre
Questions parents ask about Woodside Lodge Outdoor Learning Centre
What is Woodside Lodge Outdoor Learning Centre's Ofsted rating?
Woodside Lodge Outdoor Learning Centre's most recent Ofsted inspection, in July 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in May 2024, it was rated Outstanding.
Does Woodside Lodge Outdoor Learning Centre meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in May 2024, Woodside Lodge Outdoor Learning Centre met all the independent school standards.
How many pupils go to Woodside Lodge Outdoor Learning Centre?
Woodside Lodge Outdoor Learning Centre has around 50 pupils on roll.
Does Woodside Lodge Outdoor Learning Centre have specialist SEN provision?
Woodside Lodge Outdoor Learning Centre is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
How do I apply to Woodside Lodge Outdoor Learning Centre?
Woodside Lodge Outdoor Learning Centre 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 Woodside Lodge Outdoor Learning Centre?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 6 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 5 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 4 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 Leicestershire is 3 (the median across 329 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Woodside Lodge Outdoor Learning Centre?
Woodside Lodge Outdoor Learning Centre is at 14, Bond Lane, Leicestershire, Leicestershire, LE12 7AA.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)