Special (SEND) Schools / Lancashire
Special (SEND) Schools in Lancashire
Find and compare 109 special (SEND) schools in Lancashire - Ofsted ratings, specialisms, needs catered for and how to get a place.
109 special (send) schools in Lancashire
Bleasdale School
Carnforth · Special · Mixed
Bridgeway School
Lancashire · Special · Mixed
Cedar Lodge School
Preston · Special · Boys
Elms Bank
Bury · Special · Mixed
Green Fold School
Bolton · Special · Mixed
Linton School
Freckleton · Special · Mixed
Meadow View Learning Centre
Chorley · Special · Mixed
Progress School
Preston · Special · Mixed
Rawtenstall Cribden House Community Special School
Rossendale · Special · Mixed
Aurora Brooklands School
Leyland · Special · Mixed
Aurora Keyes Barn School
Salwick · Special · Boys
Aurora Woodlands School
Lancashire · Special · Mixed
Brookland School
Royton · Special · Mixed
Brook View School
Preston · Special · Mixed
Calder Lodge School
Preston · Special · Mixed
Cambian Red Rose School
Bamber Bridge · Special · Mixed
Eden School
Blackburn · Special · Mixed
Forestwood School
Bury · Special · Mixed
Learn 4 Life School
Skelmersdale · Special · Mixed
Maple House School
Manchester · Special · Mixed
Park View
Accrington · Special · Mixed
Pioneer TEC
Preston · Special · Mixed
Pontville School
Ormskirk · Special · Mixed
Progress Arc Billinge School
Wigan · Special · Mixed
Roselyn House School
Leyland · Special · Mixed
Rossendale School
Bury · Special · Mixed
Spring Brook Academy
Oldham · Special · Mixed
Stonegate School
Lancashire · Special · Girls
The Ribble Autism School
Preston · Special · Mixed
The Willows
Rishton · Special · Mixed
Cumberland School
Bolton · Special · Mixed
Acorns Primary School
Preston · Special · Mixed
Applebee Wood School
Preston · Special · Mixed
Ashgate Specialist Support Primary School
Manchester · Special · Mixed
Beaumont College - A Salutem/Ambito College
Lancaster · Special · Mixed
Belmont School
Rossendale · Special · Mixed
Birtenshaw School Bolton
Bolton · Special · Mixed
Blackpool Skills Academy
Blackpool · Special · Mixed
Bright Futures School
Oldham NOT BOLTON · Special · Mixed
Broadfield Specialist School
Burnley · Special · Mixed
Brookfield School
Poulton-le-Fylde · Special · Mixed
Chances Mentoring
Oldham · Special · Mixed
Chorley Astley Park School
Chorley · Special · Mixed
Compass Community School Lancashire
Burnley · Special · Mixed
Crookhey Hall School
Cockerham · Special · Mixed
Elm Tree Community Primary School
Skelmersdale · Special · Mixed
Firwood High School
Bolton · Special · Mixed
Great Arley School
Thornton-Cleveleys · Special · Mixed
Great Howarth School
Rochdale · Special · Mixed
Grow Independent School
Barrowford · Special · Mixed
Highfurlong School
Blackpool · Special · Mixed
Hillside Specialist School and College
Preston · Special · Mixed
Holdsworth School
Burnley · Special · Mixed
Hollinwood Academy
Oldham · Special · Mixed
Holly Grove School
Burnley · Special · Mixed
Hope High School
Skelmersdale · Special · Mixed
Kingfisher Special School
Oldham · Special · Mixed
Kingsbury Primary Special School
Skelmersdale · Special · Mixed
Kirkham Pear Tree School
Preston · Special · Mixed
Ladywood School
Bolton · Special · Mixed
Lever Park School
Bolton · Special · Mixed
Manchester Hospital School
Manchester · Special · Mixed
Mayfield House School
Chorley · Special · Mixed
Mayfield School
Chorley · Special · Mixed
Meade Hill School
Manchester · Special · Mixed
Moorbrook School
Preston · Special · Mixed
Moorlands View School
Burnley · Special · Mixed
Morecambe Road School
Morecambe · Special · Mixed
Moss View School
Skelmersdale · Special · Mixed
Newbridge Learning Community
Wigan · Special · Mixed
New Bridge School
Oldham · Special · Mixed
Newfield School
Blackburn · Special · Mixed
New Focus Education
Preston · Special · Mixed
Norman House Independent School
Blackpool · Special · Mixed
Oakfield House School
Preston · Special · Mixed
Oak Haven School
Heywood · Special · Mixed
Oakwood Academy
Eccles · Special · Mixed
Oliver House School
Chorley · Special · Mixed
Oswaldtwistle White Ash School
Accrington · Special · Mixed
Park Community Academy
Blackpool · Special · Mixed
Pendle Community High School & College
Nelson · Special · Mixed
Pendle View Primary School
Colne · Special · Mixed
Poplar House School
Lytham St Annes · Special · Mixed
Rainbow Hub School
Ormskirk · Special · Mixed
Red Rose School
Lytham St Annes · Special · Mixed
Ridgewood Community High School
Burnley · Special · Mixed
Rowan Tree Primary School
Manchester · Special · Mixed
Royal Cross Primary School
Preston · Special · Mixed
Rumworth School
Bolton · Special · Mixed
Samuel Laycock School
Ashton-Under-Lyne · Special · Mixed
Silver Birch School
Burnley · Special · Mixed
Sir Tom Finney Community High School
Preston · Special · Mixed
The Coppice School
Preston · Special · Mixed
The Limes School
Preston · Special · Boys
The Loyne Specialist School
Lancaster · Special · Mixed
The Maple School
Blackpool · Special · Mixed
The Nook School
Colne · Special · Girls
The Rose School
Burnley · Special · Mixed
Thornton-Cleveleys Red Marsh School
Blackpool · Special · Mixed
Tor View School
Rossendale · Special · Mixed
TRUST-Education Group Ltd
Preston · Special · Mixed
Underley Garden School
Carnforth · Special · Mixed
Valley College
Rossendale · Special · Mixed
Walney House Independent School
Preston · Special · Mixed
Waterloo Lodge
Whittle-Le-Woods · Special · Mixed
West Lancashire Community High School
Skelmersdale · Special · Mixed
Westmorland School
Chorley · Special · Mixed
Woodlands
Rossendale · Special · Mixed
Woodlands School
Blackpool · Special · Mixed
About special (SEND) schools in Lancashire
Special (SEND) schools in Lancashire educate children with complex special educational needs and disabilities - most of them with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) that sets out the support they are legally entitled to receive. Provision is designed around specific types of need: schools in Lancashire may specialise in autism (ASC), moderate or severe learning difficulties, speech and language needs, physical disability, or sensory impairment, so it is important to check which needs each school is actually resourced to support. Staff ratios are far higher than in mainstream, and most special schools have therapists - speech and language, occupational therapy or physiotherapy - working on site. A place is arranged through the local authority as part of the EHCP process: parents have the right to name a school, and the authority must agree unless it can show the school is unsuitable or would be an inefficient use of resources.
When comparing special schools in Lancashire, start with the type of need each school is designed for and the age range it covers - many are specific to a phase or to a particular area of need. Ofsted inspects special schools under the same framework as mainstream and ratings are a useful starting point, but read the SEND information report each school is required to publish, check what therapies are available on site, and ask how much experience staff have with your child's specific diagnosis. Visiting is important - the atmosphere, the way staff communicate with pupils and the physical environment can tell you more than any inspection report. If you are earlier in the process, your local SENDIASS (SEND information and advice service) offers free, impartial guidance on the EHCP process and your rights.
Choosing a school in Lancashire
Whether or not Lancashire has schools of a particular type, the same fundamentals help you compare your options. Ofsted judgements - Outstanding, Good, Requires Improvement or Inadequate - summarise the quality of education, behaviour, personal development and leadership. A rating is a useful starting point, but bear in mind that some schools have not been inspected for several years and that a single word cannot capture everything about a school.
For secondary schools, Progress 8 is often more revealing than raw results. It measures how much pupils improve between the end of primary school and their GCSEs, so a school serving a less advantaged community can still post strong progress. Attainment 8 shows average achievement across eight GCSEs, and the percentage of pupils reaching grade 5 or above in English and maths is a useful benchmark. For 16-18 study, look at A-Level and applied-course results and where students go next.
Beyond the data, look at how places are allocated when a school is oversubscribed and whether your address is likely to secure one, the range of subjects and activities on offer, the sixth-form provision if you are planning ahead, and travel and transport. Above all, visit. An open day tells you more about a school's atmosphere, pastoral care and whether it will suit your child than any league table can.
Frequently asked questions
How many special (send) schools are there in Lancashire?
There are 109 special (send) schools in Lancashire listed on School Signal, of which 30 are rated Outstanding or Good by Ofsted.
Which special school in Lancashire has the best Ofsted rating?
Bleasdale School is among the highest rated special (send) schools in Lancashire, judged Outstanding at its most recent Ofsted inspection.
How do I get a place at a special school in Lancashire?
A special school place in Lancashire is arranged through your local authority as part of the Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) process - you cannot apply to a special school directly. Once your child has an EHCP, you can name the school you want your child to attend, and the local authority must agree unless it can show the school is unsuitable for your child's needs or would be an inefficient use of resources. If you do not yet have an EHCP, you can request an EHC needs assessment by writing to your local authority's SEND team. The statutory process takes up to 20 weeks, and your local SENDIASS service can support you free of charge.