Wood Bank School

Wood Bank School continues to perform well as a good school, providing quality education for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The school has developed an ambitious curriculum tailored to meet the diverse and complex needs of its students. Positive relationships between staff and pupils foster a supportive environment, where pupils feel safe and can thrive. Notably, the school has implemented effective strategies in managing challenging behavior, and pupils engage in a variety of enriching activities that enhance their learning experiences. However, there are areas that require improvement. Some subjects in the formal curriculum lack clarity in identifying the most essential knowledge needed for pupil progress, leading to occasions where some activities are not demanding enough. Additionally, there are inconsistencies in matching books to pupils' reading abilities, which affects their progress. Furthermore, attendance remains a concern, with some pupils facing barriers that hinder their consistent participation in learning.

Strengths

• Ambitious and well-designed curriculum tailored for individual needs
• Positive relationships between staff and pupils
• Effective support for challenging behaviour
• Variety of engaging activities such as forest school and music therapy
• Strong understanding of pupils' vulnerabilities
• Effective safeguarding arrangements
• Comprehensive training for staff, particularly early career teachers

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistencies in matching reading books to pupils' abilities
• Some subjects lack clarity in essential knowledge for progression
• Attendance issues affecting consistent learning

In 2024–25 pupils at Wood Bank School attended 87.6% of sessions (the national figure for special schools was 87.2%). 35.9% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 35.3%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 0.7% of pupils at Wood Bank School were suspended at least once (nationally 5.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Wood Bank School had 10.3 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for special schools was 6.6). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 24.3% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.5%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26 Wood Bank School had 142 pupils, 100.0% of them with an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 99.5%).

It says it provides for: specific learning difficulty; moderate learning difficulty; severe learning difficulty; profound and multiple learning difficulty; speech, language and communication needs; hearing impairment; vision impairment; multi-sensory impairment; physical disability; autistic spectrum disorder; other difficulty or disability.

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded special school schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 Wood Bank School received £31,644 and spent £29,212 for each of its 142 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £1,843,000 (£12,981 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

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What is Wood Bank School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Wood Bank School is Good, from an inspection in June 2024.

When was Wood Bank School last inspected by Ofsted?

Wood Bank School was last inspected in June 2024.

How many pupils does Wood Bank School have?

Wood Bank School has 142 pupils on roll.

What age range does Wood Bank School cover?

Wood Bank School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Wood Bank School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 0% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Wood Bank School?

Wood Bank School is at Dene View, Luddenden, Halifax, West Yorkshire, HX2 6PB.