Woodlands School

Woodlands School continues to perform well as a good school, providing a supportive environment for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities. Pupils enjoy their time at school, supported by dedicated staff who understand and respond effectively to their individual needs. The school has raised its aspirations for student achievement by broadening the curriculum and offering numerous enriching activities that help build pupils' confidence and knowledge about the world. Despite notable strengths, some curriculum areas need clearer identification of the knowledge required for pupils to ensure their learning is optimized.

Strengths

• Staff effectively support pupils' additional needs.
• Pupils enjoy a wide range of trips and activities.
• The school promotes a love of reading through innovative initiatives.
• High attendance rates are maintained due to strong family support.
• There is a strong focus on student voice and communication strategies.
• Extracurricular activities empower pupils and develop social skills.
• The curriculum pathways are designed to prepare pupils for adulthood.

Areas for Improvement

• Some curriculum areas lack clarity in the knowledge that pupils need to learn.
• Not all staff are skilled in adapting the reading curriculum for pre-reading pupils.

In 2024–25 pupils at Woodlands School attended 94.3% of sessions (the national figure for special schools was 87.2%). 16.5% 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, 0.9% of pupils at Woodlands 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 Woodlands School had 7.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for special schools was 6.6). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 6.7% 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 Woodlands School had 111 pupils, 99.1% 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; social, emotional and mental health; 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 Woodlands School received £29,569 and spent £28,590 for each of its 111 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £295,000 (£2,660 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 Woodlands School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Woodlands School is Good, from an inspection in October 2024.

When was Woodlands School last inspected by Ofsted?

Woodlands School was last inspected in October 2024.

How many pupils does Woodlands School have?

Woodlands School has 111 pupils on roll.

What age range does Woodlands School cover?

Woodlands School for pupils aged 2 to 19.

What are Woodlands School's SATs (KS2) results?

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

Where is Woodlands School?

Woodlands School is at Whitegate Drive, Blackpool, Lancashire, FY3 9HF.