Brookfield School

Brookfield School is a specialist school for pupils with education, health and care plans, mainly for social, emotional and mental health needs and autism. It operates across three sites and supports many pupils who have experienced disrupted education before joining. Inspectors found a nurturing, inclusive and caring culture where pupils develop trusting relationships with staff, feel safe, behave well and make steady progress from their starting points. Safeguarding standards are met. Leaders, governors and staff are strongly committed to pupils' success. The curriculum is personalised, transition support is carefully designed, inclusion is a clear strength, and personal development and careers provision are high quality. Pupils are generally well prepared for adulthood and almost all move on to suitable education, employment or training. Attendance improves over time for many pupils, but absence and persistent absence remain high for some. Teaching is mostly effective, although some curriculums are not delivered consistently well, and a few pupils are not yet working as independently or deeply as they could. The pupil premium strategy has not yet had enough impact on disadvantaged pupils' attendance, and leaders need to use pupil premium information more strategically.

Strengths

• Personalised curriculum meets pupils' complex SEMH and autism needs.
• Strong transition package helps pupils start Year 7 with confidence.
• Pupils develop warm, trusting relationships with staff and feel safe.
• Calm and usually orderly atmosphere supports pupils to behave well.
• Staff skilfully help pupils regulate emotions and improve readiness to learn.
• Inclusion is central, with needs identified and supported purposefully.
• Pupils make steady progress from their starting points.
• Key stage 4 pupils generally achieve well across appropriate accredited awards.
• High-quality careers advice is woven into every subject.
• Almost all pupils move on to suitable education, employment or training.
• Rich personal development includes trips, outdoor activities and pupil voice.
• Staff feel well supported with workload, wellbeing and high-quality training.
• Governors provide informed challenge and understand the school's complexities.
• Reading, writing, mathematics and communication are emphasised well.

Areas for Improvement

• Absence rates remain high for some pupils, causing them to miss vital learning.
• Persistent absence remains high overall and for some groups.
• Some curriculums are not delivered consistently well.
• Teaching does not always deepen pupils' knowledge or address misconceptions.
• Teachers occasionally move on to new work before pupils are ready.
• Some pupils are overly guided and do not work as independently as they could.
• The pupil premium strategy has not had the same impact on disadvantaged pupils' attendance.
• Leaders and governors need more strategic use of pupil premium information to evaluate its impact on attendance.

In 2024–25 pupils at Brookfield School attended 72.6% of sessions (the national figure for special schools was 87.2%). 59.1% 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, 14.3% of pupils at Brookfield 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 Brookfield School had 6.5 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for special schools was 6.6). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 0.0% 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 Brookfield School had 93 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; social, emotional and mental health; speech, language and communication needs; autistic spectrum disorder.

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 Brookfield School received £43,510 and spent £44,619 for each of its 93 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £135,000 (-£1,454 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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• Secondary Schools

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What is Brookfield School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Brookfield School is Expected standard, from an inspection in July 2026.

When was Brookfield School last inspected by Ofsted?

Brookfield School was last inspected in July 2026.

How many pupils does Brookfield School have?

Brookfield School has 93 pupils on roll.

What age range does Brookfield School cover?

Brookfield School for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Brookfield School's GCSE results?

In 2023 its average Attainment 8 score was 7.6, and 6% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Brookfield School?

Brookfield School is at Fouldrey Avenue, Poulton-le-Fylde, Lancashire, FY6 7HE.