Woodlands School

Woodlands School is a small special school for pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs, all of whom have education, health and care plans. Inspectors judged the school to be meeting the expected standard in achievement, attendance and behaviour, inclusion, leadership and governance, and personal development and wellbeing. Pupils, many of whom join after disrupted education, benefit from strong relationships, personalised support, and a calm, structured environment that helps them re-engage with learning. Attendance remains a significant challenge, but leaders' strategic and personalised approaches are beginning to improve regular attendance for some pupils, and behaviour is managed consistently well.

Strengths

• Pupils who have been at the school longer make impressive contributions in lessons and sustain attention for prolonged periods.
• Many pupils achieve positive outcomes in vocational and creative subjects such as vehicle studies and art.
• Leaders prioritise attendance and have established clear systems to monitor and improve it, including personalised support and home visits.
• Behaviour is well understood and managed consistently, with clear routines that help pupils feel secure.
• Personal development and wellbeing are central to the school's work, with effective pastoral care and therapeutic support.
• Careers education and preparation for adulthood are planned carefully, helping pupils become more confident about their futures.
• Leadership and governance are effective, with a clear understanding of the school's context and appropriate priorities for improvement.
• Safeguarding standards are met, with an open and positive culture of safeguarding.

Areas for Improvement

• Opportunities for pupils to practise and apply writing skills are not sufficiently developed across the curriculum.
• Expectations for writing vary between subjects, limiting pupils' accuracy and independence in writing.
• Implementation of training to adapt learning to meet pupils' needs is variable across the school.
• Staff do not consistently identify and address misconceptions in learning, leading to avoidable errors.
• Work with parents does not yet consistently secure improvements in pupils' progress, attendance, and preparation for next steps.
• Attendance remains a challenge for some pupils, with high overall and persistent absence rates.

In 2024–25 pupils at Woodlands School attended 65.7% of sessions (the national figure for special schools was 87.2%). 81.7% 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, 61.1% of pupils at Woodlands School were suspended at least once (nationally 5.1%). 2 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 3.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for special schools was 6.6). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 13.7% 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 67 pupils, 98.5% of them with an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 99.5%).

It says it provides for: social, emotional and mental health.

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 2024–25 Woodlands School received £57,759 and spent £50,149 for each of its 55 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £587,000 (£10,673 per pupil).

Across all 14 schools of Marches Academy Trust, income was £8,021 and spending £7,895 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). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Shrewsbury · Shropshire local authority: places and applications

Woodlands School is part of Marches Academy Trust, which runs 18 schools. The nearest others:

• Cockshutt CofE Primary School and Nursery Ellesmere
• Lower Heath CofE Primary School Whitchurch
• Weston Lullingfields Church of England Primary School and Nursery Shrewsbury
• Grange Primary School Shrewsbury
• Tilstock CofE Primary and Nursery Whitchurch
• Shrewsbury Academy Shrewsbury
• Sir John Talbot's School Whitchurch
• St Andrew's Church of England Primary School and Nursery Shrewsbury
• West Felton Church of England Primary School and Nursery Oswestry
• Criftins CofE Primary School and Nursery Ellesmere

What is Woodlands School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Woodlands School is Needs attention, from an inspection in July 2026.

When was Woodlands School last inspected by Ofsted?

Woodlands School was last inspected in July 2026.

How many pupils does Woodlands School have?

Woodlands School has 67 pupils on roll.

What age range does Woodlands School cover?

Woodlands School for pupils aged 9 to 16.

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 Tilley Green, Wem, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, SY4 5PJ.