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The Raise Academy

Special School Ages 11-16 60 pupils Widnes
All schools in Widnes

The Raise Academy is a free schools special in Widnes for pupils aged 11 to 16. It has 60 pupils on roll.

Type Special School / Free schools special
Age Range 11-16
Religion Unknown
Address Naylor Road
Widnes
Cheshire
WA8 0BS
Reference Number 150794

General Makeup

Number of pupils 60
Boy/Girl ratio Boys: 71.67%
Girls: 28.33%
Percentage of students eligible for free school meals 75%
Percentage of students where English is not their first language 0%

Year Groups

Year Boys Girls Total
7 13 2 15
8 13 3 16
9 10 6 16
10 4 4 8
11 3 2 5

Ethnicities

Ethnicity Percentage
White, British 95%
White, Other 1.7%
White & Black (Caribbean) 1.7%
White & Black (African) 1.7%

Overall Ofsted Rating
Last Report Date This school has not had an inspection yet.
Date Report

In 2024–25 pupils at The Raise Academy attended 67.5% of sessions (the national figure for special schools was 87.2%). 65.9% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 35.3%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

2025
Authorised absence 17.4%
Unauthorised absence 15.0%
Severely absent pupils 29.5%

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, 76.9% of pupils at The Raise Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 5.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

2025
Suspensions per 100 pupils 223.1
Permanent exclusions 0

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 The Raise Academy had 6.1 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

20252026
Pupils per adult 2.52.6
Teachers who left state teaching 0.0%–
Teachers who took any sick leave 55.6%–
Sick days per teacher 5.8–

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 The Raise Academy had 60 pupils, 96.7% 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

EHC plan
Social, emotional and mental health 39
Autistic spectrum disorder 8
Other difficulty or disability 3
Specific learning difficulty 2
Moderate learning difficulty 2
Speech, language and communication needs 2
Hearing impairment 1
Physical disability 1

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 The Raise Academy received £42,173 and spent £41,303 for each of its 39 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £34,000 (£880 per pupil).

Across all 3 schools of Youth Engagement Schools Trust, income was £35,727 and spending £32,625 per pupil.

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

2025
Revenue reserve £34,000
per pupil £880
In-year balance £34,000
per pupil £870

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.

Name Distance
Aspiring Foundations Federated Nursery Schools - Warrington Road Nursery School
Naylor Road, Widnes, WA8 0BS
0.07 miles
St John Fisher Catholic Primary School
Edward Street, Widnes, Cheshire, WA8 0BW
0.12 miles
Brookfields School
Moorfield Road, Widnes, Cheshire, WA8 3JA
0.36 miles
Fairfield Primary School
Peelhouse Lane, Widnes, Cheshire, WA8 6TH
0.66 miles
Moorfield Primary School
School Way, Moorfield Road, Widnes, Cheshire, WA8 3HJ
0.78 miles
St Bede's Catholic Infant School
Leigh Avenue, Widnes, Cheshire, WA8 6EL
0.81 miles
St Gerard's Catholic Primary and Nursery School
Lugsdale Road, Widnes, Cheshire, WA8 6DD
0.83 miles
St Bede's Catholic Junior School
Appleton Village, St Bede's Junior School, Widnes, Cheshire, WA8 6EL
0.83 miles
Kingsway Primary Academy School
Kingsway, Widnes, Cheshire, WA8 7QS
0.91 miles
Birchfield Nursery School
Victoria Avenue, widnes, WA8 7TH
1.09 miles
Farnworth Church of England Controlled Primary School
Pit Lane, Widnes, Cheshire, WA8 9HS
1.26 miles
Lunts Heath Primary School
Wedgewood Drive, Widnes, Cheshire, WA8 9RJ
1.34 miles
Ditton Primary School
Liverpool Road, Widnes, Cheshire, WA8 7HD
1.59 miles
Aspiring Foundations Federated Nursery Schools - Ditton Nursery School
Dundalk Road, Widnes, WA8 8DF
1.66 miles
Widnes Academy
Cholmondeley Street, Widnes, Cheshire, WA8 0EL
1.77 miles
St Edward's Catholic Primary School
Wivern Place, Runcorn, Cheshire, WA7 1RZ
2.01 miles
Runcorn All Saints CofE Primary School
Church Street, Runcorn, Cheshire, WA7 1LD
2.12 miles
Penketh Primary School
Coniston Avenue, Penketh, Warrington, Cheshire, WA5 2QY
2.26 miles
Astmoor Primary School
Kingshead Close, Castlefields, Runcorn, Cheshire, WA7 2JE
2.27 miles
St Michaels Catholic Primary & Nursery School
St Michael's Road, Widnes, Cheshire, WA8 8TD
2.27 miles
Name Distance
Poppy Field School
18 Lugsdale Road, Widnes, WA8 6DH
0.93 miles
Wade Deacon High School
Birchfield Road, Widnes, Cheshire, WA8 7TD
1.01 miles
Riverside College Halton
Kingsway, Widnes, Cheshire, WA8 7QQ
1.04 miles
Saints Peter and Paul Catholic High School
Highfield Road, Widnes, Cheshire, WA8 7DW
1.21 miles
Chesnut Lodge Special School
Green Lane, Ditton, Widnes, Cheshire, WA8 7HF
1.63 miles
Ashley High School
Cawfield Avenue, Widnes, Cheshire, WA8 7HG
1.71 miles
Ormiston Chadwick Academy
Liverpool Road, Widnes, Cheshire, WA8 7HU
1.96 miles
The Grange School
Latham Avenue, Runcorn, Cheshire, WA7 5DX
2.46 miles
Rivacre Brook
Westways, Hooton Park Lane, Hooton, Ellesmere Port, CH65 1AN
2.62 miles
Weston Point College
Picow Farm Road, Runcorn, Cheshire, WA7 4UN
2.9 miles
Penketh High School
Heath Road, Penketh, Warrington, Cheshire, WA5 2BY
2.92 miles
Great Sankey High School
Barrow Hall Lane, Great Sankey, Warrington, Cheshire, WA5 3AA
2.94 miles
Sandymoor Ormiston Academy
Sandymoor Ormiston Academy, Wharford Lane, Runcorn, Cheshire, WA7 1QU
3 miles
Blessed Carlo Acutis Catholic and Church of England Academy
Grangeway, Runcorn, Cheshire, WA7 5YH
3.08 miles
Tower College
Mill Lane, Prescot, L35 6NE
3.19 miles
The Heath School
Clifton Road, Runcorn, Cheshire, WA7 4SY
3.19 miles
Ash Meadow School
Jubits Lane, St Helens, WA9 4RT
3.23 miles
Rainhill High School
Warrington Road, Rainhill, Prescot, Merseyside, L35 6NY
3.32 miles
Hope Corner School
70 Clifton Road, Runcorn, Cheshire, WA7 4TD
3.36 miles
The Cavendish High Academy
Lincoln Close, Runcorn, Cheshire, WA7 4YX
3.57 miles

All schools in Widnes · Halton local authority: places and applications

The Raise Academy is part of Youth Engagement Schools Trust, which runs 3 schools. The nearest others:

How many pupils does The Raise Academy have?

The Raise Academy has 60 pupils on roll.

What age range does The Raise Academy cover?

The Raise Academy for pupils aged 11 to 16.

Where is The Raise Academy?

The Raise Academy is at Naylor Road, Widnes, Cheshire, WA8 0BS.

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