Lancasterian School is a council-run special school in Manchester for children and young people aged 3 to 16. It supports dyslexia and SpLD, vision, hearing and 8 other needs.
- Ages 3–16
- 196 pupils
- Ofsted: Good
School details
- Type
- Council special school
- Ages
- 3 to 16
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Pupils
- 196 (places for 192)
- Headteacher
- Mrs Alison Randall (Acting Headteacher)
- Free school meals
- 69.1% of pupils eligible
- Council
- Manchester
- School reference (URN)
- 105608
Needs it supports
11 needs: dyslexia and SpLD, vision and 9 more
As listed by the Department for Education, grouped the way EHC plans describe needs.
Communication and interaction
- Autism Other schools for this in Manchester (22)
- Speech, language and communication Other schools for this in Manchester (20)
Cognition and learning
- Specific learning difficulty (such as dyslexia) Other schools for this in Manchester (7)
- Moderate learning difficulty Other schools for this in Manchester (8)
- Severe learning difficulty Other schools for this in Manchester (12)
- Profound and multiple learning difficulties Other schools for this in Manchester (7)
Social, emotional and mental health
- Social, emotional and mental health Other schools for this in Manchester (14)
Sensory and physical
- Hearing impairment Other schools for this in Manchester (8)
- Visual impairment Other schools for this in Manchester (6)
- Multi-sensory impairment Other schools for this in Manchester (3)
- Physical disability Other schools for this in Manchester (5)
How to get a place
4 steps, starting with an EHC plan
- An EHC plan
Places at schools like this usually come through an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan. If your child doesn’t have one yet, you can ask the council for an assessment yourself.
- Visit and ask questions
See whether the school feels right and whether it can meet your child’s needs. Our list of questions below can help.
- Ask for the school to be named
Tell the council that looks after the plan (often Manchester council) that this is the school you want, and ask them to consult it.
- Named in the plan
If the school is named in your child’s plan, it must admit your child. Free home-to-school transport is often part of the arrangement.
Questions to ask when you visit
8 questions to tick off as you go
Ticks stay on this device, so you can use them on the day.
Ofsted
Rated Good, July 2019; standards maintained (November 2024)
Rated Good at its last graded inspection, in July 2019. That was some time ago, so read the latest report for the full picture.
- Leadership and managementGood
- Early yearsGood
- SafeguardingEffective
Since then: Standards maintained (ungraded inspection, November 2024).
Contact and getting there
Elizabeth Slinger Road, West Didsbury, Manchester, M20 2XA
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Directions: Walk Public transport Drive
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The school’s details, how to get a place and the questions to ask, in your inbox.
Other SEND schools nearby
- The Birches School Special school · Ages 4–11 · Ofsted: Good 0.0 miles
- Old Moat Primary School Mainstream + base · Ages 3–11 · Ofsted: Outstanding 0.8 miles
- Manchester Secondary PRU Alternative provision · Ages 11–16 · Ofsted: Requires improvement 0.8 miles
All SEND schools in Manchester
By need in Manchester: Autism (23) · Speech and language (21) · SEMH (15) · Severe learning (13) · Moderate learning (9) · Hearing (9) · PMLD (8) · Dyslexia and SpLD (8) · Vision (7) · Physical (6) · Multi-sensory (4)
Questions about Lancasterian School
How do I get a place at Lancasterian School?
There’s no catchment area or application round. Places usually come through an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan: ask the council that looks after the plan to consult Lancasterian School. If it is named in the plan, the school must admit your child.
What needs does Lancasterian School support?
Specific learning difficulty (such as dyslexia), visual impairment, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication, autism, social, emotional and mental health, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability, moderate learning difficulty, severe learning difficulty and profound and multiple learning difficulties. Every child is different, so ask the school how it would meet your child’s needs.
What ages does Lancasterian School take?
Aged 3 to 16, boys and girls.
What is Lancasterian School’s Ofsted rating?
Rated Good by Ofsted in November 2024 at its last graded inspection. Newer inspections no longer give a single overall grade, so read the latest report for the full picture.
Where is Lancasterian School?
Elizabeth Slinger Road, West Didsbury, Manchester, M20 2XA, in Manchester.
School data: DfE Get Information About Schools, under the Open Government Licence. Postcode lookups by postcodes.io: contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right, Royal Mail data © Royal Mail copyright and database right, and National Statistics data © Crown copyright and database right. Distances are as the crow flies. Always check details and admissions with the school and your council.