Bedford High School is a mainstream secondary school in Leigh, Wigan, for children and young people aged 11 to 16. In January 2026, 178 of its 1,111 pupils (16%) were getting SEN support and 35 (3.2%) had an EHC plan.
- Ages 11–16
- 1,111 pupils
- Ofsted: Good
Special educational needs here
From the school census, January 2026. Compared with state secondary schools across England and in Wigan.
16% get SEN support
178 of 1,111 pupils. Help in school without an EHC plan.
About the same as the England average.
3.2% have an EHC plan
35 of 1,111 pupils. A legal plan from the council, for children who need more help.
About the same as the England average.
Most common needs
- Social, emotional and mental health72
- Moderate learning difficulty61
- Speech, language and communication24
- Specific learning difficulty, such as dyslexia24
- Autism12
- Hearing impairment5
Pupils by their main need, on SEN support or with an EHC plan. Needs with fewer than 5 pupils aren’t shown.
Figures show how many children the school supports, not how well. To see how it would support your child, talk to the SENCO and read its SEN information report on the school’s website.
School details
- Type
- Mainstream secondary school
- Run as
- Council-run school
- Ages
- 11 to 16
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Pupils
- 1,111 (places for 1,210)
- Headteacher
- Mr Paul McCaffery
- Free school meals
- 40.2% of pupils eligible
- Council
- Wigan
- School reference (URN)
- 106523
How SEN support works
4 steps, from a first chat to an EHC plan
- Talk to the class teacher and the SENCO
If you’re worried about your child, ask for a meeting. Every school has a SENCO (special educational needs co-ordinator). Your child doesn’t need a diagnosis to get help.
- SEN support
The school should work out what your child needs, agree a plan with you, put it in place and review it together, usually each term. This is called SEN support.
- An EHC needs assessment
If your child needs more help than the school can usually give, you or the school can ask Wigan council for an EHC needs assessment. It can lead to an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan, which the council must make sure is delivered.
- Free, independent advice
Your local SENDIASS can help at any stage, and can come to meetings with the school with you.
Questions to ask the SENCO
10 questions to tick off as you go
Ticks stay on this device, so you can use them at the meeting.
Ofsted
Rated Good, October 2023
Rated Good at its last graded inspection, in October 2023.
- Quality of educationGood
- Behaviour and attitudesGood
- Personal developmentGood
- Leadership and managementGood
- SafeguardingEffective
Contact and getting there
Manchester Road, Leigh, WN7 2LU
Loading the map…
Directions: Walk Public transport Drive
Email me these details
The school’s details, its SEN figures and the questions to ask the SENCO, in your inbox.
Nearby
Specialist schools and SEN units
- Elysium Training & Consultancy Ltd Independent · Ages 16–25 1.1 miles
- Leigh Central Primary School Mainstream + base · Ages 4–11 · Ofsted: Good 1.3 miles
- Expanse Learning (Expanse Group Ltd) Independent · Ages 16–25 1.7 miles
- Garrett Hall Primary School Mainstream + base · Ages 3–11 · Ofsted: Outstanding 2.2 miles
Other mainstream schools
- St Thomas' CofE Primary School, Leigh Primary · Ages 4–11 · SEN support 11.1%, EHC plans 2.5% 0.4 miles
- Bedford Hall Methodist Primary School Primary · Ages 2–11 · SEN support 16.9%, EHC plans 3.9% 0.5 miles
- St Joseph's Catholic Primary School Leigh Primary · Ages 4–11 · SEN support 25%, EHC plans 4.9% 0.7 miles
Questions about Bedford High School
How many pupils at Bedford High School have special educational needs?
In the January 2026 school census, 178 of the 1,111 pupils (16%) were getting SEN support and 35 (3.2%) had an EHC plan. Across England’s state secondary schools it is 14.1% and 3.5%.
What are the most common needs at Bedford High School?
Counting pupils on SEN support and with an EHC plan, the most common main needs are social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs (72 pupils), moderate learning difficulties (61 pupils) and speech, language and communication needs (24 pupils).
Who do I talk to about my child’s needs at Bedford High School?
The SENCO (special educational needs co-ordinator). Every school has one, and every school must publish an SEN information report on its website explaining how it supports pupils with SEND.
How do I apply for a place at Bedford High School?
Through Wigan council’s school admissions, in the normal application round or during the year. If your child has an EHC plan, you don’t apply this way: you ask for the school to be named in the plan instead.
Can my child with an EHC plan go to Bedford High School?
You can ask for Bedford High School to be named in your child’s EHC plan. The council must consult the school and name it, unless it would be unsuitable for your child’s age, ability or needs, or would affect other children’s education or the efficient use of resources.
Does Bedford High School have an SEN unit or resourced provision?
Not according to the Department for Education’s register of schools. The nearest mainstream school with one is Leigh Central Primary School, about 1.3 miles away.
Where is Bedford High School?
Manchester Road, Leigh, WN7 2LU, in Wigan.
School data: DfE Get Information About Schools, SEN figures from DfE Special educational needs in England (the January school census), 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.