The Lakes School is a mainstream secondary school with resourced provision in Windermere, Westmorland and Furness, for children and young people aged 11 to 18. Its specialist base has 4 places for moderate learning difficulty and severe learning difficulty.
- Ages 11–18
- 445 pupils
- Ofsted: Good
School details
- Type
- Mainstream school with resourced provision
- Ages
- 11 to 18
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Specialist base
- Resourced provision, 4 places, 3 pupils
- Pupils
- 445
- Headteacher
- Ms Sharon Rainey (Headteacher)
- Council
- Westmorland and Furness
- School reference (URN)
- 112379
Needs its base supports
2 needs: moderate learning, severe learning
As listed by the Department for Education, grouped the way EHC plans describe needs.
Cognition and learning
- Moderate learning difficulty Other schools for this in Westmorland and Furness (2)
- Severe learning difficulty Other schools for this in Westmorland and Furness (7)
How to get a place
4 steps, starting with an EHC plan
- An EHC plan
Places in an SEN unit or resourced provision are usually for children with 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 about the base
See the school and its specialist base, and ask how children split their time between the base and mainstream classes.
- Ask for the school to be named
Tell the council that looks after the plan (often Westmorland and Furness council) that you want this school and its base, 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. Places in the base itself are agreed between the council and the school, so ask how they decide.
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, November 2019; standards maintained (January 2025)
Rated Good at its last graded inspection, in November 2019.
- Quality of educationGood
- Behaviour and attitudesGood
- Personal developmentGood
- Leadership and managementGood
- Sixth formGood
- SafeguardingEffective
Since then: Standards maintained (ungraded inspection, January 2025).
Contact and getting there
Troutbeck Bridge, Windermere, LA23 1HW
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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
- Cairn Education CIC Independent · Ages 11–25 · Ofsted report card (2026) 4.4 miles
- Cambian Whinfell School Independent · Ages 7–19 · Ofsted: Outstanding 7.6 miles
- Stramongate Primary School Mainstream + base · Ages 2–11 8.4 miles
All SEND schools in Westmorland and Furness
By need in Westmorland and Furness: Autism (10) · Physical (9) · Severe learning (8) · Speech and language (6) · SEMH (5) · PMLD (5) · Dyslexia and SpLD (5) · Hearing (4) · Vision (4) · Multi-sensory (4) · Moderate learning (3)
Questions about The Lakes School
How do I get a place in The Lakes School’s specialist base?
Places in an SEN unit or resourced provision usually come through an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan: ask the council that looks after the plan to consult the school about its base. If the school is named in the plan it must admit your child; places in the base itself are agreed between the council and the school.
What needs does The Lakes School support?
Moderate learning difficulty and severe learning difficulty. Every child is different, so ask the school how it would meet your child’s needs.
What ages does The Lakes School take?
Aged 11 to 18, boys and girls.
What is The Lakes School’s Ofsted rating?
Rated Good by Ofsted in January 2025 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 The Lakes School?
Troutbeck Bridge, Windermere, LA23 1HW, in Westmorland and Furness.
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.