Barrowford School is a mainstream primary school with an SEN unit in Nelson, Lancashire, for children and young people aged 4 to 11. Its SEN unit has 16 places for social, emotional and mental health.
- Ages 4–11
- 312 pupils
- Ofsted report card (2026)
School details
- Type
- Mainstream school with an SEN unit
- Ages
- 4 to 11
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Specialist base
- An SEN unit, 16 places, 16 pupils
- Pupils
- 312
- Headteacher
- Mrs Rachel Tomlinson (Headteacher)
- Council
- Lancashire
- School reference (URN)
- 119166
Needs its base supports
1 need: SEMH
As listed by the Department for Education, grouped the way EHC plans describe needs.
Social, emotional and mental health
- Social, emotional and mental health Other schools for this in Lancashire (21)
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 Lancashire 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
Report card, April 2026: Needs attention in 5 of 7 areas
Inspected in April 2026 under Ofsted’s new report cards, which grade each area separately, from Exceptional to Urgent improvement, instead of one overall grade.
- InclusionExpected standard
- Curriculum and teachingNeeds attention
- AchievementNeeds attention
- Attendance and behaviourNeeds attention
- Personal development and wellbeingExpected standard
- Early yearsNeeds attention
- Leadership and governanceNeeds attention
- SafeguardingMet
Contact and getting there
Rushton Street, Barrowford, Nelson, BB9 6EA
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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
- Grow Independent School Independent · Ages 11–16 0.3 miles
- Pendle Community High School & College Special school · Ages 11–19 · Ofsted: Outstanding 1.1 miles
- Pendle View Primary School Special school · Ages 2–11 · Ofsted: Outstanding 1.1 miles
All SEND schools in Lancashire
By need in Lancashire: Speech and language (34) · Autism (30) · SEMH (22) · Moderate learning (21) · Hearing (21) · Severe learning (19) · Vision (19) · Multi-sensory (19) · PMLD (18) · Physical (17) · Dyslexia and SpLD (14)
Questions about Barrowford School
How do I get a place in Barrowford 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 Barrowford School support?
Social, emotional and mental health. Every child is different, so ask the school how it would meet your child’s needs.
What ages does Barrowford School take?
Aged 4 to 11, boys and girls.
What is Barrowford School’s Ofsted rating?
Rated Good by Ofsted in April 2026 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 Barrowford School?
Rushton Street, Barrowford, Nelson, BB9 6EA, in Lancashire.
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.