Woodlands School is a council-run special school in Blackpool for children and young people aged 2 to 19. It supports hearing, autism, physical and 3 other needs.
- Ages 2–19
- 111 pupils
- Ofsted: Good
School details
- Type
- Council special school
- Ages
- 2 to 19
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Pupils
- 111 (places for 110)
- Headteacher
- Mrs Karen Haworth (Headteacher)
- Opened
- 1 January 1900
- Free school meals
- 69.9% of pupils eligible
- Council
- Blackpool
- School reference (URN)
- 119871
Needs it supports
6 needs: hearing, autism and 4 more
As listed by the Department for Education, grouped the way EHC plans describe needs.
Communication and interaction
Cognition and learning
- Moderate learning difficulty Other schools for this in Blackpool (5)
- Severe learning difficulty Other schools for this in Blackpool (2)
- Profound and multiple learning difficulties Other schools for this in Blackpool (1)
Sensory and physical
- Hearing impairment Other schools for this in Blackpool (2)
- Physical disability Other schools for this in Blackpool (2)
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 Blackpool 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, September 2013; school remains Good (May 2024)
Rated Good at its last graded inspection, in September 2013. That was some time ago, so read the latest report for the full picture.
- Leadership and managementGood
Since then: School remains Good (ungraded inspection, May 2024).
Contact and getting there
Whitegate Drive, Blackpool, FY3 9HF
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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
- Park Community Academy Special school · Ages 2–19 · Ofsted: Outstanding 0.0 miles
- Educational Diversity Alternative provision · Ages 6–16 0.3 miles
- Revoe Learning Academy Mainstream + base · Ages 2–11 · Ofsted: Good 0.5 miles
By need in Blackpool: Autism (6) · Moderate learning (6) · Speech and language (3) · Severe learning (3) · Hearing (3) · Physical (3) · SEMH (2) · PMLD (2) · Dyslexia and SpLD (2) · Vision (2) · Multi-sensory (2)
Questions about Woodlands School
How do I get a place at Woodlands 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 Woodlands School. If it is named in the plan, the school must admit your child.
What needs does Woodlands School support?
Hearing impairment, autism, 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 Woodlands School take?
Aged 2 to 19, boys and girls.
What is Woodlands School’s Ofsted rating?
Rated Good by Ofsted in May 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 Woodlands School?
Whitegate Drive, Blackpool, FY3 9HF, in Blackpool.
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.