Oswaldtwistle White Ash School is a council-run special school in Accrington, Lancashire, for children and young people aged 2 to 11. It supports dyslexia and SpLD, vision, hearing and 8 other needs.
- Ages 2–11
- 118 pupils
- Ofsted: Outstanding
School details
- Type
- Council special school
- Ages
- 2 to 11
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Pupils
- 118 (places for 75)
- Headteacher
- Mrs Sarah Holt (Headteacher)
- Free school meals
- 42.4% of pupils eligible
- Council
- Lancashire
- School reference (URN)
- 119894
Needs it supports
12 needs: dyslexia and SpLD, vision and 10 more
As listed by the Department for Education, grouped the way EHC plans describe needs.
Communication and interaction
- Autism Other schools for this in Lancashire (29)
- Speech, language and communication Other schools for this in Lancashire (33)
Cognition and learning
- Specific learning difficulty (such as dyslexia) Other schools for this in Lancashire (13)
- Moderate learning difficulty Other schools for this in Lancashire (20)
- Severe learning difficulty Other schools for this in Lancashire (18)
- Profound and multiple learning difficulties Other schools for this in Lancashire (17)
Social, emotional and mental health
- Social, emotional and mental health Other schools for this in Lancashire (21)
Sensory and physical
- Hearing impairment Other schools for this in Lancashire (20)
- Visual impairment Other schools for this in Lancashire (18)
- Multi-sensory impairment Other schools for this in Lancashire (18)
- Physical disability Other schools for this in Lancashire (16)
It also lists other needs. Ask the school what these are.
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 Lancashire 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 Outstanding, January 2015; standards maintained (April 2025)
Rated Outstanding at its last graded inspection, in January 2015. That was some time ago, so read the latest report for the full picture.
- Leadership and managementOutstanding
- Early yearsOutstanding
Since then: Standards maintained (ungraded inspection, April 2025).
Contact and getting there
Thwaites Road, Oswaldtwistle, Accrington, BB5 4QG
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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
- Oswaldtwistle Moor End Primary School Mainstream + base · Ages 3–11 · Ofsted: Good 0.2 miles
- Oswaldtwistle School Alternative provision · Ages 11–16 · Ofsted: Good 0.6 miles
- The Willows Independent · Ages 5–16 · Ofsted: Good 1.5 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 Oswaldtwistle White Ash School
How do I get a place at Oswaldtwistle White Ash 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 Oswaldtwistle White Ash School. If it is named in the plan, the school must admit your child.
What needs does Oswaldtwistle White Ash 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 Oswaldtwistle White Ash School take?
Aged 2 to 11, boys and girls.
What is Oswaldtwistle White Ash School’s Ofsted rating?
Rated Outstanding by Ofsted in April 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 Oswaldtwistle White Ash School?
Thwaites Road, Oswaldtwistle, Accrington, BB5 4QG, 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.