Hope High School is a council-run special school in Skelmersdale, Lancashire, for children and young people aged 11 to 16. It supports SEMH.
- Ages 11–16
- 108 pupils
- Ofsted: Good
School details
- Type
- Council special school
- Ages
- 11 to 16
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Pupils
- 108 (places for 90)
- Headteacher
- Mrs Helen Dunbavin (Headteacher)
- Free school meals
- 61.1% of pupils eligible
- Council
- Lancashire
- School reference (URN)
- 119898
Needs it 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 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 Good, January 2015; standards maintained (June 2025)
Rated Good at its last graded inspection, in January 2015. That was some time ago, so read the latest report for the full picture.
- Leadership and managementGood
Since then: Standards maintained (ungraded inspection, June 2025).
Contact and getting there
Carfield, Clay Brow, Skelmersdale, WN8 9DP
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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
- St Francis of Assisi Catholic Primary School Mainstream + base · Ages 2–11 0.5 miles
- Delph Side Community Primary School Mainstream + base · Ages 3–11 1.1 miles
- Elm Tree Community Primary School Special school · Ages 4–11 · 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 Hope High School
How do I get a place at Hope High 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 Hope High School. If it is named in the plan, the school must admit your child.
What needs does Hope High 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 Hope High School take?
Aged 11 to 16, boys and girls.
What is Hope High School’s Ofsted rating?
Rated Good by Ofsted in June 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 Hope High School?
Carfield, Clay Brow, Skelmersdale, WN8 9DP, 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.