Shaftesbury High School, Chorley: SEND school, ages 11

Shaftesbury High School is a pupil referral unit in Chorley, Lancashire, for children and young people aged 11 to 16.

Ages 11–16
106 pupils
Ofsted: Good

School details

Type: Pupil referral unit
Ages: 11 to 16
Boys and girls: Boys and girls
Pupils: 106 (places for 130)
Headteacher: Ms Abigale Bowe (Headteacher)
Opened: 1 April 2003
Free school meals: 61.3% of pupils eligible
Council: Lancashire
School reference (URN): 134130

How to get a place

3 steps

Talk to your child’s school or the council
Places in alternative provision are usually arranged by your child’s current school or Lancashire council, rather than applied for directly.
If your child has an EHC plan
The placement should be agreed through the plan, with you involved in the decision.
Get free, independent advice
Your local SENDIASS can explain your options and come to meetings with you.

Lancashire SENDIASS Lancashire Local Offer How EHC plans work

Questions to ask when you visit

8 questions to tick off as you go

How many children are in each class, and how many adults?
Which therapies happen in school (speech and language, occupational therapy, physiotherapy), and how often?
What training do staff have in my child’s needs?
How do you help children who are anxious, overwhelmed or in distress?
How will you keep in touch with me day to day?
How does home-to-school transport work?
What happens at the big changes: starting, moving up, and leaving at 16 or 19?
Can my child visit first, or have a settling-in period?

Ticks stay on this device, so you can use them on the day.

Ofsted

Rated Good, October 2019; standards maintained (April 2025)

Rated Good at its last graded inspection, in October 2019.

Quality of educationGood
Behaviour and attitudesGood
Personal developmentOutstanding
Leadership and managementGood
SafeguardingEffective

Since then: Standards maintained (ungraded inspection, April 2025).

Read the Ofsted report

Contact and getting there

Weldbank Lane, Chorley, PR7 3NQ

01257 249803 School website

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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

Westmorland School Independent · Ages 5–16 · Ofsted: Good 0.0 miles
Mayfield School Special school · Ages 4–19 · Ofsted: Good 0.1 miles
Chorley Astley Park School Special school · Ages 4–16 · Ofsted: Outstanding 0.9 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 Shaftesbury High School

How do I get a place at Shaftesbury High School?

Places at Shaftesbury High School are usually arranged by your child’s current school or Lancashire council rather than applied for directly. If your child has an EHC plan, the placement should be agreed through it.

What ages does Shaftesbury High School take?

Aged 11 to 16, boys and girls.

What is Shaftesbury High School’s Ofsted rating?

Rated Good 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 Shaftesbury High School?

Weldbank Lane, Chorley, PR7 3NQ, 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.

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