Pendle Community High School & College is a council-run special school in Nelson, Lancashire, for children and young people aged 11 to 19. It supports vision, hearing, autism and 5 other needs.
- Ages 11–19
- 166 pupils
- Ofsted: Outstanding
School details
- Type
- Council special school
- Ages
- 11 to 19
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Pupils
- 166 (places for 136)
- Headteacher
- Ms Debra Grogan
- Opened
- 1 August 2005
- Free school meals
- 54.7% of pupils eligible
- Council
- Lancashire
- School reference (URN)
- 135015
Needs it supports
8 needs: vision, hearing and 6 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 Lancashire (20)
- Severe learning difficulty Other schools for this in Lancashire (18)
- Profound and multiple learning difficulties Other schools for this in Lancashire (17)
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)
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, October 2017; school remains Outstanding (March 2024)
Rated Outstanding at its last graded inspection, in October 2017. That was some time ago, so read the latest report for the full picture.
- Leadership and managementOutstanding
- Sixth formOutstanding
- SafeguardingEffective
Since then: School remains Outstanding (ungraded inspection, March 2024).
Contact and getting there
Oxford Road, Nelson, BB9 8LF
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Directions: Walk Public transport Drive
Email me these details
The school’s details, how to get a place and the questions to ask, in your inbox.
Other SEND schools nearby
- Pendle View Primary School Special school · Ages 2–11 · Ofsted: Outstanding 0.2 miles
- The Nook School Independent · Ages 11–18 · Ofsted: Good 1.0 mile
- Barrowford School Mainstream + base · Ages 4–11 · Ofsted report card (2026) 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 Pendle Community High School & College
How do I get a place at Pendle Community High School & College?
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 Pendle Community High School & College. If it is named in the plan, the school must admit your child.
What needs does Pendle Community High School & College support?
Visual impairment, hearing impairment, autism, 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 Pendle Community High School & College take?
Aged 11 to 19, boys and girls.
What is Pendle Community High School & College’s Ofsted rating?
Rated Outstanding by Ofsted in March 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 Pendle Community High School & College?
Oxford Road, Nelson, BB9 8LF, 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.