Springside is a council-run special school in Manchester, Rochdale, for children and young people aged 3 to 11. It supports moderate learning, severe learning and PMLD.
- Ages 3–11
- 152 pupils
- Ofsted report card (2026)
School details
- Type
- Council special school
- Ages
- 3 to 11
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Pupils
- 152 (places for 120)
- Headteacher
- Mrs Melody Fierro (Headteacher)
- Opened
- 1 September 2007
- Free school meals
- 39.5% of pupils eligible
- Council
- Rochdale
- School reference (URN)
- 135200
Needs it supports
3 needs: moderate learning, severe learning and 1 more
As listed by the Department for Education, grouped the way EHC plans describe needs.
Cognition and learning
- Moderate learning difficulty Other schools for this in Rochdale (2)
- Severe learning difficulty Other schools for this in Rochdale (2)
- Profound and multiple learning difficulties Other schools for this in Rochdale (3)
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 Rochdale 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
Report card, May 2026: Strong standard in every area
Inspected in May 2026 under Ofsted’s new report cards, which grade each area separately, from Exceptional to Urgent improvement, instead of one overall grade.
- InclusionStrong standard
- Curriculum and teachingStrong standard
- AchievementStrong standard
- Attendance and behaviourStrong standard
- Personal development and wellbeingStrong standard
- Early yearsStrong standard
- Leadership and governanceStrong standard
- SafeguardingMet
Since then: School remains Good (ungraded inspection, May 2022).
Contact and getting there
Albert Royds Street, Rochdale, Manchester, OL16 2SU
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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
- Meadows School Independent · Ages 11–16 · Ofsted: Good 0.4 miles
- Raise Rochdale Pupil Referral Service Alternative provision · Ages 5–16 · Ofsted: Requires improvement 0.6 miles
- Great Howarth School Independent · Ages 7–18 · Ofsted: Good 0.7 miles
By need in Rochdale: Autism (5) · Speech and language (4) · PMLD (4) · Moderate learning (3) · Severe learning (3) · Hearing (3) · SEMH (2) · Physical (2)
Questions about Springside
How do I get a place at Springside?
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 Springside. If it is named in the plan, the school must admit your child.
What needs does Springside support?
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 Springside take?
Aged 3 to 11, boys and girls.
What is Springside’s Ofsted rating?
Rated Good by Ofsted in May 2022 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 Springside?
Albert Royds Street, Rochdale, Manchester, OL16 2SU, in Rochdale.
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.