Elms Bank is a special academy in Bury for children and young people aged 11 to 19. It supports vision, hearing, speech and language and 7 other needs.
- Ages 11–19
- 364 pupils
- Ofsted: Outstanding
School details
- Type
- Special academy
- Ages
- 11 to 19
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Pupils
- 364 (places for 221)
- Headteacher
- Ms Catherine Dent (Headteacher)
- Part of
- Oak Learning Partnership
- Opened
- 1 April 2019
- Free school meals
- 54.5% of pupils eligible
- Council
- Bury
- School reference (URN)
- 146891
Needs it supports
11 needs: vision, hearing and 9 more
As listed by the Department for Education, grouped the way EHC plans describe needs.
Communication and interaction
- Autism Other schools for this in Bury (11)
- Speech, language and communication Other schools for this in Bury (6)
Cognition and learning
- Moderate learning difficulty Other schools for this in Bury (4)
- Severe learning difficulty Other schools for this in Bury (1)
- Profound and multiple learning difficulties Other schools for this in Bury (1)
Social, emotional and mental health
- Social, emotional and mental health Other schools for this in Bury (5)
Sensory and physical
- Hearing impairment Other schools for this in Bury (3)
- Visual impairment Other schools for this in Bury (1)
- Multi-sensory impairment Other schools for this in Bury (1)
- Physical disability Other schools for this in Bury (2)
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 Bury 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, September 2023
Rated Outstanding at its last graded inspection, in September 2023.
- Quality of educationOutstanding
- Behaviour and attitudesOutstanding
- Personal developmentOutstanding
- Leadership and managementOutstanding
- Sixth formOutstanding
- SafeguardingEffective
Contact and getting there
Ripon Avenue, Whitefield, Bury, M45 8PJ
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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
- Unsworth Primary School Mainstream + base · Ages 3–11 · Ofsted: Good 0.3 miles
- Mersey Drive Community Primary School Mainstream + base · Ages 3–11 · Ofsted: Good 0.6 miles
- Brookhaven School Special school · Ages 11–16 0.7 miles
By need in Bury: Autism (12) · Speech and language (7) · SEMH (6) · Moderate learning (5) · Hearing (4) · Physical (3) · Severe learning (2) · PMLD (2) · Vision (2) · Multi-sensory (2)
Questions about Elms Bank
How do I get a place at Elms Bank?
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 Elms Bank. If it is named in the plan, the school must admit your child.
What needs does Elms Bank support?
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 Elms Bank take?
Aged 11 to 19, boys and girls.
What is Elms Bank’s Ofsted rating?
Rated Outstanding by Ofsted in September 2023 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 Elms Bank?
Ripon Avenue, Whitefield, Bury, M45 8PJ, in Bury.
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.