Fox Wood Special School

Special school · All-through, ages 4 to 19 · Mixed · Sixth form

Holes Lane, Woolston, Warrington, WA1 4LS

01925 811534 · School website · Map and directions

Ofsted report card2 exceptional, 6 strongSafeguarding met · 19 May 2026
Pupils174Room for 78 Pupil numbers in January of each year: 91 in 2019, 108 in 2021, 115 in 2022, 124 in 2023, 133 in 2024, 138 in 2025, 174 in 2026. Across England, special state school pupil numbers were up 39% from 2019 to 2025.
Free school meals47%of pupils eligible now

Ofsted inspection

Ofsted report card from the inspection that started on 19 May 2026 , published 5 July 2026.

In short: 2 exceptional, 6 strong, and safeguarding met.

Since November 2025 Ofsted grades each area on a five-point scale instead of giving one overall grade. How report cards work.

AreaGrade
SafeguardingWhether pupils are kept safe. Met or not met. Met
InclusionHow well the school supports disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs. Exceptional The highest of five grades. Ofsted judged this among the best nationally.
Curriculum and teachingWhat pupils are taught and how well they are taught it. Strong standard Second of five grades. Better than the standard Ofsted expects.
AchievementHow well pupils learn and the results they get. Strong standard Second of five grades. Better than the standard Ofsted expects.
Attendance and behaviourWhether pupils come to school and how they behave. Exceptional The highest of five grades. Ofsted judged this among the best nationally.
Personal development and wellbeingPupils' wider development, character and wellbeing. Strong standard Second of five grades. Better than the standard Ofsted expects.
Early yearsNursery and reception classes. Strong standard Second of five grades. Better than the standard Ofsted expects.
Post-16 provisionSixth form or other study after 16. Strong standard Second of five grades. Better than the standard Ofsted expects.
Leadership and governanceHow well leaders and governors run the school. Strong standard Second of five grades. Better than the standard Ofsted expects.

Read the full Ofsted reports for this school

Source: Ofsted state-funded schools inspection data.

What parents say

47 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey between 10 November 2025 and 6 April 2026.

StatementThis schoolEngland
My child is happy at this school 98% 83%
My child feels safe at this school 96% 85%
The school makes sure pupils are well behaved 96% 78%
Concerns were dealt with properlyOf 42 parents who had raised a concern 95% 74%
My child with SEND gets the support they needOf 47 parents of children with SEND 100% 63%
I would recommend this school to another parent 100%said yes 83%

Parents choose whether to take part, so these answers may not represent all families (Ofsted puts the response rate at 34%). Figures are the share who agree or strongly agree. England figures are all parents answering the same questions over the same period, for state-funded schools. The scales run from lower (left) to higher (right) agreement, and the dot marks this school among state schools of the same phase that used the same survey questions. The third it falls in is coloured: green for the top third, amber the middle, red the bottom. Source: Ofsted Parent View management information.

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Results

Key stage 2 (SATs, age 11), 2024/25

10 pupils in this year group.

0% — 68 points below the Warrington average, and 62 points below the England average.

MeasureThis schoolWarringtonEngland
Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths 0% 68% 62%
Reached the higher standard in reading, writing and maths 0% 10% 8%
Met the expected standard in reading 0% 82% 75%
Met the expected standard in writing 0% 77% 72%
Met the expected standard in maths 0% 80% 74%
Average reading scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 is the expected standard. Not published 107 106
Average maths scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 is the expected standard. Not published 106 105

"Not published": No figure published.

Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths, over time
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% England 2022/23: 60%England 2023/24: 61%England 2024/25: 62% This school 2022/23: 0%This school 2023/24: 0%This school 2024/25: 0% This school England 62% 2022/23 0% 2023/24 0% 2024/25 0%

Source: DfE key stage 2 performance tables, 2024/25. England figures are for state-funded schools.

After Year 11

Where pupils went next. DfE measures this for pupils who finished in an earlier year, so these figures describe a previous year group.

8 pupils in this year group.

Only 8 pupils took these tests, so results can change a lot from year to year. Compare with care.

100% — 7 points above the Warrington average, and 8 points above the England average.

MeasureThis schoolWarringtonEngland
Stayed in education, an apprenticeship or workPupils recorded in sustained education, apprenticeship or employment in the year after finishing Year 11. 100% 93% 92%
School sixth form 0% 12% 34%
Sixth form college 0% 42% 13%
Further education college 0% 32% 37%
Apprenticeship 0% 3% 3%
Work 0% 2% 3%

Stayed in education, an apprenticeship or work, over time

2023/242024/25
Not published100%

Source: DfE key stage 4 destination measures, 2024/25 performance tables. England figures are for state-funded schools.

Admissions

Apply through the council where you live, even if the school is in a different council area. This school is in Warrington. The national closing date for secondary applications is 31 October, and offers are sent on 1 March.

Admissions dates and schools in Warrington

Pupils, staff and SEND

This is a special school for children with an education, health and care plan (EHCP). Places are arranged through the council's SEND team, not the normal admissions round. It caters for: Severe learning difficulties.

PupilsThis schoolWarringtonEngland
Eligible for free school meals in the last 6 years 50.4% 49.8%* 51.9%
With an education, health and care plan 100.0% 100.0%* 99.5%
Receiving special educational needs support 0.0% 0.0%* 0.5%
English as an additional language 14.5% 7.6%* 14.4%
Overall absence (sessions missed) 9.6% 11.8%* 12.8%
Persistently absent (missed 10% or more) 25.4% 30.9%* 35.3%
Suspensions per 100 pupils 0.0 25.5 12.3
Pupils suspended at least once 0.0% 10.1% 5.1%
Pupils permanently excluded0 pupils 0.00% 0.00% 0.08%
Pupils per teacher 6.4 6.1 6.6
Pupils per adult (teachers and support staff) 2.0 2.3 2.3
Teachers who left during the year 4.4% 8.7%* 14.3%*

Comparisons are with special schools. * Calculated by SchoolScores from the council's or England's schools, weighted by pupils (or teachers, for turnover); other figures are published by DfE. Sources: DfE school census 2024/25; DfE pupil absence 2024/25; DfE suspensions and permanent exclusions 2024/25; DfE school workforce census 2025/26; DfE teacher turnover 2024/25.

SEND provision: Get Information about Schools (DfE).

Nearby special schools

Straight-line distance. Distance isn't the same as a catchment area.

Questions parents ask

What is Fox Wood Special School's Ofsted rating?

Fox Wood Special School was inspected under Ofsted's report card format in 19 May 2026. Report cards grade each area on a five-point scale instead of giving one overall grade. Its grades were 2 exceptional, 6 strong, and safeguarding was met.

Would parents recommend Fox Wood Special School?

100% of the 47 parents who answered Ofsted's Parent View survey between 10 November 2025 and 6 April 2026 said they would recommend Fox Wood Special School to another parent. Parents choose whether to respond, so this may not represent all families.

Sources

Spotted a mistake? Report it and we'll check it against the source.

Page updated 26 September 2026.