Forestwood School
Buller Street, Bury, BL8 2BSOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)
Forestwood School is a special school in Bury for ages 12 to 19. It is one of the 90 schools in Bury. Its latest Ofsted rating is Good, from an inspection in February 2025.
Ofsted inspection
Inspected 4 February 2025, report published 10 March 2025
- Overall effectiveness
- Good
- Quality of education
- Good
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Good
- Personal development
- Good
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Sixth form provision
- Good
- Safeguarding
- Met
What Ofsted said
From the inspection on 4 February 2025
Forestwood School is a haven for its pupils who flourish because of the care, kindness and support that they receive from staff. Pupils develop the confidence that they need to reconnect with their education where they may have found learning difficult in the past. They are well-mannered and they value the respectful relationships that they enjoy with staff. Pupils are happy and safe. The school has high expectations of pupils' achievement, all of whom have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff work closely with clinical professionals to provide pupils with the sensitive support that they need. As a result, most pupils aspire to come to school and relish the opportunities that staff provide for them. Pupils achieve well. Pupils build strong friendships with their peers. As school counsellors, pupils make a positive contribution to the life of the school. For example, they have helped to design the outdoor space so that it meets their sensory needs. Pupils enjoy a range of opportunities to be creative such as through art projects and music. Some pupils enjoy paid roles at the school. For example, as classroom assistants and librarians. They learn how to cook a range of healthy meals. The school prepares pupils well for adulthood.
What the school should improve
- In some aspects of the curriculum, the school has not given sufficient thought to the most important knowledge that pupils should learn. This means that staff sometimes lack clarity about the curriculum content they should teach. This hinders pupils building on their knowledge securely in these subjects. The proprietor should ensure that staff are clear about what pupils should learn so that they can help pupils to achieve as well as they should.
- At times, staff design activities that do not help pupils to develop sufficient depth of knowledge in the subjects that they study. This prevents some pupils from achieving as well as they could. The proprietor should ensure that it supports staff to design learning activities that help pupils to build their knowledge securely over time so that they are well prepared for the next stage of their lives.
Pupil numbers and mix
25 pupils on roll, with places for 44
Schools near Forestwood School
| School | Distance | Ofsted | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mill School - Bury | 0.1 miles | Ofsted: Good | Attainment 8: 23.9 |
| Cambian Chesham House School | 2 miles | Ofsted: Requires improvement | Attainment 8: 3.0 |
| Millwood Primary Special School | 2 miles | Ofsted: Outstanding | 0% met the expected standard |
| Elms Bank | 2 miles | Ofsted: Outstanding | Attainment 8: 2.2 |
| Brookhaven School | 2 miles | No Ofsted inspection | Not published |
School details
- School type
- Other independent special school
- Sector
- Independent
- Age range
- 12 to 19
- Gender
- Mixed
- Headteacher
- Mrs Wendy Webster
- Phone
- 01617627212
- Address
- Buller Street, Bury, BL8 2BS
- Local authority
- Bury
- URN
- 142675
School details from Get Information about Schools, 17 September 2026. Ofsted outcomes published to 31 August 2026. Pupil mix from the school census, 2025/26.