The Woodlands
Broom Road, Ferryhill, DL17 8AN
- Phase
- Local authority maintained schools
- School type
- Pupil referral unit
- Ages
- 6 to 16
- Gender
- Mixed
- Headteacher
- Mrs Lesley Candler
- Constituency
- Newton Aycliffe and Spennymoor
- Setting
- Larger rural: Nearer to a major town or city
- Capacity
- 100
- Pupils on roll
- 330
- URN
- 113992
- Local authority
- County Durham
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01740656040
About this school
The Woodlands is a special school in Ferryhill. It teaches children aged 6 to 16 and has 330 pupils on roll.
Ofsted has inspected The Woodlands, and its latest judgement is set out below. Where the Department for Education has published them, its results and pupil characteristics appear below. Numbers and a report only go so far, so visit in person before you apply.
Ofsted judgement
Ofsted's most recent visit was a short inspection on 30 April 2025, where inspectors found that standards have been maintained. The school's last full inspection took place before September 2019, so its area grades are not part of Ofsted's current published data. Older reports are on the school's Ofsted page.
Trends over time
How The Woodlands has moved over recent years against the local and national picture. Every figure is shown in the table beneath its chart.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 126 |
| 2023/24 | 225 |
| 2024/25 | 228 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
School context
From the 2024/25 school census and absence figures.
- Free school meals (last 6 years)
- 77.63%
- English as an additional language
- 0%
Location
Nearby schools
-
Aycliffe Secure Centre1.5 miles
Other types · Ferryhill
-
The Oaks Secondary School2.6 miles
Special schools · Spennymoor
-
The Meadows Academy2.9 miles
Academies · Spennymoor
-
Strawberry Lane3.4 miles
Special schools · Bowburn
-
North East Centre for Autism - Aycliffe School4.5 miles
Special schools · Newton Aycliffe
Other schools in Ferryhill
- Aycliffe Secure Centre Other types
- Broom Cottages Primary & Nursery School Primary
- Chilton Academy Primary
- Cleves Cross Primary and Nursery School Academy Primary
- Dean Bank Primary and Nursery School Primary
- Ferryhill Station Primary School Primary
- St Michael's Church of England Primary School Primary
- West Cornforth Primary School Primary
- Ferryhill School Secondary
Common questions
- What ages does The Woodlands teach?
- The Woodlands teaches children aged 6 to 16. It is a special school in Ferryhill.
- Who is the headteacher of The Woodlands?
- The headteacher of The Woodlands is Mrs Lesley Candler, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- Has The Woodlands been inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected The Woodlands, and its latest judgement is set out in the inspection section on this page, with the framework and the date it was made.
- How many pupils are at The Woodlands?
- The Woodlands has 330 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 6 to 16.
- Is The Woodlands full?
- The Woodlands has capacity for 100 pupils and 330 on roll (330%), so it is at or above its published capacity. Places are allocated through the local authority's admissions process, so capacity alone does not tell you whether a place is available.
- Is The Woodlands a faith school?
- No. The Woodlands has no designated religious character.
- Does The Woodlands publish exam results?
- OfferDay shows exam results for a school only where the Department for Education has published them, and none are shown for The Woodlands. That is usual for infant, nursery, special and independent schools, and for schools without recent published results.
School details come from the Department for Education's Get Information About Schools register. Inspection outcomes come from Ofsted, and exam results from the Department for Education's school performance service. This page was last updated on 29 June 2026.