Skelmersdale West
Summary
Skelmersdale West (E02005314) is part of Lancashire local authority (view on map). Skelmersdale West has an approximate population of 6,400 people, of which 17% are children 15 years old and under. It is classified as "urban: nearer to a major town or city".
Skelmersdale West neighbours Rainford, Bickerstaffe & Newburgh, Skelmersdale Ashurst, Skelmersdale Central, Skelmersdale South East, and Upholland.
Headlines
- 7% of pupils have an EHC plan, placing it in the top 10% of all areas in England – see more.
Guidance and data sources
Local area pages are based on the middle-layer super output areas (MSOAs) distributed across the country. MSOAs comprise between 2,000 and 6,000 households and have a resident population of, generally, between 5,000 and 15,000 people. MSOAs fit within local authorities. For each area, descriptive statistics are compared with local authority and national averages. For more information about MSOAs, please visit the Office for National Statistics website.
The data displayed is sourced from:
Deprivation
Skelmersdale West is the 109th least deprived area in Lancashire (out of 153) with 44% of children living in low-income families, compared to 37% across Lancashire and 38% nationally.
State-funded pupil characteristics
Information acquired from the school census.
Free school meals
In Skelmersdale West, 32% of state-funded pupils are eligible for free school meals, compared to 26% in Lancashire and 27% nationally.
Contents
Percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals
Table showing the percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals
| % in Skelmersdale West | % in Lancashire | % in England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eligible for free school meals | 32% | 26% | 27% |
| Not eligible for free school meals | 68% | 74% | 73% |
Special educational needs
In Skelmersdale West, 23% of pupils in state-funded settings have special educational needs (SEN), compared to 18% in Lancashire, and 19% nationally.
This includes the number of pupils with an education, health and care (EHC) plan and the number of pupils with SEN support.
Contents
Percentage of pupils with special educational needs in schools
Table showing the percentage of pupils with special educational needs in schools
| % in Skelmersdale West | % in Lancashire | % in England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| No special educational needs | 76% | 82% | 81% |
| Receiving special educational needs support | 16% | 13% | 14% |
| With an education, health, and care plan (EHCP) | 7% | 5% | 5% |
Ethnicity
In Skelmersdale West, 6% of pupils are from a minority ethnic background, compared to 22% in Lancashire, and 33% nationally.
Percentages may not sum to 100%, due to small values being suppressed.
Contents
Percentage of pupils by major ethnic groups
Table
| % in Skelmersdale West | % in Lancashire | % in England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 94% | 78% | 67% |
| Asian | 2% | 14% | 14% |
| Black | – | 2% | 7% |
| Mixed | 3% | 4% | 7% |
| Other | – | 1% | 3% |
| Not known | 0% | 1% | 2% |
English as an additional language
The percentage of pupils in Skelmersdale West with English as an additional language is 10%, compared with 15% in Lancashire, and 22% nationally.
Numbers may not sum to 100%, due to a small number of pupils with an unclassified language.
Contents
Percentage of pupils with English as an additional language
Table
| % in Skelmersdale West | % in Lancashire | % in England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Known or believed to be other than English | 10% | 15% | 22% |
| Known or believed to be English | 90% | 85% | 78% |
Provider information
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Registered childcare providers
Skelmersdale West has 8 registered childcare providers.
| Type | Number in Skelmersdale West |
|---|---|
| All childcare providers | 8 |
| Childminders | 2 |
| Pre-school/day nursery/out-of-school care | 6 |
There have been no inspections of childcare providers in Skelmersdale West since the introduction of the renewed education inspection framework in November 2025.
State-funded schools
Skelmersdale West has 4 state-funded schools.
| Type | Number in Skelmersdale West |
|---|---|
| All state-funded schools | 4 |
| Nursery schools | 0 |
| Primary and all-through schools | 2 |
| Secondary and all-through schools | 0 |
| Special schools | 2 |
| Registered alternative provision | 0 |
There have been no inspections of schools in Skelmersdale West since the introduction of the renewed education inspection framework in November 2025.
Data sources: