Applebee Wood School
Applebee Wood School is a sponsored special academy in Preston for boys and girls aged 4 to 16. It has 179 pupils, 10 more than it has places for. About 47 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. Ofsted's last grade was inspected 2024, no overall grade.
Far Croft, Lostock Hall, Preston, PR5 5SS01772 336976applebeewood.co.ukMr John Cockerill headteacherAll details
What Ofsted found
Ofsted's last full inspection was on 29 October 2024, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.
Not judged Between September 2024 and November 2025, Ofsted graded each area but stopped giving one overall word.
Ofsted has serious worries about this school. It is in special measures.
Earlier inspections (1)
| Date | Type | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| 8 February 2023 | Ungraded | School remains Good (Concerns) - S5 Next |
Results
GCSE results, summer 2025
17 pupils sat their GCSEs. Here is how they did against every state secondary in England. These are the results of Applebee Wood Community Specialist School, the school this one replaced.
All GCSE measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025† | 2024† | 2023† | 2022† | 2019† | 2018† | Lancashire | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of Year 11 | 17 | 20 | 15 | 21 | 9 | 12 | – | – |
| Average GCSE scoreAttainment 8 | 3.6 | 1.2 | 1.7 | 1.0 | 0.4 | 1.4 | 46.0 | 46.8 |
| Progress from age 11Progress 8 | – | -1.61 | -1.67 | -2.21 | -1.68 | -1.91 | – | – |
| Strong pass in English and mathsGrade 5+ in English and maths | 6% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 44% | 46% |
| Standard pass in English and mathsGrade 4+ in English and maths | 6% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 65% | 66% |
| Core subjects scoreEBacc average point score | 0.42 | 0.13 | 0.23 | 0.12 | 0.04 | 0.04 | 4.04 | 4.15 |
| Taking the core subjectsEBacc entry | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 35% | 41% |
| Average GCSE score: low-income pupilsAttainment 8, disadvantaged | – | 0.8 | – | 0.6 | – | – | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: other pupilsAttainment 8, non-disadvantaged | – | 1.9 | – | 2.0 | – | – | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started behindAttainment 8, low prior attainers | – | 0.8 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 0.4 | 1.0 | – | – |
† These results are for Applebee Wood Community Specialist School, the school this one replaced in September 2025. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.
Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025
7 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England. With a year group this small, a couple of children can move the percentages a long way. These are the results of Applebee Wood Community Specialist School, the school this one replaced.
All Year 6 measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025† | 2024† | 2023† | 2019† | 2018† | 2017† | Lancashire | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils tested | 7 | 13 | 5 | 14 | 5 | 11 | – | – |
| Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 0% | 0% | – | 0% | – | 0% | 61% | 63% |
| Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths | 0% | 0% | – | 0% | – | 0% | 8% | 8% |
| Reading scoreReading average scaled score | – | – | – | – | – | 95.0 | 105.2 | 105.6 |
| Maths scoreMaths average scaled score | – | – | – | – | – | 88.0 | 104.2 | 104.6 |
| Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score | – | – | – | – | – | 89.0 | 104.9 | 105.2 |
| Expected level: readingReading expected standard | 0% | 0% | – | 0% | – | 0% | – | – |
| Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard | 0% | 0% | – | 0% | – | 0% | – | – |
| Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed) | 0% | 0% | – | 0% | – | 0% | – | – |
| Reading progressReading progress score | – | – | – | -10.5 | – | -11.0 | – | – |
| Maths progressMaths progress score | – | – | – | -12.8 | – | -12.7 | – | – |
| Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged | – | 0% | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged | – | 0% | – | – | – | – | – | – |
There are no progress figures for 2025. That year group missed their Year 2 tests during Covid, so there was no starting point to measure from. Progress figures come back with the December 2026 results. Tests were cancelled altogether in 2020 and 2021.
† These results are for Applebee Wood Community Specialist School, the school this one replaced in September 2025. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.
Getting a place
Admissions policy not published.
Each council publishes its own figures on how many families applied and how far away the last child to get a place lived. We are adding councils one at a time. If you have a link to Lancashire council's admissions booklet, send it to us.
Who goes here
Who the school teaches, from the latest school census.
The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Autistic spectrum disorder (95), language and communications needs (33), Moderate learning difficulty (19), emotional and mental health (17), Severe learning difficulty (6), Physical disability (4).
Attendance and behaviour
In 2024/25 pupils were in school 91.6% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.
Attendance year by year
| Measure | 2024/25† | 2023/24† | 2022/23† | 2021/22† | 2020/21† | 2018/19† | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sessions missedOverall absence | 8.4% | 9.5% | 8.3% | 6.9% | 4.5% | 6.1% | 5.2% |
| Missed with permissionAuthorised absence | 4.2% | 5.5% | 5.2% | 3.9% | 1.8% | 3.2% | – |
| Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence | 4.2% | 3.9% | 3.1% | 3.0% | 2.7% | 2.9% | – |
| Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence | 18.1% | 21.3% | 20.3% | 17.0% | 8.0% | 17.7% | 12.8% |
† These attendance figures are for Applebee Wood Community Specialist School, the school this one replaced in September 2025. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.
Staff
From the government's count of school staff in November 2025.
The area around the school
Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.
Nearby schools
The closest schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.
| School | Type | Distance | Pupils | Ofsted | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Our Lady and St Gerard's Roman Catholic Primary School, Lostock Hall | Roman Catholic | 350 m | 341 | No overall grade 2024 | 38 | Compare |
| The Ribble Autism School | Independent | 410 m | 10 | Not inspected | – | Compare |
| Lostock Hall Community Primary School | Foundation | 730 m | 422 | Good 2024 | 77 | Compare |
| Lostock Hall Academy | Academy | 880 m | 759 | Good 2022 | 54 | Compare |
| Farington Moss St. Paul's C.E. Primary School | Church of England | 0.7 miles | 184 | Good 2022 | 75 | Compare |
| Kingsfold Primary School | Council | 0.9 miles | 126 | Good 2022 | 12 | Compare |
| Walton-le-Dale Community Primary School | Council | 1.0 miles | 446 | Good 2024 | 65 | Compare |
| St Mary Magdalen's Catholic Primary School | Roman Catholic | 1.1 miles | 175 | Requires improvement 2024 | 14 | Compare |
Questions parents ask
Is Applebee Wood School a good school?
Applebee Wood School doesn't have a score yet. Ofsted rated it not judged at its last inspection in October 2024.
What is Applebee Wood School's Ofsted rating?
Ofsted rated Applebee Wood School not judged at its last full inspection on 29 October 2024.
How good are Applebee Wood School's GCSE results?
In summer 2025, 6% of pupils got a grade 5 or better in both English and maths. Across England it was 46%. Its Attainment 8 score, which is the average grade across a pupil's best eight subjects times ten, was 3.6, against 46.8 for England. In each subject, pupils here finished well over a grade behind children across England who started secondary school at the same level.
How good are Applebee Wood School's SATs results?
In summer 2025, 0% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 0% went further and reached the higher level. The year group was small, so the percentages jump around a lot from year to year.
How many pupils does Applebee Wood School have?
179 pupils aged 4 to 16 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 169 places, so it is 106% full.
What is attendance like at Applebee Wood School?
Pupils were in school 91.6% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 18% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.
Does Applebee Wood School have a breakfast club?
Yes. It is on the government's free breakfast club programme, so every pupil can have a free half-hour breakfast club before school.
These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.
Contact and details
- Address
- Far Croft, Lostock Hall, Preston, PR5 5SS
- Telephone
- 01772 336976
- Website
- www.applebeewood.co.uk
- Headteacher
- Mr John Cockerill
- Free breakfast club
- Yes: on the government's programme, so every pupil can have a free half-hour breakfast club before school (listed since September 2026).
- Type of school
- Sponsored special academy (Academy special sponsor led, academies)
- Phase
- Special school, ages 4-16
- Gender
- Mixed
- Multi-academy trust
- The Sea View Trust (6 schools)
- Local authority
- Lancashire
- Ward
- Charnock
- Constituency
- South Ribble
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Opened
- 1 September 2025 (new provision)
- URN
- 152064 · LAESTAB 8887001 · UKPRN 10098660
- Formerly
- Applebee Wood Community Specialist School
Where these figures come from
- School details: Department for Education, Get Information About Schools, refreshed daily (this page rebuilt 13 September 2026).
- Inspections: Ofsted management information, monthly; latest publication in our data 27 August 2026.
- GCSE results: DfE key stage 4 performance tables, 2024/25 final.
- Year 6 results: DfE key stage 2 tables, 2024/25.
- Attendance: DfE pupil absence in schools in England, 2024/25 full year.
- Pupil characteristics: DfE school census, January 2026.
- Staff: DfE school workforce census, November 2025.
- Pupil premium: DfE allocations and conditions of grant, 2026 to 2027.
- Breakfast club: DfE list of schools on the free breakfast club programme.
- Neighbourhood: police.uk street-level crime, HM Land Registry price paid data, NaPTAN bus stops, English Indices of Deprivation 2025.
- All under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Full list and update calendar.