Apple Orchard School, Horsham
Apple Orchard School is a special school for boys aged 11 to 18 in Horsham. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in September 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2025)
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Apple Orchard School in detail
Apple Orchard School in its own words
In its own words: "Apple Orchard was established over 20 years ago with a clear mission: to provide high-quality, therapeutic residential care and education for young people with complex needs. From our beginnings as a single home, we have grown into a trusted and respected provider supporting boys aged 12-18 across several sites in the South of England."
Vision and values (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Apple Orchard School are Ingfield Manor School (1 mile, Good); Muntham House School (1.4 miles, Good); Manor House School (1.6 miles); and New Barn School (2.7 miles, Good, selective).
Ingfield Manor SchoolMuntham House SchoolManor House SchoolNew Barn School
Who goes there
In 2026, 6 pupils (40%) received SEN support and 9 (60%) had an education, health and care plan.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Christs Hospital Rail Station, about 2.5 miles away in a straight line.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 0 crimes within a mile of the school. That is well below the typical figure around schools in West Sussex (103).
Sources: DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 1 year agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Sixth Form
Safeguarding: effective
Independent school standards
Met all the independent school standards.
- Part 1: quality of educationMet
- Part 2: pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural developmentMet
- Part 3: welfare, health and safetyMet
- Part 4: suitability of staff and proprietorsMet
- Part 5: premises and accommodationMet
- Part 6: information for parentsMet
- Part 7: handling of complaintsMet
- Part 8: leadership and managementMet
Source: Ofsted, non-association independent schools inspections and outcomes (Open Government Licence)
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's September 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Apple Orchard excels at building pupils' confidence and self-esteem through carefully designed personal development activities woven throughout school life. The school successfully partners with families and therapy teams to provide timely, tailored support for each pupil. Staff are ambitious for pupils' learning and behaviour, and pupils respond by making good progress and developing trusting relationships that help them thrive.
Key Strengths
- Exceptional personal development programme that transforms pupils' confidence and future prospects
- Strong relationships between staff, pupils, families and therapy teams ensuring timely support
- High priority on reading with bespoke support including phonics
- Well-designed mathematics programme helping pupils understand age-appropriate concepts
- Pupils have genuine voice and responsibility in school life through the school council
Areas for Improvement
- Some subjects lack clear definition of what pupils need to learn at each stage, with over-reliance on exam preparation
- Inconsistent curriculum delivery, particularly in questioning techniques to check understanding, leading to gaps in learning
- Need for staff training to ensure more consistent delivery across all subject areas
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with clear policies in place and a strong culture prioritising pupils' interests.
Extracurricular Activities
School council, Bank of England visit on finance careers, museum visits, theatre visits
Apple Orchard School is a happy, safe independent special school for boys aged 12-18 with social, emotional and mental health needs. The school has improved rapidly under new leadership and provides good quality education with an outstanding personal development programme.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Latest from Apple Orchard School
Apple Orchard School Partners with Rish Rai for Musical Creativity
28 Apr 2026
Apple Orchard Receives Sensory Garden Donation from Co-op Local Community Fund
20 Apr 2026
From Support Worker to Registered Manager: Mark’s 27-Year Journey at Apple Orchard
11 Aug 2025
Making a Splash for British Heart Foundation
1 Jul 2025
VE Day Celebrations at Apple Orchard School
13 May 2025
Earth Day: An Apple Tree for Apple Orchard School
2 May 2025
From Apple Orchard School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Keep up with Apple Orchard School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 1
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 1 road collision in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 1 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
1 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in West Sussex is 11 (the median across 337 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
58%
Available places
15 pupils
26 places
11 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Horsham
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Horsham
Across West Sussex council
Places available
9,806
Applications
8,765
Got 1st preference
87.5%
Got preferred school
97.6%
All secondary applications across West Sussex council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(5)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
6
SEN Support
9
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Apple Orchard School is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
No need-level breakdown available
Pupil Demographics
Key Indicators
15
Total Pupils
15
Boys
0
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Apple Orchard School
Questions parents ask about Apple Orchard School
What is Apple Orchard School's Ofsted rating?
Apple Orchard School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in September 2025.
Does Apple Orchard School meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in September 2025, Apple Orchard School met all the independent school standards.
How many pupils go to Apple Orchard School?
Apple Orchard School has around 15 pupils on roll.
Does Apple Orchard School have specialist SEN provision?
Apple Orchard School is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
How do I apply to Apple Orchard School?
Apple Orchard School is an independent school and runs its own admissions rather than going through the local authority. Contact the school directly for entry requirements, assessment dates, fees and any bursaries.
How many road collisions happen near Apple Orchard School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 1 road collision in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 1 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 1 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in West Sussex is 11 (the median across 337 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Apple Orchard School?
Apple Orchard School is at Apple Orchard School, Five Oaks Road, Horsham, West Sussex, RH13 0RQ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)