Appletree School, Kendal
Appletree School is a special school for pupils aged 6 to 12 in Kendal. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in July 2024.
- Ofsted
- Good (2024)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Appletree School in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Appletree School are South Lakes Academy (2.3 miles, Good); Sandgate School (2.6 miles, Good); Cambian Whinfell School (3 miles, Outstanding, selective); and SwitchED2 (6.3 miles).
South Lakes AcademySandgate SchoolCambian Whinfell SchoolSwitchED2
Who goes there
In 2026, 4 pupils (33.3%) received SEN support and 8 (66.7%) had an education, health and care plan.
Appletree School is approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014, so parents can ask for it to be named in their child's education, health and care (EHC) plan.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Station Entrance, about 1 mile away in a straight line.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Appletree School stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
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 · 2 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
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's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
Pupils are very happy at Appletree School. They thrive in this welcoming and friendly environment. They have strong relationships with staff, and feel cared for and safe. Pupils know that staff will help them if they are upset or anxious. This helps to reassure them and eases their worries.
Pupils behave exceptionally well. They treat each other and adults with high levels of respect. Pupils warmly support the well-being of one another. They treat each other with great empathy and kindness.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
The school has designed a broad and rich curriculum. It has identified the important knowledge for pupils to learn. Its curriculum plans and schemes of work order pupils' learning logically over time.
Staff have a deep understanding of the challenges that pupils have previously encountered. The additional needs of pupils with SEND are identified early. Staff are skilled at adapting their delivery of the curriculum to meet the individual needs of pupils. This means that pupils get the help and support that they need to learn the curriculum well.
From Ofsted's July 2024 inspection report: the opening paragraphs of each section, quoted word for word. Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its July 2024 inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Leadership & management.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
Approved
Section 41
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 4 nearby schools
Keep up with Appletree School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 2
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 2 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 2 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot.
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 Westmorland and Furness is 3 (the median across 161 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
67%
Available places
12 pupils
18 places
6 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Kendal
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Kendal
Across Westmorland and Furness council
Places available
2,857
Applications
1,903
Got 1st preference
96.4%
Got preferred school
99.5%
All secondary applications across Westmorland and Furness council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(9)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
4
SEN Support
8
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Appletree School is approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014, so parents can ask for it to be named in their child's education, health and care (EHC) plan.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
No need-level breakdown available
Pupil Demographics
Key Indicators
12
Total Pupils
11
Boys
1
Girls
2026 academic year
Questions parents ask about Appletree School
What is Appletree School's Ofsted rating?
Appletree School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in July 2024.
Does Appletree School meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in July 2024, Appletree School met all the independent school standards.
How many pupils go to Appletree School?
Appletree School has around 12 pupils on roll.
Does Appletree School have specialist SEN provision?
Appletree School is approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014, so parents can ask for it to be named in their child's education, health and care (EHC) plan.
How do I apply to Appletree School?
Appletree 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 Appletree School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 2 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 2 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot. 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 Westmorland and Furness is 3 (the median across 161 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Appletree School?
Appletree School is at Natland, Kendal, Cumbria, LA9 7QS.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)