Chorley Astley Park School, Chorley
Chorley Astley Park School is a special school for pupils aged 4 to 16 in Chorley. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in January 2019. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in June 2024 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2019)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Chorley Astley Park School in detail
Chorley Astley Park School in its own words
In its own words: "At Astley Park School, every child is at the heart of everything we do. Our ethos of Nurturing Futures reflects our belief that every pupil is unique, valued and full of potential."
The school runs a breakfast club from 8:00am and after-school care until 5:30pm, from £7.50 per session.
Vision and values (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Chorley Astley Park School are Oliver House School (0.5 miles, Outstanding); Mayfield House School (0.6 miles, Inadequate); Mayfield School (0.9 miles, Good); and Westmorland School (0.9 miles, Good).
Oliver House SchoolMayfield House SchoolMayfield SchoolWestmorland School
Where pupils go next
Of the 20 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 95% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 50% to a further education college.
Who goes there
37.9% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 3.7% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (80%) and Asian (8%).
Almost every pupil at Chorley Astley Park School has an education, health and care plan (161 of 161 in 2026). The most common need among them is autism.
Chorley Astley Park School provides for pupils with visual impairment, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, social, emotional and mental health needs, multi-sensory impairment, moderate learning difficulties and severe learning difficulties.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Chorley Rail Station, about 840 metres away (roughly a 11-minute walk).
6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Woodville Road (by), 290 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Chorley Astley Park School stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 312 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and criminal damage and arson. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Lancashire (109), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Chorley Astley Park School issued 26 suspensions, 15.9 for every 100 pupils, and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from January 2019, 7 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Outstanding.
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
Pupils flourish at this school. They are impeccably polite and well mannered. The high quality of care that pupils receive from staff helps them to succeed. Pupils are taught how to recognise and manage their own emotions. They learn how to create strong friendships with their peers. Pupils speak kindly to each other. They are happy in school.
The school has the highest aspirations for pupils' achievement. Pupils, all of whom have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve exceptionally well. Pupils at the earliest stages of their development benefit from highly nuanced support. This helps them to settle quickly at the school.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
Governors are exceptionally well trained. They carry out their roles with a high level of expertise. Governors have a deep understanding of the school's work. They provide highly effective support and challenge to the school. Governors ensure that the school environment is one where everyone is welcome and where pupils thrive.
The school has designed a highly ambitious curriculum. It has thought carefully about the important knowledge and skills that pupils should learn and when they should learn them. Pupils study a broad range of subjects in each key stage. The curriculum prepares pupils extremely well for each phase of their education. Pupils gain a wide variety of qualifications that set them up well for further education, apprenticeships or employment with training.
From Ofsted's June 2024 ungraded 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 Outstanding at its January 2019 inspection - up from Good.
Rated Outstanding for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
37.9%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
Vision, Hearing, Speech and language +5
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Latest from Chorley Astley Park School
Sign Of The Week- Don't Like
5 Oct 2026
PATH October Dates
2 Oct 2026
Sign Of The Week
28 Sep 2026
Chester Coach Trip
24 Sep 2026
Arden College Open Days
22 Sep 2026
Sign Of The Week- Help
21 Sep 2026
From Chorley Astley Park School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with Chorley Astley Park School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Chorley Astley Park School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Chorley Astley Park School is in Lancashire; for families living there:
- Lancashire's school travel policy: school transport policies
- How to apply: Apply for free home to school transport assistance
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 15
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 4
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 15 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 0 serious and 14 slight.
4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot.
5 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 Lancashire is 12 (the median across 707 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
91%
Near capacity
161 pupils
176 places
15 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Chorley
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Chorley
Across Lancashire council
Places available
14,702
Applications
13,782
Got 1st preference
87.1%
Got preferred school
97.2%
All secondary applications across Lancashire council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
161
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Chorley Astley Park School provides for pupils with visual impairment, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, social, emotional and mental health needs, multi-sensory impairment, moderate learning difficulties and severe learning difficulties.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
161
Total Pupils
110
Boys
51
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
23
Teachers
7.0:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£49,702
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
7.9%
Overall absence
17.3%
Persistent absence
162
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Chorley Astley Park School
Showing 10 of 15 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Chorley Astley Park School
What are SATs results like at Chorley Astley Park School?
Of the pupils at Chorley Astley Park School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 0% reached the expected standard in reading and 0% did so in maths.
What is Chorley Astley Park School's Ofsted rating?
Chorley Astley Park School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in June 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in January 2019, it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for Chorley Astley Park School?
No fixed boundary. When Chorley Astley Park School is oversubscribed, Lancashire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Chorley Astley Park School?
Chorley Astley Park School has around 161 pupils on roll. 38% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Chorley Astley Park School have specialist SEN provision?
Chorley Astley Park School provides for pupils with visual impairment, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, social, emotional and mental health needs, multi-sensory impairment, moderate learning difficulties and severe learning difficulties.
What is attendance like at Chorley Astley Park School?
7.9% of sessions were missed at Chorley Astley Park School in 2024/25. 17.3% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Chorley Astley Park School?
Apply through Lancashire's coordinated admissions process, naming Chorley Astley Park School on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
How many road collisions happen near Chorley Astley Park School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 15 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 0 serious and 14 slight. 4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot. 5 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 Lancashire is 12 (the median across 707 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Chorley Astley Park School?
Chorley Astley Park School is at Harrington Road, Chorley, Lancashire, PR7 1JZ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)