Kirkham Pear Tree School, Preston
Kirkham Pear Tree School is a special school for pupils aged 2 to 19 in Preston. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in April 2012. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in June 2023 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2012)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Kirkham Pear Tree School in detail
Kirkham Pear Tree School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "Pear Tree is an outstanding special school for children and young people aged 2-19 with severe and profound and multiple learning difficulties. Our wonderful staff and fabulous facilities provide our children with a highly personalised curriculum built on the foundations of strong relationships across the whole school community."
Headteacher's welcome (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Kirkham Pear Tree School are Linton School (1 mile, Outstanding); Oakfield House School (2.5 miles, selective); and Aurora Keyes Barn School (2.5 miles, Good).
Who goes there
38.4% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 5.4% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (79%) and Mixed (6%).
Almost every pupil at Kirkham Pear Tree School has an education, health and care plan (112 of 112 in 2026). The most common need among them is autism.
Kirkham Pear Tree School provides for pupils with visual impairment, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, social, emotional and mental health needs, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Kirkham & Wesham Rail Station, about 620 metres away (roughly a 8-minute walk).
7 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Swan Hotel (outside), 130 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
Kirkham Pear Tree School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Sources: DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoThis judgement is from April 2012, 14 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 Insights
Ofsted rated this school Outstanding at its April 2012 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
38.4%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
Vision, Hearing, Speech and language +6
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with Kirkham Pear Tree School
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Kirkham Pear Tree School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Kirkham Pear Tree 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
- 17
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 17 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 15 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
7 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
102%
Over capacity
112 pupils
110 places
2 pupils over capacity
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Preston
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Preston
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(6)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
112
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Kirkham Pear Tree School provides for pupils with visual impairment, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, social, emotional and mental health needs, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
112
Total Pupils
80
Boys
32
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
15
Teachers
7.5:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£56,033
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
8.8%
Overall absence
23.6%
Persistent absence
89
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
Questions parents ask about Kirkham Pear Tree School
What is Kirkham Pear Tree School's Ofsted rating?
Kirkham Pear Tree School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in June 2023, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in April 2012, it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for Kirkham Pear Tree School?
No fixed boundary. When Kirkham Pear Tree School is oversubscribed, Lancashire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Kirkham Pear Tree School?
Kirkham Pear Tree School has around 112 pupils on roll. 38% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Kirkham Pear Tree School have specialist SEN provision?
Kirkham Pear Tree School provides for pupils with visual impairment, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, social, emotional and mental health needs, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties.
What is attendance like at Kirkham Pear Tree School?
8.8% of sessions were missed at Kirkham Pear Tree School in 2024/25. 23.6% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Kirkham Pear Tree School?
Apply through Lancashire's coordinated admissions process, naming Kirkham Pear Tree 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 Kirkham Pear Tree School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 17 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 15 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 7 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 Kirkham Pear Tree School?
Kirkham Pear Tree School is at 29 Station Road, Kirkham, Preston, Lancashire, PR4 2HA.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)