New Focus Education, Preston
New Focus Education is a special school for pupils aged 6 to 16 in Preston. Its most recent Ofsted inspection, in March 2026, ended in a report card: 1 expected standard and 5 needs attention.
- Ofsted report card
- 5 areas need attention
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
New Focus Education in detail
What Ofsted's report card says
Ofsted's report card from its 17 March 2026 inspection grades New Focus Education on 6 areas: 1 expected standard and 5 needs attention. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.
Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "Most pupils have only joined the school very recently, having been out of education for some time."
Achievement - Needs attention. "Pupils' progress through the curriculum is too variable."
Curriculum and teaching - Needs attention. "The school does not adapt the curriculum well enough to meet pupils' needs or to address gaps in their learning."
Inclusion - Needs attention. "The school's systems and processes to identify and meet pupils' needs precisely are not secure."
Leadership and governance - Needs attention. "The proprietor has not established rigorous enough systems of oversight and quality assurance of school provision."
Personal development and wellbeing - Needs attention. "The school's relationships and sex education (RSE) and health education policy does not have sufficient regard to statutory guidance."
Safeguarding standards were met.
Ofsted's next steps for the school: "The school should ensure that it identifies pupils' needs, including any special educational needs and/or disabilities, with greater precision. It should ensure that it implements appropriate support to meet pupils' needs and reviews the impact of such support systematically"; "The school should ensure that the curriculum is adapted to meet pupils' needs and to address gaps in pupils' learning, particularly with regard to gaps in pupils' basic knowledge of reading, writing and mathematics"; "The school should ensure that teaching is rigorous in checking for pupils' understanding and in providing pupils with activities that extend their knowledge and skills. This is so pupils consistently make appropriate progress through the curriculum and produce work of a high quality"; "The school should ensure that it provides secondary age pupils with relationships and sex education that has appropriate regard to statutory guidance"; "The school should enhance the professional development programme for staff to ensure that it gives staff the knowledge and skills they need to meet the full range of pupils' diverse needs"; "The proprietor must establish more rigorous systems of oversight and quality assurance and ensure that these systems are implemented effectively so that all the independent school standards are consistently met".
Read the full report card on Ofsted's site (school website)
Source: Ofsted report card (Open Government Licence), quoted
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to New Focus Education are Royal Cross Primary School (0.7 miles, Outstanding); Cedar Lodge School (0.7 miles, Outstanding); Moorbrook School (1.1 miles, Good); and Pioneer TEC (1.4 miles, Good).
Royal Cross Primary SchoolCedar Lodge SchoolMoorbrook SchoolPioneer TEC
Who goes there
Almost every pupil at New Focus Education has an education, health and care plan (17 of 17 in 2026).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Preston Rail Station, about 1.5 miles away in a straight line.
14 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Cottam Lane Surgery (by), 40 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 254 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and vehicle crime. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Lancashire (109), as is usual near a town centre.
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 · 7 months agoReport card - no single overall grade (Ofsted's framework since January 2026 for independent schools)
Safeguarding standards met
- Attendance and behaviourExpected standard
- AchievementNeeds attention
- Curriculum and teachingNeeds attention
- InclusionNeeds attention
- Leadership and governanceNeeds attention
- Personal development and wellbeingNeeds attention
Safeguarding standards: met
Independent school standards
Did not meet the independent school standards in Part 1 (quality of education) and Part 8 (leadership and management).
- Part 1: quality of educationNot met
- 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 managementNot met
Source: Ofsted, non-association independent schools inspections and outcomes (Open Government Licence)
Ofsted's report card, in its own words
What it's like to be a pupil at New Focus Education
Pupils come to this school following previous disruption to their education. The school's systems for identifying and meeting pupils' needs lack precision. The school does not adapt the curriculum well enough to meet pupils' needs and address gaps in their basic knowledge and skills. The school's relationships and sex education policy does not have sufficient regard to statutory guidance. Staff do not receive the depth of training they need to meet pupils' diverse needs. Teaching is not consistent or rigorous enough in checking pupils' understanding and extending pupils' learning. Pupils' progress through the curriculum is too variable, as is the quality of their work. The school does not evaluate the quality of its provision well enough. The school welcomes pupils so that they settle quickly in their new environment. Pupils feel safe at school and start to make friends, some for the first time. Their attendance improves considerably. Pupils are generally polite and respectful. Pupils and staff develop warm working relationships. On the whole, pupils' behaviour is appropriate. Staff deal with any lapses in behaviour calmly and effectively. Instances of bullying and discriminatory language are rare. When they do occur, staff generally take a positive approach, teaching pupils about appropriate behaviour and language. Pupils' self-esteem and confidence grow. Although pupils have only been at the school for a short time, the school is already supporting them to think about their futures as members of the local community. Pupils learn about potential careers through visits to local employers. A few pupils have opportunities for work experience, tailored to their individual aspirations. Pupils benefit from the wide range of experiences the school provides, such as trips to the gym and the local shops. Pupils enjoy skiing and rock climbing, with opportunities to gain certification in these activities if they pursue their interest and participation.
What Ofsted says the school should do next
- The school should ensure that it identifies pupils' needs, including any special educational needs and/or disabilities, with greater precision. It should ensure that it implements appropriate support to meet pupils' needs and reviews the impact of such support systematically.
- The school should ensure that the curriculum is adapted to meet pupils' needs and to address gaps in pupils' learning, particularly with regard to gaps in pupils' basic knowledge of reading, writing and mathematics.
- The school should ensure that teaching is rigorous in checking for pupils' understanding and in providing pupils with activities that extend their knowledge and skills. This is so pupils consistently make appropriate progress through the curriculum and produce work of a high quality.
- The school should ensure that it provides secondary age pupils with relationships and sex education that has appropriate regard to statutory guidance.
- The school should enhance the professional development programme for staff to ensure that it gives staff the knowledge and skills they need to meet the full range of pupils' diverse needs.
- The proprietor must establish more rigorous systems of oversight and quality assurance and ensure that these systems are implemented effectively so that all the independent school standards are consistently met.
From Ofsted's report card (inspection 17 March 2026). Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's March 2026 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
New Focus Education is excellent at welcoming pupils who have had disrupted education and helping them feel safe, settle quickly, and build positive relationships with adults and peers. The school's pastoral support is a real strength, with staff skilfully helping pupils develop confidence, friendships and social skills. Pupils' attendance improves significantly and they develop positive attitudes to learning and behaviour.
Key Strengths
- Excellent pastoral support - pupils develop warm relationships with staff and build confidence and self-esteem
- Strong improvement in pupil attendance from very low starting points
- Calm, respectful environment with clear behaviour expectations that pupils understand and follow
- Effective work with parents and carers to support pupils
- Skilled management of pupils' social and emotional needs by staff
Areas for Improvement
- Teaching does not consistently check pupils' understanding or extend their learning enough
- Pupils' progress in reading, writing and mathematics is too variable and gaps in basic skills are not being addressed well enough
- The curriculum is not adapted well enough to meet individual pupils' needs and abilities
- Systems for identifying and supporting pupils with additional needs lack precision
- Staff training is too generic and does not provide the depth needed to support vulnerable pupils effectively
Safeguarding
Safeguarding standards are met - leaders have established an open culture where safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and pupils are made safer and feel safe.
Extracurricular Activities
Careers visits to local employers, work experience opportunities, gym trips, local shopping trips, snowboarding, skiing, rock climbing
New Focus Education is a school that welcomes pupils who have experienced disruption to their education and helps them re-engage with learning. While the school excels at supporting pupils' emotional wellbeing and improving attendance, it needs to strengthen its teaching of core academic skills and ensure the curriculum better meets individual pupil needs.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with New Focus Education
Getting There
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 37
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 9
- Children hurt
- 5
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 37 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 9 serious and 27 slight.
5 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
8 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
57%
Available places
17 pupils
30 places
13 spare places
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(3)
Independent school standard inspection - first
Did not meet the independent school standards in Part 1 (quality of education) and Part 8 (leadership and management).
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
17
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
New Focus Education 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
17
Total Pupils
15
Boys
2
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
New Focus Education
Showing 10 of 14 linked schools
Questions parents ask about New Focus Education
Does New Focus Education meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in March 2026, New Focus Education did not meet the independent school standards in Part 1 (quality of education) and Part 8 (leadership and management).
How many pupils go to New Focus Education?
New Focus Education has around 17 pupils on roll.
Does New Focus Education have specialist SEN provision?
New Focus Education is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
How do I apply to New Focus Education?
New Focus Education 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 New Focus Education?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 37 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 9 serious and 27 slight. 5 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 8 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 New Focus Education?
New Focus Education is at Cottam Centre, Cottam Lane, Preston, Lancashire, PR2 1AF.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)