Progress School, Preston
Progress School is a special school for pupils aged 7 to 19 in Preston. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in June 2024.
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2024)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Progress School in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Progress School are Cambian Red Rose School (0.5 miles, Good); Bridgeway School (1.3 miles, Outstanding); The Coppice School (1.5 miles, Good); and Roselyn House School (1.9 miles, Good).
Cambian Red Rose SchoolBridgeway SchoolThe Coppice SchoolRoselyn House School
Who goes there
In 2026, 0 pupils (0%) received SEN support and 13 (92.9%) had an education, health and care plan.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Bamber Bridge Rail Station, about 1.4 miles away in a straight line.
11 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Gough Lane (adjacent), 170 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Progress School stands in is among the 10% most 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?
Progress School transforms the lives of its pupils. Many pupils who attend the school have missed significant periods of their education in the past. They benefit from the high level of care that they receive from staff. Pupils begin to flourish as soon as they join the school as a result of the personalised transition programme that staff put in place for them.
Pupils, all of whom have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve remarkably well. Staff use the deep understanding that they have of each pupil's additional needs to provide them with a tailored curriculum. Pupils respond superbly to the extremely high aspirations that the school has for their achievement. They take pride in living up to the expectations that the school has of their behaviour and conduct. Pupils are very happy here.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
The school has established a very special environment in which pupils thrive. Staff enable each pupil to create their own unique learning space. Pupils have immediate access to the help and resources that they need so that they can focus on their studies. For example, staff provide each pupil with specialised equipment that enables them to manage their own sensory breaks.
The school has a clear and ambitious vision for the curriculum. It has thought deeply about the organisation of the curriculum so that each pupil studies a range of subjects that is broad and balanced. The school's subject curriculums set out in precise detail the information that pupils should learn. The school has ensured that there are clear links between the different subjects. This helps pupils to build a secure understanding of the key concepts that they study.
From Ofsted's June 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 Outstanding at its June 2024 inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with Progress School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 25
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 10
- Children hurt
- 7
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 25 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 10 serious and 15 slight.
7 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 5 in a vehicle or otherwise.
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
100%
Full
14 pupils
14 places
No 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(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
13
EHC Plans
92.9%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Progress 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
14
Total Pupils
12
Boys
2
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Progress School
Showing 10 of 13 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Progress School
What is Progress School's Ofsted rating?
Progress School was rated Outstanding at its most recent Ofsted inspection in June 2024.
Does Progress School meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in June 2024, Progress School met all the independent school standards.
How many pupils go to Progress School?
Progress School has around 14 pupils on roll.
Does Progress School have specialist SEN provision?
Progress School is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
How do I apply to Progress School?
Progress 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 Progress School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 25 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 10 serious and 15 slight. 7 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 5 in a vehicle or otherwise. 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 Progress School?
Progress School is at Gough Lane, Bamber Bridge, Preston, Lancashire, PR5 6AQ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)