Progress Schools - Buckinghamshire, High Wycombe
Progress Schools - Buckinghamshire is a special school for pupils aged 13 to 16 in High Wycombe. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in April 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2025)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Progress Schools - Buckinghamshire in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Progress Schools - Buckinghamshire are Chiltern Wood School (1.1 miles, Good); Unity College (1.1 miles); and Westfield School (4.9 miles, Good).
Who goes there
In 2026, 1 pupils (6.7%) received SEN support and 14 (93.3%) had an education, health and care plan.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is High Wycombe Rail Station, about 2 miles away in a straight line.
2 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Hillbottom Road (adjacent), 190 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 120 crimes within a mile of the school, most often anti-social behaviour, violence and sexual offences and other theft. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Buckinghamshire (44), 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 · 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 Insights
From Ofsted's April 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Progress Schools creates a calm, orderly environment where pupils who have struggled in education quickly settle and thrive. Staff are highly skilled at building trust, supporting emotional needs, and helping pupils develop strategies to manage their own behaviour. The school's curriculum combines academic qualifications with practical life skills and community involvement, preparing almost all pupils for successful next steps in further education, apprenticeships or employment.
Key Strengths
- Staff build strong, trusting relationships and provide calm, patient support that helps pupils manage their behaviour and return to learning quickly
- Almost all pupils progress to further education, apprenticeships or employment, showing excellent preparation for life after school
- Curriculum includes high-quality diverse texts and practical life skills like food preparation to develop independence
- Pupils learn to read fluently with careful phonics support for those still developing reading skills
- Strong careers programme with work experience and college visits that raise pupils' aspirations
Areas for Improvement
- Some staff lack subject knowledge and confidence to teach the curriculum as intended, occasionally slowing pupils' learning
- Attendance is not frequent enough for some pupils, limiting the impact of the school's provision and widening learning gaps
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with clear safety procedures, strong leadership oversight, and a secure understanding of statutory requirements.
Extracurricular Activities
Wildlife conservation work (river re-wilding, bird box deployment), work experience, college visits, community involvement, physical and mental fitness programmes
Progress Schools - Buckinghamshire is a Good independent special school for pupils aged 13-16 with severe social, emotional and mental health needs. The school successfully helps pupils who have struggled in education to settle quickly, build positive relationships with staff, and prepare well for life beyond school.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 4 nearby schools
Keep up with Progress Schools - Buckinghamshire
Getting There
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 5
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 5 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 5 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
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 Buckinghamshire is 4 (the median across 274 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
68%
Available places
15 pupils
22 places
7 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - High Wycombe
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for High Wycombe
Across Buckinghamshire council
Places available
6,847
Applications
6,535
Got 1st preference
76.7%
Got preferred school
93.9%
All secondary applications across Buckinghamshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(4)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
1
SEN Support
14
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Progress Schools - Buckinghamshire 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
15
Total Pupils
11
Boys
4
Girls
2026 academic year
Questions parents ask about Progress Schools - Buckinghamshire
What are GCSE results like at Progress Schools - Buckinghamshire?
The Department for Education's GCSE measures do not count IGCSEs, which many independent schools take instead of GCSEs, so the Attainment 8 and English and maths figures it publishes for Progress Schools - Buckinghamshire can understate its results. We do not rank or compare them; ask the school for its own GCSE and IGCSE results.
What is Progress Schools - Buckinghamshire's Ofsted rating?
Progress Schools - Buckinghamshire was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in April 2025.
Does Progress Schools - Buckinghamshire meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in April 2025, Progress Schools - Buckinghamshire met all the independent school standards.
How many pupils go to Progress Schools - Buckinghamshire?
Progress Schools - Buckinghamshire has around 15 pupils on roll.
Does Progress Schools - Buckinghamshire have specialist SEN provision?
Progress Schools - Buckinghamshire is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
How do I apply to Progress Schools - Buckinghamshire?
Progress Schools - Buckinghamshire 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 Schools - Buckinghamshire?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 5 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 5 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 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 Buckinghamshire is 4 (the median across 274 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Progress Schools - Buckinghamshire?
Progress Schools - Buckinghamshire is at Unit 3 - Spearmast Industrial Estate, Land End Road, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, HP12 4JG.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)