Sir Tom Finney Community High School is a council-run special school in Preston, Lancashire, for children and young people aged 11 to 19. It supports dyslexia and SpLD, vision, hearing and 8 other needs.
- Ages 11–19
- 255 pupils
- Ofsted: Good
School details
- Type
- Council special school
- Ages
- 11 to 19
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Pupils
- 255 (places for 245)
- Headteacher
- Miss Katy Stringer (Headteacher)
- Opened
- 1 September 2008
- Free school meals
- 48.8% of pupils eligible
- Council
- Lancashire
- School reference (URN)
- 135346
Needs it supports
12 needs: dyslexia and SpLD, vision and 10 more
As listed by the Department for Education, grouped the way EHC plans describe needs.
Communication and interaction
- Autism Other schools for this in Lancashire (29)
- Speech, language and communication Other schools for this in Lancashire (33)
Cognition and learning
- Specific learning difficulty (such as dyslexia) Other schools for this in Lancashire (13)
- Moderate learning difficulty Other schools for this in Lancashire (20)
- Severe learning difficulty Other schools for this in Lancashire (18)
- Profound and multiple learning difficulties Other schools for this in Lancashire (17)
Social, emotional and mental health
- Social, emotional and mental health Other schools for this in Lancashire (21)
Sensory and physical
- Hearing impairment Other schools for this in Lancashire (20)
- Visual impairment Other schools for this in Lancashire (18)
- Multi-sensory impairment Other schools for this in Lancashire (18)
- Physical disability Other schools for this in Lancashire (16)
It also lists other needs. Ask the school what these are.
How to get a place
4 steps, starting with an EHC plan
- An EHC plan
Places at schools like this usually come through an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan. If your child doesn’t have one yet, you can ask the council for an assessment yourself.
- Visit and ask questions
See whether the school feels right and whether it can meet your child’s needs. Our list of questions below can help.
- Ask for the school to be named
Tell the council that looks after the plan (often Lancashire council) that this is the school you want, and ask them to consult it.
- Named in the plan
If the school is named in your child’s plan, it must admit your child. Free home-to-school transport is often part of the arrangement.
Questions to ask when you visit
8 questions to tick off as you go
Ticks stay on this device, so you can use them on the day.
Ofsted
Rated Good, November 2017; school remains Good (March 2023)
Rated Good at its last graded inspection, in November 2017. That was some time ago, so read the latest report for the full picture.
- Leadership and managementGood
- Sixth formOutstanding
- SafeguardingEffective
Since then: School remains Good (ungraded inspection, March 2023).
Contact and getting there
Ribbleton Hall Drive, Preston, PR2 6EE
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Directions: Walk Public transport Drive
Email me these details
The school’s details, how to get a place and the questions to ask, in your inbox.
Other SEND schools nearby
- Brockholes Wood Community Primary School and Nursery Mainstream + base · Ages 3–11 · Ofsted: Good 0.7 miles
- Holme Slack Community Primary School Mainstream + base · Ages 4–11 · Ofsted report card (2026) 0.9 miles
- Larches High School Alternative provision · Ages 11–16 · Ofsted: Good 1.5 miles
All SEND schools in Lancashire
By need in Lancashire: Speech and language (34) · Autism (30) · SEMH (22) · Moderate learning (21) · Hearing (21) · Severe learning (19) · Vision (19) · Multi-sensory (19) · PMLD (18) · Physical (17) · Dyslexia and SpLD (14)
Questions about Sir Tom Finney Community High School
How do I get a place at Sir Tom Finney Community High School?
There’s no catchment area or application round. Places usually come through an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan: ask the council that looks after the plan to consult Sir Tom Finney Community High School. If it is named in the plan, the school must admit your child.
What needs does Sir Tom Finney Community High School support?
Specific learning difficulty (such as dyslexia), visual impairment, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication, autism, social, emotional and mental health, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability, moderate learning difficulty, severe learning difficulty and profound and multiple learning difficulties. Every child is different, so ask the school how it would meet your child’s needs.
What ages does Sir Tom Finney Community High School take?
Aged 11 to 19, boys and girls.
What is Sir Tom Finney Community High School’s Ofsted rating?
Rated Good by Ofsted in March 2023 at its last graded inspection. Newer inspections no longer give a single overall grade, so read the latest report for the full picture.
Where is Sir Tom Finney Community High School?
Ribbleton Hall Drive, Preston, PR2 6EE, in Lancashire.
School data: DfE Get Information About Schools, under the Open Government Licence. Postcode lookups by postcodes.io: contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right, Royal Mail data © Royal Mail copyright and database right, and National Statistics data © Crown copyright and database right. Distances are as the crow flies. Always check details and admissions with the school and your council.