New Focus Education is an independent special school in Preston, Lancashire, for children and young people aged 6 to 16.
- Ages 6–16
- 17 pupils
- Ofsted report card (2026)
School details
- Type
- Independent special school
- Ages
- 6 to 16
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Pupils
- 17 (places for 30)
- Headteacher
- Mrs Anita Cameron
- Opened
- 12 February 2025
- Council
- Lancashire
- School reference (URN)
- 151120
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.
- An offer, and the council’s agreement
As an independent school not approved under Section 41, it doesn’t have to accept a place: the school has to offer one, and the council has to agree to name it in the plan.
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
Report card, March 2026: Needs attention in 5 of 6 areas
Inspected in March 2026 under Ofsted’s new report cards, which grade each area separately, from Exceptional to Urgent improvement, instead of one overall grade.
- InclusionNeeds attention
- Curriculum and teachingNeeds attention
- AchievementNeeds attention
- Attendance and behaviourExpected standard
- Personal development and wellbeingNeeds attention
- Leadership and governanceNeeds attention
- SafeguardingMet
Independent school standards: did not meet all standards.
Contact and getting there
Cottam Centre, Cottam Lane, Preston, PR2 1AF
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Directions: Walk Public transport Drive
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The school’s details, how to get a place and the questions to ask, in your inbox.
Other SEND schools nearby
- Ashton Community Science College Mainstream + base · Ages 11–16 · Ofsted: Good 0.3 miles
- Royal Cross Primary School Special school · Ages 4–11 · Ofsted: Outstanding 0.7 miles
- Cedar Lodge School Independent · Ages 11–18 · Ofsted: Outstanding 0.7 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 New Focus Education
How do I get a place at New Focus Education?
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 New Focus Education. As an independent school not approved under Section 41, it has to offer a place and the council has to agree to name it.
What ages does New Focus Education take?
Aged 6 to 16, boys and girls.
What is New Focus Education’s Ofsted rating?
There’s no overall grade to show. Read the school’s latest inspection report on the Ofsted website.
Where is New Focus Education?
Cottam Centre, Cottam Lane, Preston, PR2 1AF, 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.