Appleford was founded in 1988 by Dr Peter Gardner, a chartered
educational psychologist, a chartered
forensic psychologist and a chartered
counselling psychologist of the
British Psychological Society, and Gerald Trump.
Zoë Wanamaker later became patron of Appleford. It was originally a
prep school for pupils aged 7 to 13, and later expanded to take pupils up to 18 years old, studying
BTECs and
GCSEs. Appleford specialises in teaching pupils with dyslexia, dyscalculia and dyspraxia. The school is accredited by the Council for the Registration of Schools Teaching Dyslexic Pupils (CReSTeD). In 2012, 2015 and 2023 the
Independent Schools Inspectorate rated the school "excellent" in all areas, and in 2018 all standards were met in the Regulatory Compliance inspection. In the Independent School Awards, Appleford was shortlisted in 2014 and 2015 in two categories, won the Award for Outstanding Sport (Small School) in 2018, and was shortlisted in 2019 for the Outstanding Provision for Learning Support Award. In 2021 Appleford won the Bronze Lockdown Hero Award for Learner and Community Support in the Pearson National Teaching Awards, and in 2021 and 2022 was shortlisted for the Small Independent School of the Year in the Independent School of the Year Awards. ==General information==