ADO River Valley School, Welling
ADO River Valley School is a special school for pupils aged 14 to 19 in Welling. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in September 2023.
- Ofsted
- Good (2023)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
ADO River Valley School in detail
ADO River Valley School in its own words
In its own words: ""To spark adventure and wonder for learning and life through the medium of the great outdoors and build our students resilience and self-esteem to face life’s challenges." Our aim is to provide a specialist setting with a vocational curriculum for our students with an equal emphasis on education and well-being."
Vision and values (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to ADO River Valley School are Willow Dene School (0.1 miles, Outstanding); Waterside School (1.1 miles, Outstanding); Park View Academy (1.2 miles, Good); and The Anchor Sendfriendly Centre (1.3 miles).
Willow Dene SchoolWaterside SchoolPark View AcademyThe Anchor Sendfriendly Centre
Who goes there
Almost every pupil at ADO River Valley School has an education, health and care plan (29 of 29 in 2026).
ADO River Valley School is approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014, so parents can ask for it to be named in their child's education, health and care (EHC) plan.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Welling Rail Station, about 990 metres away (roughly a 12-minute walk).
4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Chaucer Road (DA16) (n-bound), 200 metres away.
Sources: DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport)
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 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
Ofsted rated this school Good at its September 2023 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
Approved
Section 41
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with ADO River Valley School
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 15
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 5
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 15 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 13 slight.
5 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 3 in a vehicle or otherwise.
2 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 Bexley is 28.5 (the median across 92 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
121%
Over capacity
29 pupils
24 places
5 pupils over capacity
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Welling
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Welling
Across Bexley council
Places available
3,269
Applications
2,992
Got 1st preference
68.1%
Got preferred school
95.3%
All secondary applications across Bexley council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(2)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
29
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
ADO River Valley School is approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014, so parents can ask for it to be named in their child's education, health and care (EHC) plan.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
No need-level breakdown available
Pupil Demographics
Key Indicators
29
Total Pupils
12
Boys
17
Girls
2026 academic year
Questions parents ask about ADO River Valley School
What is ADO River Valley School's Ofsted rating?
ADO River Valley School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in September 2023.
Does ADO River Valley School meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in September 2023, ADO River Valley School met all the independent school standards.
How many pupils go to ADO River Valley School?
ADO River Valley School has around 29 pupils on roll.
Does ADO River Valley School have specialist SEN provision?
ADO River Valley School is approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014, so parents can ask for it to be named in their child's education, health and care (EHC) plan.
How do I apply to ADO River Valley School?
ADO River Valley 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 ADO River Valley School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 15 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 13 slight. 5 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 3 in a vehicle or otherwise. 2 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 Bexley is 28.5 (the median across 92 schools, same distance and years).
Where is ADO River Valley School?
ADO River Valley School is at Poets Corner Centre, 19a Keats Road, Welling, Kent, DA16 3NB.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)