Ashbourne College, London

Senior
Other independent school
Mixed
Ages 1321

Data last updated 11 Sept 2026

Location

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Mr Michael Kirby
Pupils:223 / 300 capacity
LA:Kensington and Chelsea
Phone:02079373858
Address:17 Old Court Place, Kensington, London, W8 4PL
Admissions:Non-selective
Status:open
Opened:5 March 1985

Ofsted Rating

Ofsted · 2 years ago
-

Overall

Inspected 19 November 2024View full report
URN:100537
UKPRN:10008898
Diocese:Not applicable
Constituency:Kensington and Bayswater
Urban/Rural:Urban: Nearer to a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

What This School Does Well

Ashbourne provides a welcoming, nurturing environment where pupils thrive and gain confidence. Teachers are highly approachable and readily available to support pupils with their studies. The school excels at preparing sixth-form students for higher education, with personalised guidance helping them secure places on their chosen courses.

Key Strengths

  • Strong subject knowledge from teachers motivates pupils to be diligent and ambitious in their studies
  • Personalised academic and pastoral support helps all pupils succeed
  • Sixth-form students receive excellent careers guidance and achieve outstanding results in higher education
  • Pupils study and socialise well together, gaining confidence and independence
  • Leaders continuously review and improve policies and practices

Areas for Improvement

  • Quality of teacher questioning and assessment is inconsistent, so the most able pupils are not sufficiently challenged
  • Pupil absence levels remain too high despite improvement efforts
  • Take-up of extra-curricular activities is low
  • Teachers' explanations sometimes lack clarity, particularly affecting pupils who speak English as an additional language
  • New attendance monitoring systems are still in early stages of impact

Safeguarding

Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with thorough procedures, alert staff, comprehensive referral systems using specific software, and rapid follow-up of concerns with specialist agencies.

Ashbourne Independent School is a good school where the proprietor and director of studies are dedicated to providing a positive education experience. Pupils are motivated by strong subject knowledge, achieve very well, and benefit from individualised academic and pastoral support.

At a Glance

No

Boarding

No

Nursery

Yes

Sixth Form

No

Special Measures

What Parents Think

30 responses
Would recommend97%
Child is happy100%
Well taught100%
Good progress93%
Feels safe100%
Well behaved100%
Bullying dealt with10%
Kept informed97%
Handles concerns77%
Wider development100%

Source: Ofsted Parent View - % who strongly agree or agree

Class Sizes

0.0

Avg class size

0

Total classes

2024/25 academic year

Getting There

Tube / Metro / Tram

High Street Kensington Underground Station
295m · 5 min walk
High Street Kensington Station
304m · 5 min walk
Notting Hill Gate Underground Station
803m · 13 min walk

Bus Stops

Kensington Palace (Stop M)
91m · 1 min walk
Holland St /High St Kensington (Stop H)
158m · 3 min walk
York House Place / Kensington High St (Stop K)
198m · 3 min walk
High Street Kensington Station (Stop F)
232m · 4 min walk
Palace Gate (Stop RH)
351m · 6 min walk
Can you get into this school?
Enter your postcode to find out

Commute Calculator

Find out if this school is reachable from your home - before you apply

Sign up free to see your commute to this school

What are my chances?

Enter your postcode to estimate your probability of getting a place.

Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

74%

Available places

223 pupils

300 capacity

77 spare places available

Area Demand Pressure - London

Medium pressure
New homes approved:104,823
Projected new pupils:18,868

Based on MHCLG housing supply data for London

Admissions Demand - Kensington and Chelsea

Low demand0.60x oversubscription

Places available

1,045

Applications

622

Got 1st preference

66.7%

Got preferred school

92.3%

Secondary admissions across Kensington and Chelsea (2025/26)

Inspection History(5)

19 November 2024
7 December 2021
31 January 2018

House Prices

Moving into the catchment? See what homes near this school actually cost

Sign up free to see house prices near this school

SEN Provision

How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.

Sign up free to see special needs support at this school

Pupil Demographics

The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.

Sign up free to see who goes to this school

Reviews

No reviews yet - be the first to leave one.

Leave a Review

You need to be signed in to leave a review.

Nearby Schools

Do you work at this school?

Claim your profile free to get a verified badge, update your contact details, and see how many parents are viewing your page.