Aspire School, Sittingbourne
Aspire School is a special school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Sittingbourne, part of Bourne Alliance Multi Academy Trust. It was rated Requires improvement at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in October 2022. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in March 2025 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Requires improvement (2022)
Data last updated 1 Nov 2026
Aspire School in detail
Aspire School in its own words
In its own words: "We believe all pupils at Aspire School can aspire to achieve great things, embracing their additional needs and any challenges that they might face. Our vision is to promote independent and aspirational learning where all children succeed."
From the headteacher's welcome: "As Headteacher, I would like to thank you for your interest in Aspire School. Having worked with young people with ASD and learning difficulties for many years, I am proud and honoured to now have the opportunity to lead an exceptional specialist provision for children with a diagnosis of ASD or speech, language and communication needs."
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include eco club and forest school.
The school runs a breakfast club.
Vision and values (school website)Headteacher's welcome (school website)Clubs (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Aspire School are Craftworks (1.4 miles, Good); ALP Sittingbourne (1.4 miles, Good); KITE College (1.5 miles); and Meadowfield School (2.1 miles, Outstanding).
The trust
Aspire School is one of 4 schools run by Bourne Alliance Multi Academy Trust, an academy trust.
What parents say
42 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Aspire School (as of September 2025): 86% would recommend the school, 88% say their child is happy there and 57% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that the school supports their child's wider development (88%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (57%).
Who goes there
40.2% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 2.6% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
Almost every pupil at Aspire School has an education, health and care plan (194 of 194 in 2026). The most common need among them is autism.
Aspire School has a SEN unit for speech, language and communication needs and autism: 172 places, 191 pupils on roll.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Sittingbourne Rail Station, about 1 mile away in a straight line.
7 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is The Meads (n-bound), 190 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Aspire School stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 213 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Kent (101), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
Aspire School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Sources: DfE multi-academy trust performance data; Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's March 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Aspire School creates a welcoming, happy environment where pupils are eager to attend and make real progress in their learning. The school is particularly excellent in early years, where children benefit from outstanding provision with sensory activities and skilled adult support. Staff show impressive expertise in nurturing each child's emotional wellbeing alongside their academic learning, and provide wonderful enrichment experiences from skiing trips to music lessons.
Key Strengths
- Early years provision is outstanding with inviting, sensory activities that motivate children to engage
- Expert teaching of early reading with skilled support for pupils who need extra help
- Strong focus on pupils' personal, social and emotional development woven through all school life
- High expectations of behaviour that are sensitively adapted to individual pupils' needs
- Rich enrichment opportunities including cathedral visits, skiing, music lessons and inter-school sports
Areas for Improvement
- Inconsistency in how well the curriculum is taught beyond early years means some pupils don't secure intended learning as well as they could
- Need to refine and clarify exactly what pupils should learn in some subjects in pathway three to help them make better progress
- School should ensure all staff have consistent knowledge and expertise to implement the curriculum pathways as intended
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with strong systems in place to keep pupils safe.
Extracurricular Activities
Cathedral visits, skiing, musical instrument lessons, inter-school sports, school council, trust parliament, before-school club
Aspire School is a special school for pupils with autism and speech, language and communication needs that has improved significantly since its last inspection. The school provides three distinct curriculum pathways tailored to pupils' individual needs and stages of development.
At a Glance
40.2%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
SEN unit: Speech and language, Autism
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
42 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has declined from 4% to 0% (2024 to 2025), while maths has declined from 4% to 0% (2024 to 2025).
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with Aspire School
Nurseries
The nearest nurseries and pre-schools to Aspire School, with their latest published grades:
- Squirrel Lodge Nursery - Day nursery, 0.2 milesOfsted, 31 July 2024: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
- Lyndhurst Nursery - Day nursery, 0.5 milesOfsted, 26 February 2025: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
- Activeplay Nursery and Preschool - Day nursery, 0.8 milesOfsted, 26 April 2023: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
- Johnson Garden Day Nursery Limited - Day nursery, 0.8 milesOfsted, 28 May 2025: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
- Rising Stars Nursery - Day nursery, 0.8 milesOfsted, 14 March 2023: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Aspire School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Aspire School is in Kent; for families living there:
Apply to Kent for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 26
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 6
- Children hurt
- 3
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 26 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 6 serious and 20 slight.
3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot.
8 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 Kent is 11 (the median across 711 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight are DfT estimates (severity adjustment). Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
113%
Over capacity
194 pupils
172 places
22 pupils over capacity
as recorded on GIAS
Across Kent council
Places available
19,539
Applications
18,644
Got 1st preference
78.9%
Got preferred school
96.2%
All secondary applications across Kent council (2026/27), not just this school.
New homes granted nearby
Councils granted planning permission for at least 84 new homes within 2 miles of Aspire School since October 2023.
Largest schemes
- 51 homes at Cockleshell Walk Car Park St Michaels Road Sittingbourne Kent ME10 1AUMid Kent, ref 23/503228/FULL - granted 18 March 2025, 0.8 miles away
- 33 homes at Moores Yard Crown Quay Lane Sittingbourne ME10 3JNMid Kent, ref 20/501631/FULL - granted 4 October 2024, 1.2 miles away
Schemes of 10 or more homes. Only full and outline permissions with the number of homes stated in the application are counted, and applications that may be for the same homes are counted once, so the true figure can be higher. Source: councils' planning registers.
Inspection History(2)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
194
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Aspire School has a SEN unit for speech, language and communication needs and autism: 172 places, 191 pupils on roll.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
194
Total Pupils
143
Boys
51
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
26
Teachers
7.5:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£53,388
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
8.2%
Overall absence
22.8%
Persistent absence
180
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Linked Schools
Schools linked by geographic proximity
Questions parents ask about Aspire School
What are SATs results like at Aspire School?
Of the pupils at Aspire School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 0% reached the expected standard in reading and 0% did so in maths.
What is Aspire School's Ofsted rating?
Aspire School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in March 2025, was ungraded. At its last graded inspection, in October 2022, it was rated Requires Improvement.
How many pupils go to Aspire School?
Aspire School has around 194 pupils on roll. 40% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Aspire School have specialist SEN provision?
Aspire School has a SEN unit for speech, language and communication needs and autism: 172 places, 191 pupils on roll.
What is attendance like at Aspire School?
8.2% of sessions were missed at Aspire School in 2024/25. 22.8% of pupils were persistently absent.
How many road collisions happen near Aspire School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 26 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 6 serious and 20 slight. 3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot. 8 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 Kent is 11 (the median across 711 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Aspire School?
Aspire School is at Vellum Drive, Sittingbourne, Kent, ME10 5DA.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)