Blue Skies School, Chatham
Blue Skies School is a special school for pupils aged 11 to 25 in Chatham. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in September 2023.
- Ofsted
- Good (2023)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Blue Skies School in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Blue Skies School are Ripplevale School Rochester (0.8 miles); Alchemy School (1.3 miles, Good); INSPIRE Free Special School (1.5 miles, Good); and Bradfields Academy (1.5 miles, Outstanding).
Ripplevale School RochesterAlchemy SchoolINSPIRE Free Special SchoolBradfields Academy
Who goes there
Almost every pupil at Blue Skies School has an education, health and care plan (16 of 16 in 2026).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Chatham Rail Station, about 700 metres away (roughly a 9-minute walk).
11 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Gladstone Road (opposite), 50 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 850 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 Medway (250), as is usual near a town centre.
Sources: DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime
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
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Social & online
Keep up with Blue Skies School
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 43
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 15
- Children hurt
- 12
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 43 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 15 serious and 28 slight.
12 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 8 on foot, 2 on a bicycle and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise.
15 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 Medway is 25 (the median across 117 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
42%
Available places
16 pupils
38 places
22 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Chatham
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Chatham
Across Medway council
Places available
3,844
Applications
3,586
Got 1st preference
80.4%
Got preferred school
96.8%
All secondary applications across Medway council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(6)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
16
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Blue Skies School is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
No need-level breakdown available
Pupil Demographics
Key Indicators
16
Total Pupils
7
Boys
9
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Blue Skies School
Showing 10 of 15 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Blue Skies School
What is Blue Skies School's Ofsted rating?
Blue Skies School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in September 2023.
Does Blue Skies School meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in September 2023, Blue Skies School met all the independent school standards.
How many pupils go to Blue Skies School?
Blue Skies School has around 16 pupils on roll.
Does Blue Skies School have specialist SEN provision?
Blue Skies School is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
How do I apply to Blue Skies School?
Blue Skies 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 Blue Skies School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 43 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 15 serious and 28 slight. 12 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 8 on foot, 2 on a bicycle and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise. 15 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 Medway is 25 (the median across 117 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Blue Skies School?
Blue Skies School is at 126 Maidstone Road, Chatham, Kent, ME4 6DQ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)