Great Oaks Small School, Ramsgate
Great Oaks Small School is a special school for pupils aged 11 to 19 in Ramsgate. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in January 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2025)
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Great Oaks Small School in detail
Great Oaks Small School in its own words
In its own words: "We use Maslow's hierarchy of needs as a general guide to nurture growth and drive excellence. This enables us to look at each level to find out what might have been missed or not fully met e.g."
From the headteacher's welcome: "Welcome to Great Oaks Small School -The Small School with a Big Heart. Hello, and a heartfelt welcome to you and your family from me, Julie Kelly. At Great Oaks, we are incredibly proud that Ofsted recognized our commitment to Personal Development, Behaviour and Attitudes with an 'Outstanding' rating in 2025."
Vision and values (school website)Headteacher's welcome (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Great Oaks Small School are Life Skills Manor (0.6 miles, Outstanding); Laleham Gap School (2.9 miles, Outstanding); Small Haven School (2.9 miles, Outstanding); and The Old Priory School (3 miles, Good).
Life Skills ManorLaleham Gap SchoolSmall Haven SchoolThe Old Priory School
What parents say
23 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Great Oaks Small School (as of September 2025): 91% would recommend the school, 100% say their child is happy there and 100% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (100%); the weakest, that the school has high expectations for their child (74%).
Who goes there
Almost every pupil at Great Oaks Small School has an education, health and care plan (40 of 40 in 2026).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Thanet Parkway, about 1.1 miles away in a straight line.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 3 crimes within a mile of the school, most often other theft and anti-social behaviour. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Kent (101).
Sources: 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
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Sixth Form
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
From Ofsted's January 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Great Oaks creates a truly welcoming community where pupils with autism feel comfortable being themselves and regain confidence in learning. The school excels at supporting pupils' wellbeing through expert mental health support, outdoor learning, music and art programmes, and practical work experience. Staff demonstrate exceptional expertise in understanding autism and designing personalised learning that helps pupils work toward their EHC plan targets while also developing into active, valued citizens.
Key Strengths
- Exceptional behaviour and attitudes to learning, with pupils highly motivated and respectful
- Outstanding personal development programme including mental health support, outdoor learning, music and art
- Strong understanding of autism and sensitive, flexible approach that enables full engagement in school life
- Broad, enriching curriculum with personalised study programmes and ambitious qualifications for older pupils
- Extensive leadership opportunities for pupils aligned with their confidence and interests
Areas for Improvement
- Some staff lack expertise in teaching early reading, affecting how quickly pupils catch up
- In some subjects, it is unclear what pupils need to learn at each stage, leading to less precise checks on progress
- Gaps in pupils' knowledge and understanding are not always identified and addressed in all subjects
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective.
Extracurricular Activities
Lunchtime clubs, music lessons and choir, outdoor learning and gardening, school-wide events, beach cleans, work experience
Great Oaks Small School is a specialist school for pupils with autism that provides a welcoming, inclusive environment where pupils learn to value themselves and rediscover a love of learning. The school has been rated as Good overall, with Outstanding ratings for behaviour and personal development.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
23 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Latest from Great Oaks Small School
End of Year Celebrations
14 Jul 2026
Beach Trip
13 Jul 2026
Marshes Talk
8 Jul 2026
Great Oaks Summer Splashdown!
7 Jul 2026
House Rounders
3 Jul 2026
Enterprise Week: From Bean to Box
1 Jul 2026
From Great Oaks Small School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Keep up with Great Oaks Small School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 2
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 2 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 2 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
0 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 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
67%
Available places
40 pupils
60 places
20 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Ramsgate
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Ramsgate
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.
Inspection History(10)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
40
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Great Oaks Small 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
40
Total Pupils
19
Boys
21
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Great Oaks Small School
Questions parents ask about Great Oaks Small School
What are GCSE results like at Great Oaks Small School?
The Department for Education's GCSE measures do not count IGCSEs, which many independent schools take instead of GCSEs, so the Attainment 8 and English and maths figures it publishes for Great Oaks Small School can understate its results. We do not rank or compare them; ask the school for its own GCSE and IGCSE results.
What is Great Oaks Small School's Ofsted rating?
Great Oaks Small School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in January 2025.
Does Great Oaks Small School meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in January 2025, Great Oaks Small School met all the independent school standards.
How many pupils go to Great Oaks Small School?
Great Oaks Small School has around 40 pupils on roll.
Does Great Oaks Small School have specialist SEN provision?
Great Oaks Small School is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
How do I apply to Great Oaks Small School?
Great Oaks Small 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 Great Oaks Small School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 2 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 2 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 0 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 Great Oaks Small School?
Great Oaks Small School is at Jutes Lane, Minster, Ramsgate, Kent, CT12 5FH.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)