Greenfields School, Ashford
Greenfields School is a special school for pupils aged 5 to 18 in Ashford. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in December 2024.
- Ofsted
- Good (2024)
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Greenfields School in detail
Greenfields School in its own words
In its own words: "We are Childhood First, a charity for severely traumatised children. We provide specialist 24/7 treatment and therapeutic education for children with complex psychological, emotional and behavioural needs. We have five residential children’s homes and a school. All our work is founded on our comprehensive therapeutic approach named Integrated Systemic Therapy (iST)."
Vision and values (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Who goes there
In 2026, 3 pupils (16.7%) received SEN support and 15 (83.3%) had an education, health and care plan.
Getting there
The nearest tram or metro stop is Tenterden Town Rail Station (KESR), about 2.3 miles away in a straight line.
2 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Woodlands Park (adjacent), 50 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 3 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences and vehicle crime. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Kent (101).
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 · 2 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
From Ofsted's December 2024 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Greenfields excels at helping pupils who have had difficult experiences in education regain their love of learning in a warm, supportive environment. Staff have exceptional understanding of emotional and mental health needs, using expert strategies to help pupils overcome challenges and build confidence. The school combines this therapeutic approach with an ambitious, personalised curriculum that prepares pupils well for their next stage of education.
Key Strengths
- Expert support for pupils' emotional and mental health needs with highly effective calming strategies
- Personalised curriculum tailored to each pupil's abilities and EHC plan targets
- Strong focus on reading with pupils becoming confident, fluent readers despite previous negative experiences
- Rich personal development programme teaching pupils about democracy, equality, and life in modern Britain
- Kind, trusting relationships between staff and pupils with high expectations of achievement
Areas for Improvement
- In some foundation subjects, teachers sometimes focus on helping pupils complete activities rather than checking what pupils actually know and understand, which limits learning
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with robust systems in place.
Extracurricular Activities
Cooking club, macrame club, coding club, musical instruments, winter musical production (At the West End Musical), park walks to learn about local habitats, planting flowers and making bug hotels
Greenfields School is an independent special school for pupils aged 5-18 with social, emotional and mental health needs. The school provides a nurturing, therapeutic environment where pupils who have struggled in other settings experience restored confidence and academic progress.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 1 nearby school
Keep up with Greenfields School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 6
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 6 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 1 serious and 4 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
1 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
78%
Available places
18 pupils
23 places
5 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Ashford
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Ashford
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(8)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
3
SEN Support
15
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Greenfields 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
18
Total Pupils
8
Boys
10
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Greenfields School
Questions parents ask about Greenfields School
What is Greenfields School's Ofsted rating?
Greenfields School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in December 2024.
Does Greenfields School meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in December 2024, Greenfields School met all the independent school standards.
How many pupils go to Greenfields School?
Greenfields School has around 18 pupils on roll.
Does Greenfields School have specialist SEN provision?
Greenfields School is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
How do I apply to Greenfields School?
Greenfields 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 Greenfields School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 6 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 1 serious and 4 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 1 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 Greenfields School?
Greenfields School is at Tenterden Road, Biddenden, Ashford, Kent, TN27 8BE.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)