Hilden Park, Tonbridge
Hilden Park is a special school for pupils aged 6 to 18 in Tonbridge. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in February 2025. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in June 2025 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2025)
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Hilden Park in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Hilden Park are YMCA West Kent (2.1 miles); Skills for Independence and Employability Ltd (2.3 miles, Outstanding); Nexus Foundation Special School (2.4 miles, Good); and White Rocks Farm College At Rooks Hill Farm (2.7 miles, Good).
YMCA West KentSkills for Independence and Employability LtdNexus Foundation Special SchoolWhite Rocks Farm College At Rooks Hill Farm
What parents say
12 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Hilden Park (as of September 2025): 100% 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 their child is happy at the school (100%).
Who goes there
Almost every pupil at Hilden Park has an education, health and care plan (37 of 37 in 2026).
Hilden Park is approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014, so parents can ask for it to be named in their child's education, health and care (EHC) plan.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Hildenborough Rail Station, about 530 metres away (roughly a 7-minute walk).
2 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Noble Tree Road, 360 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Hilden Park stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 11 crimes within a mile of the school, most often anti-social behaviour, violence and sexual offences and burglary. 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 · 1 year 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 June 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Hilden Park transforms pupils' experiences - many students who previously had negative school experiences now show very positive attitudes and are keen to progress. The school believes in pupils' potential and provides the right support and time for them to achieve, even when they have gaps in previous learning. Pupils feel safe, well cared for, and develop confidence to advocate for themselves and see their place in the wider world.
Key Strengths
- Highly effective and ambitious curriculum that is expertly adapted to meet each pupil's specific needs
- Outstanding personal development programme with strong focus on building trusting relationships and pupil voice
- Well-established 'Futures' careers programme that develops life skills and employability through visiting speakers and real-world experiences
- Extensive enrichment activities including visits, visiting artists, and assemblies covering important topics
- Strong leadership and long-term strategic planning for expansion with well-developed policies and systems already in place
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements were reviewed and found to be effective, though the report was cut off before providing full detail.
Extracurricular Activities
Manga artist visit, farm trip, Bodiam Castle visit, local church service, school council, Team Time assemblies, Futures careers programme
Hilden Park is a special school for pupils with autism or social, emotional and mental health needs. The inspection assessed whether the school is likely to meet independent school standards if it expands to include younger pupils (age 6) and post-16 students (up to age 18).
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
Approved
Section 41
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
12 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with Hilden Park
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 1
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 1 road collision in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 1 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
51%
Available places
37 pupils
72 places
35 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Tonbridge
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Tonbridge
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(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
37
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Hilden Park is approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014, so parents can ask for it to be named in their child's education, health and care (EHC) plan.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
No need-level breakdown available
Pupil Demographics
Key Indicators
37
Total Pupils
29
Boys
8
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Questions parents ask about Hilden Park
What is Hilden Park's Ofsted rating?
Hilden Park's most recent Ofsted inspection, in June 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in February 2025, it was rated Outstanding.
Does Hilden Park meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in February 2025, Hilden Park met all the independent school standards.
How many pupils go to Hilden Park?
Hilden Park has around 37 pupils on roll.
Does Hilden Park have specialist SEN provision?
Hilden Park is approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014, so parents can ask for it to be named in their child's education, health and care (EHC) plan.
How do I apply to Hilden Park?
Hilden Park 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 Hilden Park?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 1 road collision in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 1 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 Hilden Park?
Hilden Park is at Noble Tree Road, Hildenborough, Tonbridge, Kent, TN11 8ND.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)