Kingfisher School, Abingdon
Kingfisher School is a special school for pupils aged 2 to 19 in Abingdon, part of The Propeller Academy Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in November 2014. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in June 2024 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Good (2014)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Kingfisher School in detail
Kingfisher School in its own words
In its own words: "Kingfisher-a place where everyone is valued to develop independence through an enriching curriculum which is worthwhile"
Vision and values (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Kingfisher School are The Unicorn School (1.3 miles); Orion Academy (3.9 miles, Requires improvement); The Iffley Academy (4.1 miles, Outstanding); and Oxfordshire Hospital School (4.4 miles, Outstanding).
The Unicorn SchoolOrion AcademyThe Iffley AcademyOxfordshire Hospital School
The trust
Kingfisher School is one of 6 schools run by The Propeller Academy Trust, an academy trust.
Where pupils go next
Of the 10 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 100% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 30% to a further education college.
Who goes there
27.4% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 15.9% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
Almost every pupil at Kingfisher School has an education, health and care plan (113 of 113 in 2026). The most common need among them is autism.
Kingfisher School has a resourced provision for specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, visual impairment, other difficulties or disabilities, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability, moderate learning difficulties, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Radley Rail Station, about 1.4 miles away in a straight line.
12 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Norman Avenue (opposite), 110 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Kingfisher School 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 112 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and criminal damage and arson. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Oxfordshire (52), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
Kingfisher School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Sources: DfE destination measures; 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 agoThis judgement is from November 2014, 11 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good.
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
Kingfisher School is a special community. Those who work in the school are well trained to support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff show enormous care and kindness to every pupil. This means that pupils love coming to school because they feel happy and safe. Parents are very positive about their child's experiences. One parent echoed the sentiments of others, saying, 'You walk down the corridor and look in the classes and all have a smile on their faces. The teachers go above and beyond with the children. I am so lucky to have found a school where my SEN child is happy, relaxed and improving every single day.'
The school has high expectations and is ambitious for what pupils can achieve. The primary aim is to develop effective communication. The school ensures that pupils are able to use a variety of resources and strategies so they can express their thoughts and wishes. Staff know their pupils well, and they give them the time and space to be as independent as possible. Pupils have all the help they need to manage their feelings and emotions. As a result, behaviour across the school is calm and purposeful.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
The curriculum is ambitious and well planned to support pupils' learning. Different learning pathways enable pupils to learn in a way that best suits their needs. For example, one pathway is for those with speech, language and communication needs. Across the curriculum, subject knowledge is broken down into small, well-sequenced steps. Students in the sixth form study a varied curriculum that gives them opportunities to work towards a range of qualifications. Subject leadership in many subjects is strong, although in a few subjects this is still developing. This impacts on the school's oversight of pupils' learning in these subjects.
Staff support pupils well to engage in their learning. They work with a range of specialists, including speech and language therapists and occupational therapists, to plan each pupil's targets. They ensure that pupils have many opportunities to develop their knowledge, skills and understanding. Checks of what pupils know and remember in many subjects are effective. This enables staff to move pupils on to the next step in their learning. However, the school recognises that, for some subjects, this is not yet fully in place.
From Ofsted's June 2024 ungraded inspection report: the opening paragraphs of each section, quoted word for word. Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its November 2014 inspection - up from Requires Improvement.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
27.4%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
Resourced provision: SpLD, Vision, Other +8
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
2024/25 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with Kingfisher School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Kingfisher School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Kingfisher School is in Oxfordshire; for families living there:
- Oxfordshire's school travel policy: Free home to school travel assistance
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 5
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 5 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 4 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 Oxfordshire is 5 (the median across 369 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
103%
Over capacity
113 pupils
110 places
3 pupils over capacity
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Abingdon
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Abingdon
Across Oxfordshire council
Places available
7,654
Applications
6,814
Got 1st preference
85.4%
Got preferred school
96.3%
All secondary applications across Oxfordshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
113
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Kingfisher School has a resourced provision for specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, visual impairment, other difficulties or disabilities, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability, moderate learning difficulties, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
113
Total Pupils
78
Boys
35
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
16
Teachers
7.1:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£54,266
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
8.8%
Overall absence
30.2%
Persistent absence
96
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Questions parents ask about Kingfisher School
What are SATs results like at Kingfisher School?
Of the pupils at Kingfisher School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 0% reached the expected standard in reading and 0% did so in maths.
What is Kingfisher School's Ofsted rating?
Kingfisher School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in June 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in November 2014, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Kingfisher School?
No fixed boundary. When Kingfisher School is oversubscribed, Oxfordshire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Kingfisher School?
Kingfisher School has around 113 pupils on roll. 27% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Kingfisher School have specialist SEN provision?
Kingfisher School has a resourced provision for specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, visual impairment, other difficulties or disabilities, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability, moderate learning difficulties, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties.
What is attendance like at Kingfisher School?
8.8% of sessions were missed at Kingfisher School in 2024/25. 30.2% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Kingfisher School?
Apply through Oxfordshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Kingfisher School on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
How many road collisions happen near Kingfisher School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 5 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 4 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 Oxfordshire is 5 (the median across 369 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Kingfisher School?
Kingfisher School is at Radley Road, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, OX14 3RR.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)