Kingfisher School, Weymouth
Kingfisher School is a special school for pupils aged 6 to 16 in Weymouth. Its most recent Ofsted inspection, in February 2026, ended in a report card: 2 strong standard and 4 expected standard.
- Ofsted report card
- 2 of 6 areas strong or better
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Kingfisher School in detail
What Ofsted's report card says
Ofsted's report card from its 24 February 2026 inspection grades Kingfisher School on 6 areas: 2 strong standard and 4 expected standard. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.
Inclusion - Strong standard. "The school seeks to get to know pupils and understand their needs as soon as pupils have a place at the school."
Personal development and wellbeing - Strong standard. "The school is rigorous in its work to prepare pupils well for the future."
Achievement - Expected standard. "When pupils join the school, staff take time to find out what pupils know and can do."
Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "Pupils enjoy coming to school, and most attend well compared to their attendance prior to joining the school."
Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "The school has designed a broad and well-sequenced curriculum across the full age range."
Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Leaders are clear in their priorities and plans for school improvement."
Safeguarding standards were met.
Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should ensure that the school's approach to teaching reading more precisely focuses on new knowledge that pupils need to read more fluently"; "Leaders should ensure that pupils in the secondary age range benefit from more explicit opportunities to practise handwriting and number fluency, so that pupils strengthen these aspects of foundational knowledge across the wider curriculum".
Read the full report card on Ofsted's site (school website)
Source: Ofsted report card (Open Government Licence), quoted
Kingfisher School in its own words
In its own words: "Kingfisher School is a Special Educational Needs school which is located in Weymouth. We support learners aged 9 years to 16 years, with a wide range of Social, Emotional and Mental Health needs, and Autism."
Vision and values (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Kingfisher School are Arbour House School (0.7 miles, Outstanding); Wyvern Academy (1.9 miles, Good); and Westfield Arts College (2.6 miles, Outstanding).
What parents say
13 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Kingfisher School (as of April 2026): 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 Kingfisher School has an education, health and care plan (21 of 21 in 2026).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Weymouth Rail Station, about 990 metres away (roughly a 12-minute walk).
13 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Short Road (s-bound), 190 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 439 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 Dorset (25), as is usual near a town centre.
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 · 8 months agoReport card - no single overall grade (Ofsted's framework since November 2025)
Safeguarding standards met
- InclusionStrong standard
- Personal development and wellbeingStrong standard
- AchievementExpected standard
- Attendance and behaviourExpected standard
- Curriculum and teachingExpected standard
- Leadership and governanceExpected standard
Ofsted's report card, in its own words
What it's like to be a pupil at Kingfisher School
Pupils often join the school at different times of the year. When pupils arrive at the school, they experience an established and caring environment. Through a carefully planned admission process, the school gets to know pupils very well. It understands and meets the needs of the pupils effectively. High expectations and well-defined routines, along with trusting relationships with staff, mean pupils successfully integrate into their new school. Staff help pupils to manage their feelings. Pupils learn that people have differences. They are respectful of one another. If there are any unkind behaviours, staff help pupils to resolve and understand them. Pupils learn a broad range of subjects. Classrooms are calm and routines are well set. In their small classes, staff quickly help pupils with skilful adaptations so they are well supported. This helps pupils to prosper. Pupils are well cared for. They unanimously share their view that the school is a happy and calm place. Staff help them to feel safe and to belong. Pupils attend well. As a result, many pupils attend better than they did to previous settings. The school nurtures strong relationships with parents and carers. It takes pride in its work to be a ‘family' school, which parents appreciate. One parent called the school a ‘lighthouse' for families. Pupils benefit from well-established personal development opportunities. They plan and prepare food parcels for the local food bank or collect litter on the beach. They learn skills to help them interact with and contribute to the local community. Through these opportunities, pupils continually learn skills and build resilience that prepare them well for their next steps.
What Ofsted says the school should do next
- Leaders should ensure that the school's approach to teaching reading more precisely focuses on new knowledge that pupils need to read more fluently.
- Leaders should ensure that pupils in the secondary age range benefit from more explicit opportunities to practise handwriting and number fluency, so that pupils strengthen these aspects of foundational knowledge across the wider curriculum.
From Ofsted's report card (inspection 24 February 2026). Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's February 2026 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Kingfisher School excels at making every pupil feel valued, safe and part of a caring community. Staff know pupils exceptionally well and provide personalised support to help them thrive both academically and emotionally. The school prepares pupils brilliantly for the future through a comprehensive curriculum that builds life skills, resilience and understanding of the wider world, with many parents describing it as a 'lighthouse' for their families.
Key Strengths
- Excellent pastoral care and inclusion support - staff know pupils very well and provide tailored learning plans with bespoke strategies
- Strong personal development and life skills curriculum, including early careers education from Year 5 and real community experiences
- High-quality staff training and professional development that continuously develops expertise to meet diverse pupil needs
- Calm, structured school environment with clear routines that help pupils feel safe and supported
- Very effective partnerships with families and external professionals
Areas for Improvement
- Reading teaching approach lacks precision - some pupils relearn content they already know well
- Secondary pupils need more explicit opportunities to practise handwriting and number fluency across the wider curriculum
- Learning needs to be more carefully matched to what pupils already know to ensure they secure content and practise essential skills
Safeguarding
Safeguarding standards are met - leaders have established an open culture where safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and pupils feel safe.
Extracurricular Activities
Food bank preparation, beach litter collection, community transport practice, student council
Kingfisher School is a welcoming, caring independent school that successfully supports pupils' academic and personal development. The school creates a calm, structured environment where pupils feel safe, valued and happy.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
13 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at April 2026 - % who strongly agree or agree
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 3 nearby schools
Latest from Kingfisher School
Kingfisher School Goes for Gold with School Games Mark Award
2 Sep 2026
Melrose Education strengthens wellbeing support for learners, families and colleagues
16 Jul 2026
Kingfisher School Enjoys Memorable Whole School Trip to Paultons Park
21 May 2026
Year 8 Embarks on a Journey of Reflection at Bournemouth Tibetan Buddhist Centre
30 Apr 2026
Kingfisher School celebrates strong first inspection outcome
24 Feb 2026
Year 7 Learners Explore History on a Trip to Corfe Castle
12 Feb 2026
From Kingfisher School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with Kingfisher School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 17
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 4
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 17 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 13 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 Dorset is 3 (the median across 184 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
21 pupils
50 places
29 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Weymouth
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Weymouth
Across Dorset council
Places available
2,797
Applications
2,105
Got 1st preference
97.9%
Got preferred school
99.0%
All secondary applications across Dorset council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(2)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
21
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Kingfisher 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
21
Total Pupils
17
Boys
4
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Questions parents ask about Kingfisher School
How many pupils go to Kingfisher School?
Kingfisher School has around 21 pupils on roll.
Does Kingfisher School have specialist SEN provision?
Kingfisher School is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
How do I apply to Kingfisher School?
Kingfisher 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 Kingfisher School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 17 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 13 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 Dorset is 3 (the median across 184 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Kingfisher School?
Kingfisher School is at Trimar House, Cromwell Road, Weymouth, DT4 0JH.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)