Kingsbury Academy, Coventry
Kingsbury Academy is a special school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Coventry, part of Thrive Education Partnership. It was rated Requires improvement at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in March 2022. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in December 2024 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Requires improvement (2022)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Kingsbury Academy in detail
Kingsbury Academy in its own words
In its own words: "Kingsbury Academy is situated in Coundon, Coventry. We benefit from a single-storey building situated within over four acres of attractive and well-maintained grounds, including Kingsbury gardens, forest school, an adventure trail and a number of sensory areas. The vast majority of our classrooms have access to their own outdoor area."
From the headteacher's welcome: "I am delighted to extend a warm welcome to our extraordinary learning and reflective community. As the headteacher, I am honoured to lead a dedicated team of professionals who are committed to providing an exceptional education and care for pupils with diverse learning needs."
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 Kingsbury Academy are Sherbourne Fields School (0.3 miles, Outstanding); Waterside School (1.9 miles); Corley Academy (2.7 miles); and Exhall Grange Specialist School (2.8 miles, Good).
Sherbourne Fields SchoolWaterside SchoolCorley AcademyExhall Grange Specialist School
The trust
Kingsbury Academy is one of 7 schools run by Thrive Education Partnership, an academy trust.
What parents say
35 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Kingsbury Academy (as of September 2025): 100% would recommend the school, 100% say their child is happy there and 75% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that they would recommend the school (100%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (75%).
Who goes there
41.9% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 29.5% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (35%), Asian (26%) and Black (18%).
Almost every pupil at Kingsbury Academy has an education, health and care plan (105 of 105 in 2026). The most common need among them is speech, language and communication needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Canley Rail Station, about 1.7 miles away in a straight line.
1 bus stop is within a five-minute walk; the closest is Tarlington Road (before), 350 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 113 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, criminal damage and arson and other theft. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Coventry (253).
Suspensions and exclusions
Kingsbury Academy recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
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; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's December 2024 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Kingsbury Academy excels at creating an environment where every child feels celebrated and supported. The school combines ambitious teaching with deep understanding of each pupil's individual needs, using creative communication strategies to help all learners succeed. Parents consistently report that the school has helped their children shine, and the school actively prepares pupils for the world of work through real workplace experiences.
Key Strengths
- Highly ambitious, carefully designed curriculum that builds knowledge and skills over time with appropriate targets for each pupil
- Strong emphasis on teaching reading with phonics and making books accessible and enjoyable for all learners
- Excellent behaviour management through consistent expectations, explicit teaching, and strong staff-pupil relationships
- Impressive wider personal development opportunities including visits, leadership roles, and workplace experiences
- Effective support for pupils' emotional well-being with staff responding quickly to anxiety and needs
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with the school prioritizing pupil safety and teaching pupils how to communicate when they need help.
Extracurricular Activities
Visits to local parks and theatre, workplace experience such as helping in local supermarket, junior leadership team, playground development projects with occupational therapist
Kingsbury Academy is a special school for pupils with autism and speech, language and communication needs that has made exceptional progress since its previous inspection. The school provides an aspirational environment where pupils thrive and learn exceptionally well.
At a Glance
41.9%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
35 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Latest from Kingsbury Academy
Summer Holidays
17 Jul 2026
Dance for Rights
14 Jul 2026
Year 6 Graduation
9 Jul 2026
Sports Day
6 Jul 2026
Fundraising at Tesco
30 Jun 2026
Forest School: Rosenshine Principles in Action
30 Jun 2026
From Kingsbury Academy's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Keep up with Kingsbury Academy
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Kingsbury Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Kingsbury Academy is in Coventry; for families living there:
Apply to Coventry for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 2
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- 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, 1 serious and 1 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 Coventry is 14 (the median across 130 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
88%
Available places
105 pupils
120 places
15 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Coventry
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Coventry
Across Coventry council
Places available
4,567
Applications
4,348
Got 1st preference
82.1%
Got preferred school
94.6%
All secondary applications across Coventry council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(5)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
105
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
105
Total Pupils
82
Boys
23
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
14
Teachers
7.5:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£54,326
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
7.0%
Overall absence
18.6%
Persistent absence
102
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Linked Schools
Schools linked by geographic proximity
Kingsbury Academy
Questions parents ask about Kingsbury Academy
What are SATs results like at Kingsbury Academy?
Of the pupils at Kingsbury Academy who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 0% reached the expected standard in reading and 0% did so in maths.
What is Kingsbury Academy's Ofsted rating?
Kingsbury Academy's most recent Ofsted inspection, in December 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in March 2022, it was rated Requires Improvement.
What is the catchment area for Kingsbury Academy?
No fixed boundary. When Kingsbury Academy is oversubscribed, Coventry allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Kingsbury Academy?
Kingsbury Academy has around 105 pupils on roll. 42% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Kingsbury Academy?
7% of sessions were missed at Kingsbury Academy in 2024/25. 18.6% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Kingsbury Academy?
Apply through Coventry's coordinated admissions process, naming Kingsbury Academy 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 Kingsbury Academy?
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, 1 serious and 1 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 Coventry is 14 (the median across 130 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Kingsbury Academy?
Kingsbury Academy is at Kingsbury Road, Coventry, West Midlands, CV6 1PJ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)