KITE College, Sittingbourne
KITE College is a special school for pupils aged 16 to 25 in Sittingbourne.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
KITE College in detail
KITE College in its own words
In its own words: "KITE is a warm, happy, welcoming College. We pride ourselves on the relationships our staff have with learners. We are able to offer exceptional pastoral care. The ‘family like’ approach to education encourages self-esteem and Wellbeing. We hope to help build lifelong friendships and shape positive futures for the young people we serve."
The school runs a breakfast club.
Coming up: an open day on Wednesday 11 November 2026 and an open day on Tuesday 16 March 2027. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.
Vision and values (school website)Wraparound care (school website)Open days on the school's site (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to KITE College are Meadowfield School (0.9 miles, Outstanding); ALP Sittingbourne (1.1 miles, Good); Aspire School (1.5 miles, Requires improvement); and Craftworks (2.3 miles, Good).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Sittingbourne Rail Station, about 1000 metres away (roughly a 12-minute walk).
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood KITE College stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 374 crimes within a mile of the school, most often anti-social behaviour, violence and sexual offences and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Kent (101), as is usual near a town centre.
Sources: 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
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's January 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
KITE College excels at tailoring learning programmes to match each learner's individual needs and career goals while building their confidence and independence. Staff create trusting relationships that help learners become resilient and participate fully in learning. The college effectively integrates specialist therapies and works with local businesses and community organisations to give learners real work experience and practical skills.
Key Strengths
- Staff create calm, purposeful learning environments and work skillfully with learners to help them overcome challenges and participate fully
- Learning programmes are closely tailored to learners' individual abilities, needs and career aspirations
- College integrates specialist therapies (speech and language, occupational therapy, counselling) seamlessly into learning programmes to build communication and confidence
- Staff develop strong, positive relationships based on trust that encourage learners to be resilient and learn from mistakes
- Leaders use high needs funding carefully and work with external partners to provide real work experience and apply learning in real-life situations
Areas for Improvement
- Progress tracking systems have been introduced but are not yet applied consistently across all curriculum areas, which limits opportunities to recognise learner success and identify additional support needs
- Recent additions of English and mathematics qualifications are too new to assess effectiveness
- Teaching about radicalisation and extremism is in place but learners do not always recall what they have been taught
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective - trained staff use a risk-based approach to identify and support learners who need help, work with external agencies, record concerns diligently, and ensure all staff are safe to work with learners.
Extracurricular Activities
Work experience placements, catering and maintenance services in community venues, business organisation visits
KITE College is an independent specialist college in Sittingbourne, Kent that opened in September 2021, serving 106 learners with special educational needs and disabilities through employability and vocational pathways in areas such as motor vehicle, construction, and hair and beauty.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with KITE College
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to KITE College from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. KITE College is in Kent; for families living there:
Apply to Kent for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 11
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 11 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 10 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
3 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
Area Demand Pressure - Sittingbourne
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Sittingbourne
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
Special educational needs provision
KITE College is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
Source: Get Information about Schools (GIAS), Department for Education.
Questions parents ask about KITE College
What is the catchment area for KITE College?
No fixed boundary. When KITE College is oversubscribed, Kent allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Does KITE College have specialist SEN provision?
KITE College is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
How do I apply to KITE College?
Apply through Kent's coordinated admissions process, naming KITE College 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 KITE College?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 11 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 10 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 3 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 KITE College?
KITE College is at Unit 1 Eurolink Business Park, Bonham Drive, Sittingbourne, Kent, ME10 3RY.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)