Kite Ridge School, High Wycombe
Kite Ridge School is a pru school for pupils aged 11 to 19 in High Wycombe. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in March 2014. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in March 2025 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Good (2014)
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Kite Ridge School in detail
Kite Ridge School in its own words
In its own words: "Kite Ridge School is a maintained school offering long term placements for pupils from across Buckinghamshire. The school admits secondary school age children with significantly challenging behaviour and a secondary need of severe learning difficulties and autistic spectrum disorder."
Vision and values (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Who goes there
50% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 30% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (50%), Asian (10%) and Mixed (10%).
Almost every pupil at Kite Ridge School has an education, health and care plan (10 of 10 in 2026). The most common need among them is autism.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is High Wycombe Rail Station, about 1.4 miles away in a straight line.
14 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Verney Avenue (adjacent), 240 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 210 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 Buckinghamshire (44), as is usual near a town centre.
Sources: 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 · 2 years agoThis judgement is from March 2014, 12 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's March 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Kite Ridge School excels at transforming outcomes for pupils with complex needs who have struggled elsewhere. Staff build trusting relationships that help pupils develop the capacity to work with others and manage social situations. The school's personalised approach to learning, combined with specialist behaviour support and thorough preparation for adult life, means pupils achieve well and leave equipped for their next stage.
Key Strengths
- Highly personalised curriculum tailored to each pupil's specific needs and abilities - from formal academics to therapeutic support
- Calm, nurturing culture where pupils learn self-regulation strategies and form positive relationships with staff
- Strong preparation for adulthood programme with community visits, life skills training, and clear transitions planning
- Effective behaviour support plans that identify signs of distress early and provide sensitive, timely intervention
- Staff are motivated, well-supported and receive good training from school leaders
Areas for Improvement
- Some newer curriculum areas lack complete staff training, meaning not all learning mentors have secure understanding of formal curriculum components
- Administrative oversight of school systems and procedures needs to be stronger - some policies require review
- Safeguarding record-keeping needs improvement to ensure clear chronology of incidents, concerns, actions and outcomes
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with timely action taken to keep pupils safe, though record-keeping systems need sharpening to meet legislative requirements.
Extracurricular Activities
Community visits, shopping trips, self-care skills development
Kite Ridge School is a specialist pupil referral unit for students aged 11-19 with complex special educational needs who have been excluded from other schools. The school provides personalised, ambitious curricula and creates a calm, nurturing environment where pupils build positive relationships and achieve well.
At a Glance
50.0%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Social & online
Keep up with Kite Ridge School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Kite Ridge School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Kite Ridge School is in Buckinghamshire; for families living there:
- Buckinghamshire's school travel policy: Home to School Transport Policy (0 to 25 Year Olds)
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 23
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 8
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 23 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 3 serious and 19 slight.
8 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot and 4 in a vehicle or otherwise.
6 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 Buckinghamshire is 4 (the median across 274 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
100%
Full
10 pupils
10 places
No spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - High Wycombe
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for High Wycombe
Across Buckinghamshire council
Places available
6,847
Applications
6,535
Got 1st preference
76.7%
Got preferred school
93.9%
All secondary applications across Buckinghamshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(4)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
10
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
10
Total Pupils
6
Boys
4
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
4
Teachers
2.5:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£65,743
Mean salary
2026 data
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Kite Ridge School
Questions parents ask about Kite Ridge School
What is Kite Ridge School's Ofsted rating?
Kite Ridge School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in March 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in March 2014, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Kite Ridge School?
No fixed boundary. When Kite Ridge School is oversubscribed, Buckinghamshire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Kite Ridge School?
Kite Ridge School has around 10 pupils on roll. 50% are eligible for free school meals.
How do I apply to Kite Ridge School?
Apply through Buckinghamshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Kite Ridge 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 Kite Ridge School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 23 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 3 serious and 19 slight. 8 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot and 4 in a vehicle or otherwise. 6 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 Buckinghamshire is 4 (the median across 274 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Kite Ridge School?
Kite Ridge School is at Verney Avenue, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, HP12 3NE.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)