Learning Opportunities Centre Secondary, Deal
Learning Opportunities Centre Secondary is a special school for pupils aged 10 to 19 in Deal. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in September 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2025)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Learning Opportunities Centre Secondary in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Learning Opportunities Centre Secondary are Ripplevale School (1.1 miles); Portal House School (2.2 miles, Good); Brewood Secondary School (2.6 miles, Good); and The Sallygate School (5.2 miles, Good).
Ripplevale SchoolPortal House SchoolBrewood Secondary SchoolThe Sallygate School
Who goes there
Almost every pupil at Learning Opportunities Centre Secondary has an education, health and care plan (31 of 31 in 2026).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Walmer Rail Station, about 1.3 miles away in a straight line.
4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is The Five Bells (adjacent), 50 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 9 crimes within a mile of the school, most often anti-social behaviour, violence and sexual offences and burglary. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Kent (101).
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 · 1 year agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Safeguarding: effective
Independent school standards
Met all the independent school standards.
- Part 1: quality of educationMet
- Part 2: pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural developmentMet
- Part 3: welfare, health and safetyMet
- Part 4: suitability of staff and proprietorsMet
- Part 5: premises and accommodationMet
- Part 6: information for parentsMet
- Part 7: handling of complaintsMet
- Part 8: leadership and managementMet
Source: Ofsted, non-association independent schools inspections and outcomes (Open Government Licence)
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's September 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
This school excels at helping pupils who have had difficult experiences in education find their confidence again. Staff build strong, respectful relationships and provide individualised support that helps pupils grow personally and academically. The school successfully prepares pupils for their next steps, with most achieving qualifications and moving on to further education or college.
Key Strengths
- Creates a calm, welcoming atmosphere where pupils feel safe and develop strong confidence and relationships with staff
- Highly successful at re-engaging pupils with reading and learning after negative past educational experiences
- Outstanding behaviour and personal development outcomes, with staff providing sensitive and skilled support for pupils to manage their emotions
- Broad curriculum with nationally accredited qualifications including GCSEs in English, science and mathematics
- Excellent outdoor education programme and enrichment activities that support pupils' personal growth
Areas for Improvement
- Teaching of reading is inconsistent across the school, meaning some pupils' reading does not develop as quickly as it could
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with strong systems in place to keep pupils safe in a well-ordered environment.
Extracurricular Activities
School council, Remembrance Day commemorations, outdoor education programme, careers fairs
Learning Opportunities Centre Secondary is an independent special school that provides education for pupils aged 10-19 with social, emotional and mental health needs, autism spectrum disorder, and moderate learning difficulties. The school has been rated as Good overall, with Outstanding ratings for behaviour and attitudes and personal development.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with Learning Opportunities Centre Secondary
Getting There
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 7
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 7 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 2 serious and 4 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was 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 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
School Occupancy
86%
Available places
31 pupils
36 places
5 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Deal
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Deal
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(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
31
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Learning Opportunities Centre Secondary 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
31
Total Pupils
20
Boys
11
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Learning Opportunities Centre Secondary
Questions parents ask about Learning Opportunities Centre Secondary
What are GCSE results like at Learning Opportunities Centre Secondary?
The Department for Education's GCSE measures do not count IGCSEs, which many independent schools take instead of GCSEs, so the Attainment 8 and English and maths figures it publishes for Learning Opportunities Centre Secondary can understate its results. We do not rank or compare them; ask the school for its own GCSE and IGCSE results.
What is Learning Opportunities Centre Secondary's Ofsted rating?
Learning Opportunities Centre Secondary was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in September 2025.
Does Learning Opportunities Centre Secondary meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in September 2025, Learning Opportunities Centre Secondary met all the independent school standards.
How many pupils go to Learning Opportunities Centre Secondary?
Learning Opportunities Centre Secondary has around 31 pupils on roll.
Does Learning Opportunities Centre Secondary have specialist SEN provision?
Learning Opportunities Centre Secondary is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
How do I apply to Learning Opportunities Centre Secondary?
Learning Opportunities Centre Secondary 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 Learning Opportunities Centre Secondary?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 7 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 2 serious and 4 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was 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 Kent is 11 (the median across 711 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Learning Opportunities Centre Secondary?
Learning Opportunities Centre Secondary is at Ringwould Road, Ringwould, Deal, Kent, CT14 8DW.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)