Life Skills Enterprise, Margate
Life Skills Enterprise is a special school for pupils aged 10 to 18 in Margate.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Life Skills Enterprise in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Life Skills Enterprise are St Anthony's School (0.4 miles, Good); Cross Keys Learning (0.6 miles, Good); Parkview Academy (1 mile, Requires improvement); and Stone Bay School (1.5 miles, Good).
St Anthony's SchoolCross Keys LearningParkview AcademyStone Bay School
Who goes there
Almost every pupil at Life Skills Enterprise has an education, health and care plan (17 of 17 in 2026).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Broadstairs Rail Station, about 1.5 miles away in a straight line.
6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Friends Corner (adjacent), 70 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 212 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and other theft. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Kent (101), 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 · 1 year agoOverall
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's July 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Life Skills Enterprise creates a nurturing environment specifically designed for young people with autism who have had disrupted education. The school combines academic subjects with practical life skills and careers preparation, helping pupils build independence, resilience and self-esteem. With its well-resourced library, outdoor learning space and strong community links, the school aims to prepare pupils for meaningful next steps in learning and adult life.
Key Strengths
- Strong focus on building trusting relationships and providing a nurturing environment for pupils who have experienced disruption to their education
- Well-resourced library at the heart of the school with carefully selected books and a strong phonics programme
- Ambitious curriculum combining formal subjects with life skills, careers guidance, and nationally accredited qualifications like GCSEs and BTEC
- Comprehensive personal, social and health education programme covering relationships, sex education and health
- Active community involvement including Duke of Edinburgh's Award, gardening projects, and local charity partnerships
Areas for Improvement
- Safeguarding procedures were not likely to be met at a previous inspection but have now been strengthened
- Health and safety standards were previously not likely to be met but have now been addressed
Safeguarding
Safeguarding is now likely to be effective - the school has strengthened procedures, appointed a knowledgeable designated safeguarding lead, implemented a centralised online system to record concerns, and plans comprehensive staff training.
Extracurricular Activities
Duke of Edinburgh's Award, gardening projects, school council and prefect roles, outdoor learning in the secret jungle, local community visits (library, shops), local charity support, careers workshops
Life Skills Enterprise is a new special school designed for pupils with autism and an education, health and care plan, aiming to prepare students for the next steps in learning and adult life through a combination of formal curriculum and life skills 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 Life Skills Enterprise
Getting There
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 11
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 2
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, 3 serious and 8 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
2 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
26%
Available places
17 pupils
66 places
49 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Margate
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Margate
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
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
17
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Life Skills Enterprise 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
17
Total Pupils
11
Boys
6
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Life Skills Enterprise
Showing 10 of 13 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Life Skills Enterprise
How many pupils go to Life Skills Enterprise?
Life Skills Enterprise has around 17 pupils on roll.
Does Life Skills Enterprise have specialist SEN provision?
Life Skills Enterprise is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
How do I apply to Life Skills Enterprise?
Life Skills Enterprise 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 Life Skills Enterprise?
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, 3 serious and 8 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 2 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 Life Skills Enterprise?
Life Skills Enterprise is at Northdown House, Northdown Park Road, Margate, Kent, CT9 3TP.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)