Newingate School, Canterbury
Newingate School is a special school for pupils aged 11 to 18 in Canterbury. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in April 2024.
- Ofsted
- Good (2024)
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Newingate School in detail
Newingate School in its own words
In its own words: "Our culture and ethos centres on creating a positive, supportive and inclusive culture where every student can thrive. The school’s core values aren’t just token statements - they are lived through the behaviour of the community, encouraged in students’ own learning, and reinforced through the curriculum and opportunities offered."
Vision and values (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Newingate School are St Nicholas' School (0.5 miles, Good); The Orchard School (0.6 miles, Good); Haven Nook (0.7 miles, Good); and Hawthorn (1.5 miles, Requires improvement).
Who goes there
Almost every pupil at Newingate School has an education, health and care plan (35 of 35 in 2026).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Canterbury East Rail Station, about 990 metres away (roughly a 12-minute walk).
9 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Cowdrey Place (adjacent), 210 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Newingate School stands in is among the 10% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 519 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and criminal damage and arson. 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 · 3 years 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's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
'Truly amazing' is how one parent and carer summed up Newingate School. Another, referring to staff, said, 'They go above and beyond.' Pupils typically join the school after a turbulent period of education. Some have not attended school for a prolonged period. Pupils are proud of their school. They feel happy and safe. As a result, most attend well. Staff effectively support pupils who struggle to attend.
Staff warmly welcome pupils and get to know them as individuals. Staff have high expectations for what pupils will achieve. Pupils meet these expectations consistently. The values of 'acceptance, safety and kindness' are actively promoted. Staff have a strong understanding of pupils' individual learning and social, emotional and mental health needs. Staff provide bespoke support that meets these needs. The work of the therapy team has a positive impact. Pupils generally behave well. Staff use highly personalised strategies to support pupils' behaviour.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
The school welcomed its first pupils in September 2023. Very quickly, staff have ensured that pupils receive a good quality of education. This is not solely focused on academic outcomes, but also the wider communication, social and emotional needs that are detailed in pupils' education, health and care plans. Classes are small and supported well by teachers and support staff. A relatively new therapy team has begun to provide therapies that are already having a positive impact on pupils.
Pupils benefit from learning a broad range of subjects that have been well thought through to ensure pupils make as much progress as possible. The curriculum matches the requirements of the national curriculum. Staff have identified ambitious and challenging content they want pupils to learn in each subject. Importantly, there is no one-size-fits-all approach. Staff adapt the curriculum effectively so that it is tailored to meet pupils' individual learning needs. As a result, pupils increase their knowledge and understanding across several subjects and are ready for the next stage of their education.
From Ofsted's April 2024 inspection report: the opening paragraphs of each section, quoted word for word. Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its April 2024 inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Personal development.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Leadership & management.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Latest from Newingate School
Wishing all our mothers a very Happy Mother's Day
1 Sep 2026
World Book Day
1 Sep 2026
Wye Community Farm
1 Sep 2026
We have some exciting news!
31 Mar 2026
From Newingate School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Keep up with Newingate School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 28
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 7
- Children hurt
- 3
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 28 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 7 serious and 21 slight.
3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
7 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
70%
Available places
35 pupils
50 places
15 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Canterbury
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Canterbury
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(2)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
35
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Newingate School 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
35
Total Pupils
24
Boys
11
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Questions parents ask about Newingate School
What are GCSE results like at Newingate School?
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 Newingate School can understate its results. We do not rank or compare them; ask the school for its own GCSE and IGCSE results.
What is Newingate School's Ofsted rating?
Newingate School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in April 2024.
Does Newingate School meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in April 2024, Newingate School met all the independent school standards.
How many pupils go to Newingate School?
Newingate School has around 35 pupils on roll.
Does Newingate School have specialist SEN provision?
Newingate School is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
How do I apply to Newingate School?
Newingate School 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 Newingate School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 28 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 7 serious and 21 slight. 3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 7 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 Newingate School?
Newingate School is at 48 New Dover Road, Canterbury, Kent, CT1 3DT.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)