Spring School, Kingston upon Thames

Ofsted's report card from its 16 June 2026 inspection grades Spring School on 6 areas: 6 expected standard. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Achievement - Expected standard. "Pupils generally achieve well from their starting points, particularly those who are disadvantaged."

Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "Leaders have an accurate understanding of attendance patterns and take a pupil-centred approach to improving attendance."

Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "Leaders have carefully designed the curriculum to help pupils prepare for adult life."

Inclusion - Expected standard. "Leaders are clear that their priority is to provide an inclusive school where pupils can learn and develop the skills they need for later life."

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Leaders have a secure understanding of the school's context and encourage an open culture of reflection and improvement."

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "Leaders have designed a broad, personal development curriculum that pupils generally understand well."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should strengthen the academic curriculum by identifying and sequencing the key knowledge and skills pupils need to learn in each subject, ensuring that learning builds progressively over time and prepares older pupils for appropriate qualifications"; "Leaders should ensure that teachers consistently adapt learning and use effective questioning to deepen pupils' understanding, promote greater independence and maintain high expectations of what all pupils can achieve".

In its own words: "Spring School is a special school dedicated to educating autistic pupils aged 4-19, that opened in September 2023. Construction is underway on Spring School, which will open on the site of the Moor Lane Centre in Chessington, Kingston. There will be places for up to 36 pupils in the first academic year."

The nearest other special schools to Spring School are Bedelsford School (0.7 miles, Outstanding); Berrylands School (0.8 miles); Canbury School (1 mile); and Dysart School (1.8 miles, Outstanding).

Spring School is one of 2 schools run by Ambitious About Autism Schools Trust, an academy trust.

36.4% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 7.3% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are White British (73%), Mixed (9%) and other ethnic groups (7%).

Almost every pupil at Spring School has an education, health and care plan (55 of 55 in 2026). The most common need among them is autism.

The nearest railway station is Norbiton, about 320 metres away (roughly a 4-minute walk).

13 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Gordon Road (KT2), 40 metres away.

In August 2026, police recorded 699 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 Kingston upon Thames (240), as is usual near a town centre.

In 2024/25, Spring School issued 9 suspensions, 18.4 for every 100 pupils, and no permanent exclusions.