St Anthony's School, Margate
St Anthony's School is a special school for pupils aged 7 to 16 in Margate, part of Kent Special Educational Needs Trust (KSENT). It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in July 2015. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in May 2025 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Good (2015)
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
St Anthony's School in detail
St Anthony's School in its own words
In its own words: "Dates for the diary: First Day of Term 1 - Thursday 3rd September 2026 ~ Last Day of Term 2 - Friday 23rd October 2026 (Normal finish time) ~ INSET Days - Monday 2nd & Tuesday 3rd November 2026 (CHILDREN DO NOT ATTEND) ~ First Day of Term 2 - Wednesday 4th November 2026."
From the headteacher's welcome: "At St Anthony’s we pride ourselves on creating a warm, inclusive, and dynamic environment where every student is encouraged to thrive strive and achieve. Our mission is to inspire a love of learning, foster creativity, and nurture the unique talents of each child. We are committed to providing a balanced education that emphasises academic achievement, personal growth, and social responsibility."
Vision and values (school website)Headteacher's welcome (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to St Anthony's School are Life Skills Enterprise (0.4 miles); Parkview Academy (0.7 miles, Requires improvement); Cross Keys Learning (0.8 miles, Good); and Liberty College (1.3 miles, Good).
Life Skills EnterpriseParkview AcademyCross Keys LearningLiberty College
The trust
St Anthony's School is one of 11 schools run by Kent Special Educational Needs Trust (KSENT), an academy trust.
All 11 schools in Kent Special Educational Needs Trust (KSENT)
What parents say
12 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about St Anthony's School (as of September 2025): 67% would recommend the school, 67% say their child is happy there and 33% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that they are kept well informed about progress (83%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (33%).
Where pupils go next
Of the 17 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 88% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 35% to a further education college.
Who goes there
75.5% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 0.9% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
Almost every pupil at St Anthony's School has an education, health and care plan (110 of 110 in 2026). The most common need among them is social, emotional and mental health needs.
St Anthony's School has a resourced provision for autism and social, emotional and mental health needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Margate Rail Station, about 1.6 miles away in a straight line.
14 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Northdown Way (adjacent), 110 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood St Anthony's School stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 318 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.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, St Anthony's School issued 114 suspensions, 105.6 for every 100 pupils, and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: Ofsted Parent View; DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 1 year agoThis judgement is from July 2015, 11 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: Standards have been maintained.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's May 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
St Anthony's excels at helping pupils who struggle with their emotions and behaviour to re-engage with learning. The school has high ambitions for all pupils and provides them with trusted adults who listen to their concerns. With a carefully designed curriculum, strong careers guidance, and enriching activities like forest-school, pupils develop both academic skills and the confidence they need for their future.
Key Strengths
- Strong pastoral support and positive relationships help pupils settle quickly and feel safe
- Well-designed curriculum with individualised phonics programmes that help pupils become confident readers
- Effective careers education and work experience that prepare pupils well for their next steps
- Excellent personal development curriculum including forest-school and beach-school activities
- Skilled behaviour management using rewards system that helps pupils engage well
Areas for Improvement
- Some classroom activities lack sufficient ambition and do not help pupils deepen their understanding - for example, some maths tasks involve practising skills pupils already know
- Attendance remains low and persistent absence is too high despite new improvement processes being put in place
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with staff creating an open and positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Forest-school activities, beach-school activities, work experience, college visits, litter picking, gardening in local area, house captain roles
St Anthony's School is a special school for pupils aged 7-16 with social, emotional and mental health needs that has maintained good standards. The school helps pupils re-engage with education through strong relationships and a bespoke curriculum tailored to individual needs.
At a Glance
75.5%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
Resourced provision: Autism, SEMH
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
12 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2025/26KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with St Anthony's School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St Anthony's School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St Anthony's School is in Kent; for families living there:
Apply to Kent for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 17
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 4
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 17 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 14 slight.
4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 3 in a vehicle or otherwise.
3 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
103%
Over capacity
110 pupils
107 places
3 pupils over capacity
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(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
110
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
St Anthony's School has a resourced provision for autism and social, emotional and mental health needs.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
110
Total Pupils
98
Boys
12
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
19
Teachers
5.8:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£59,380
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
24.8%
Overall absence
61.5%
Persistent absence
109
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
St Anthony's School
Showing 10 of 12 linked schools
Questions parents ask about St Anthony's School
What are GCSE results like at St Anthony's School?
In the 2026 results, pupils at St Anthony's School achieved an Attainment 8 score of 1. 0% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is St Anthony's School's Ofsted rating?
St Anthony's School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in May 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in July 2015, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for St Anthony's School?
No fixed boundary. When St Anthony's School is oversubscribed, Kent allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to St Anthony's School?
St Anthony's School has around 110 pupils on roll. 76% are eligible for free school meals.
Does St Anthony's School have specialist SEN provision?
St Anthony's School has a resourced provision for autism and social, emotional and mental health needs.
What is attendance like at St Anthony's School?
24.8% of sessions were missed at St Anthony's School in 2024/25. 61.5% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Anthony's School?
Apply through Kent's coordinated admissions process, naming St Anthony's 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 St Anthony's School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 17 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 14 slight. 4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 3 in a vehicle or otherwise. 3 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 St Anthony's School?
St Anthony's School is at St Anthony's Way, Margate, Kent, CT9 3RA.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)