SupaJam Education In Music and Media, Swanley
SupaJam Education In Music and Media is a special school for pupils aged 16 to 25 in Swanley. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in March 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2025)
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
SupaJam Education In Music and Media in detail
SupaJam Education In Music and Media in its own words
In its own words: "At SupaJam we have developed our careers and student progression programme based on the Gatsby Benchmarks for good careers guidance in schools. Our mission is to help young people aged between 16-25 with social, emotional or special educational needs to engage in education through an inclusive music industry curriculum to promote skills, knowledge, independence and resilience."
From the headteacher's welcome: "After an anticipation-fuelled wait, SupaJam Swanley has proudly opened its brand new site, currently known as “The Mall.” Work on the building began back in September and was completed in December, marking an exciting new chapter for the Swanley base."
Coming up: an open evening on Tuesday 19 January 2027, an open day on Tuesday 26 January 2027, an open evening on Wednesday 27 January 2027 and an open evening on Thursday 28 January 2027. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.
Vision and values (school website)Headteacher's welcome (school website)Open days on the school's site (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to SupaJam Education In Music and Media are The Annex School House (0.7 miles, Good); Parkwood Hall Academy Trust (1.1 miles, Good); Woodview (2 miles, Good); and Riverside School (2.3 miles, Outstanding).
The Annex School HouseParkwood Hall Academy TrustWoodviewRiverside School
Who goes there
SupaJam Education In Music and Media is approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014, so parents can ask for it to be named in their child's education, health and care (EHC) plan.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Swanley Rail Station, about 300 metres away (roughly a 4-minute walk).
13 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Orchards Academy (adjacent), 70 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood SupaJam Education In Music and Media stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 165 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 · 2 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Safeguarding: effective
Source: Ofsted, further education and skills inspections and outcomes (Open Government Licence)
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's March 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
SupaJam excels at creating a supportive learning environment where young people who have struggled in traditional schools find success through music and media courses. Staff genuinely care about their students' futures and provide excellent specialist support including speech and language therapy, occupational health, and other services. The college combines strong subject teaching with comprehensive careers guidance, helping most students move on to positive outcomes in education and employment.
Key Strengths
- Staff create a welcoming, inclusive community where students with previous negative education experiences thrive and engage enthusiastically
- Teachers have excellent subject expertise and use effective strategies like demonstrations and recap activities to help students understand complex topics
- Students benefit from comprehensive specialist support including speech and language, occupational health, and physiotherapy, helping them overcome barriers to success
- Strong focus on careers guidance prepares students well for next steps in education and employment
- Leaders have successfully implemented a new target-setting and progress monitoring system with helpful commentary
Areas for Improvement
- Feedback on mathematics work is not constructive enough - students need clearer guidance on how to improve their work and achieve higher grades
- Attendance to mathematics and English lessons is inconsistent, with some students missing these lessons regularly
- Students at BN1 Arts lack enough opportunities to develop wider talents and interests beyond performing arts
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with leaders taking recent steps to strengthen safeguarding measures.
Extracurricular Activities
choir, football teams, concerts and festivals, college radio station, internal music studio, work experience placements, external work experience
SupaJam Education in Music and Media is an independent specialist college with 140 students aged 16-25 offering creative music industry courses tailored for students with high needs and those not in education, employment or training. The college received a Good rating across all key areas.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Approved
Section 41
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with SupaJam Education In Music and Media
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to SupaJam Education In Music and Media from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. SupaJam Education In Music and Media 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
- 27
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 4
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 27 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 4 serious and 22 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot.
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
Area Demand Pressure - Swanley
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Swanley
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)
Special educational needs provision
SupaJam Education In Music and Media is approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014, so parents can ask for it to be named in their child's education, health and care (EHC) plan.
Source: Get Information about Schools (GIAS), Department for Education.
Questions parents ask about SupaJam Education In Music and Media
What is SupaJam Education In Music and Media's Ofsted rating?
SupaJam Education In Music and Media was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in March 2025.
What is the catchment area for SupaJam Education In Music and Media?
No fixed boundary. When SupaJam Education In Music and Media is oversubscribed, Kent allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Does SupaJam Education In Music and Media have specialist SEN provision?
SupaJam Education In Music and Media is approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014, so parents can ask for it to be named in their child's education, health and care (EHC) plan.
How do I apply to SupaJam Education In Music and Media?
Apply through Kent's coordinated admissions process, naming SupaJam Education In Music and Media 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 SupaJam Education In Music and Media?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 27 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 4 serious and 22 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot. 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 SupaJam Education In Music and Media?
SupaJam Education In Music and Media is at St Marys Road, Swanley, Kent, BR8 7TE.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)