The Davenport School, Sandwich
The Davenport School is a special school for pupils aged 5 to 12 in Sandwich. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in July 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2025)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
The Davenport School in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to The Davenport School are Woodpecker Court (4 miles, Outstanding); Life Skills Manor (4.3 miles, Outstanding); Brewood Secondary School (4.3 miles, Good); and Ripplevale School (4.6 miles).
Woodpecker CourtLife Skills ManorBrewood Secondary SchoolRipplevale School
Who goes there
Almost every pupil at The Davenport School has an education, health and care plan (18 of 18 in 2026).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Sandwich Rail Station, about 1.8 miles away in a straight line.
4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Drainless Road (opposite), 180 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 11 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and other theft. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Kent (101).
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
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 Insights
From Ofsted's July 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
This school excels at helping children develop confidence and self-worth in a nurturing environment. Parents report life-changing impacts on their children. Staff expertly balance high academic expectations with emotional support, helping pupils with anxiety and low confidence to thrive and make accelerated progress.
Key Strengths
- Outstanding behaviour and attitudes - pupils respond positively to high expectations set by staff
- Outstanding personal development - strong focus on building self-esteem, resilience and helping pupils become caring, compassionate citizens
- Highly personalised, bespoke curriculum tailored to individual pupil interests and needs
- Comprehensive early reading programme with positive impact on most pupils' ability to read
- Well-designed wider curriculum including enrichment activities that help pupils see themselves as 'experts'
Areas for Improvement
- Staff do not always recognise rapid progress quickly enough, particularly with more-able readers who need additional challenge in phonics lessons
- Mathematics lessons lack sufficient opportunities for pupils to reason, explain their thinking and question their understanding
- Some pupils at risk of disengaging when learning is not challenging enough
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with appropriate attention to health and safety, staff recruitment and safeguarding culture.
Extracurricular Activities
Beach art, fossil hunting, litter picking, athletics events, Japanese water garden design, school rap composition
The Davenport School is a happy, good-rated independent special school where pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs feel safe and thrive. Staff set high expectations for behaviour and academics, resulting in impressive progress across the curriculum.
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 The Davenport School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
No injury road collisions were reported to the police within 500 m of the school's mapped location in 2021 to 2025.
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
82%
Available places
18 pupils
22 places
4 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Sandwich
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Sandwich
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(11)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
18
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
The Davenport 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
18
Total Pupils
18
Boys
0
Girls
2026 academic year
Linked Schools
Schools linked by geographic proximity
The Davenport School
Questions parents ask about The Davenport School
What is The Davenport School's Ofsted rating?
The Davenport School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in July 2025.
Does The Davenport School meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in July 2025, The Davenport School met all the independent school standards.
How many pupils go to The Davenport School?
The Davenport School has around 18 pupils on roll.
Does The Davenport School have specialist SEN provision?
The Davenport School is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
How do I apply to The Davenport School?
The Davenport 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 The Davenport School?
No injury road collisions were reported to the police within 500 m of the school's mapped location in 2021 to 2025. The typical figure for schools in Kent is 11 (the median across 711 schools, same distance and years).
Where is The Davenport School?
The Davenport School is at The Lodge, Foxborough Hill, Sandwich, Kent, CT13 0NY.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)