The Old Priory School, Ramsgate
The Old Priory School is a special school for pupils aged 11 to 16 in Ramsgate. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in October 2024.
- Ofsted
- Good (2024)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
The Old Priory School in detail
The Old Priory School in its own words
The school runs after-school care.
Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to The Old Priory School are Small Haven School (1.2 miles, Outstanding); Foreland Fields School (1.5 miles, Good); Maple Tree Primary School (1.6 miles, Good); and Laleham Gap School (1.7 miles, Outstanding).
Small Haven SchoolForeland Fields SchoolMaple Tree Primary SchoolLaleham Gap School
What parents say
10 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about The Old Priory School (as of September 2025): 100% would recommend the school, 100% say their child is happy there and 100% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (100%); the weakest, that their child is happy at the school (100%).
Who goes there
In 2026, 3 pupils (15%) received SEN support and 17 (85%) had an education, health and care plan.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Ramsgate Rail Station, about 0.8 miles away in a straight line.
10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Cannonbury Road (opposite), 90 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood The Old Priory 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 346 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: Ofsted Parent View; 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
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?
Every pupil feels welcome and valued at this school. Pupils have often experienced disruption in their education prior to joining the school. Many begin their time at this school with a negative view of education. The school's work to remove barriers, and to challenge pupils' negative views of education is exceptional. This leads to pupils feeling safe and settled and attending regularly.
The school has a transformative impact on pupils' behaviour and attitudes. Staff empower pupils to understand their own feelings and behaviours. Consequently, pupils learn to identify why things might not have gone well, and how to do better next time. Staff expertly plan for each pupils' success, but also know exactly how to respond in the moment if a pupil is struggling. Staff are meticulous in their work to understand exactly what each pupil needs to thrive at school.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
The school has redeveloped its curriculum to strengthen its educational offer and to ensure that pupils achieve well academically. Expert teachers have been recruited, and the school has fully reviewed its staff training programme. All staff are well supported to further develop their subject expertise, as well as developing their understanding of how to teach new knowledge effectively to pupils.
Since the last inspection, the school has focused on developing a culture of reading across the school. The positive impact of this work is clear. Pupils attend reading club at lunchtimes and some learn to enjoy the calming effect of a good book. Pupils at an earlier stage of learning to read are quickly identified. The school has recruited staff with experience of teaching phonics, who oversee catch-up support for these pupils. Most pupils now read confidently and fluently enough to access learning across the curriculum.
From Ofsted's October 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 October 2024 inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Leadership & management.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
10 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with The Old Priory School
Getting There
Ferry Terminals
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 28
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 10
- Children hurt
- 2
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, 10 serious and 18 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot.
10 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
61%
Available places
20 pupils
33 places
13 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Ramsgate
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Ramsgate
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(8)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
3
SEN Support
17
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
The Old Priory 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
20
Total Pupils
17
Boys
3
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
The Old Priory School
Showing 10 of 12 linked schools
Questions parents ask about The Old Priory School
What is The Old Priory School's Ofsted rating?
The Old Priory School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in October 2024.
Does The Old Priory School meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in October 2024, The Old Priory School met all the independent school standards.
How many pupils go to The Old Priory School?
The Old Priory School has around 20 pupils on roll.
Does The Old Priory School have specialist SEN provision?
The Old Priory School is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
How do I apply to The Old Priory School?
The Old Priory 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 Old Priory 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, 10 serious and 18 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot. 10 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 The Old Priory School?
The Old Priory School is at Priory Road, Ramsgate, Kent, CT11 9PG.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)