TLC The Learning Centre, Orpington
TLC The Learning Centre is a special school for pupils aged 11 to 18 in Orpington.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
TLC The Learning Centre in detail
TLC The Learning Centre in its own words
In its own words: "TLC is a small independent Special Educational Needs school in Bromley, Kent. We offer learners a welcoming and secure environment in which to learn and develop as young people."
Vision and values (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to TLC The Learning Centre are Baston House School (1.1 miles); Shaftesbury Nash College (1.8 miles, Good); Clannad Education Centre (2.1 miles, Outstanding); and Marjorie McClure School (2.1 miles).
Baston House SchoolShaftesbury Nash CollegeClannad Education CentreMarjorie McClure School
Who goes there
Almost every pupil at TLC The Learning Centre has an education, health and care plan (45 of 45 in 2026).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Bickley Rail Station, about 1.3 miles away in a straight line.
5 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Bromley Common / Holy Trinity Church, 260 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 108 crimes within a mile of the school, most often anti-social behaviour, violence and sexual offences and vehicle crime. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Bromley (188).
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
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's November 2024 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
TLC provides a safe, supportive environment where pupils with disrupted education backgrounds rebuild confidence and self-esteem. The school has high expectations and recognises both academic and personal achievements. Staff create trusting relationships with pupils, help them manage emotions, and prepare them well for life after school through work experience, rock climbing, and practical skills like cooking.
Key Strengths
- Pupils show outstanding behaviour and attitudes, with improved attendance and positive relationships with staff
- Personal development is outstanding, with pupils gaining independent living skills and receiving a well-delivered careers programme
- Staff know pupils' individual needs exceptionally well and provide highly personalised support
- The school quickly identifies reading difficulties and provides effective specialist support
- Curriculum is taught by subject experts and mapped to help pupils deepen understanding over time
Areas for Improvement
- Assessment information about gaps in pupils' knowledge is not always used quickly enough to help pupils catch up and learn deeply
- Teachers need to adapt their teaching more consistently based on the gaps identified in pupils' knowledge
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective.
Extracurricular Activities
Rock climbing, work experience
TLC The Learning Centre is a special school for pupils aged 11 to 18 with social, emotional, and mental health needs. The school is rated Good overall, with Outstanding ratings for behaviour and attitudes and personal development.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Latest from TLC The Learning Centre
Melrose Education strengthens wellbeing support for learners, families and colleagues
16 Jul 2026
TLC School Celebrates Learners’ Outstanding GCSE Artwork
30 Jun 2026
TLC School Celebrates Year 11 and Year 12 Leavers
19 Jun 2026
TLC The Learning Centre secures local allotment to support outdoor learning and wellbeing
6 May 2026
TLC learners gain valuable real-world experience through Spring Term work placements
23 Apr 2026
TLC Learners Bring Colour to School Through Street Art Project
5 Feb 2026
From TLC The Learning Centre's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with TLC The Learning Centre
Getting There
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 26
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 5
- Children hurt
- 4
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 26 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 5 serious and 21 slight.
4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
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 Bromley is 19 (the median across 119 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
90%
Near capacity
45 pupils
50 places
5 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Orpington
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Orpington
Across Bromley council
Places available
4,001
Applications
3,651
Got 1st preference
66.3%
Got preferred school
93.0%
All secondary applications across Bromley council (2026/27), not just this school.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
45
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
TLC The Learning Centre 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
45
Total Pupils
22
Boys
23
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
TLC The Learning Centre
Showing 10 of 14 linked schools
Questions parents ask about TLC The Learning Centre
What are GCSE results like at TLC The Learning Centre?
The Department for Education's GCSE measures do not count IGCSEs, which many independent schools take instead of GCSEs, so the Attainment 8 and English and maths figures it publishes for TLC The Learning Centre can understate its results. We do not rank or compare them; ask the school for its own GCSE and IGCSE results.
How many pupils go to TLC The Learning Centre?
TLC The Learning Centre has around 45 pupils on roll.
Does TLC The Learning Centre have specialist SEN provision?
TLC The Learning Centre is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
How do I apply to TLC The Learning Centre?
TLC The Learning Centre 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 TLC The Learning Centre?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 26 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 5 serious and 21 slight. 4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 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 Bromley is 19 (the median across 119 schools, same distance and years).
Where is TLC The Learning Centre?
TLC The Learning Centre is at Princes Plain, Bromley, Orpington, Kent, BR2 8LD.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)