Whitfield Aspen School, Dover
Whitfield Aspen School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Dover. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in June 2012. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in January 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 17th-highest of the 21 schools in Dover with published results, and 13,208th of 14,452 across England. It was full in 2025, at 101% of capacity.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2012)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- Below England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Kent (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Whitfield Aspen School in detail
Results
In 2025, 61% of Year 6 pupils at Whitfield Aspen School reached the expected standard in reading and 55% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 77% and 73% in Kent and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 48% in reading and 52% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Whitfield Aspen School
For September 2026 entry, 92 families put Whitfield Aspen School as their first choice and 153 named it as one of their preferences, for 78 places offered. That is 1.2 first choices for every place. 14 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Whitfield Aspen School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Whitfield Aspen School are Green Park Community Primary School (1 mile, Outstanding, 52% reading, 57% maths); Temple Ewell Church of England Primary School (1.2 miles, Good, 95% reading, 95% maths); River Primary School (1.3 miles, Outstanding, 87% reading, 70% maths); and Shatterlocks Infant and Nursery School (1.4 miles, Outstanding).
Whitfield Aspen School's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 3 schools.
Green Park Community Primary SchoolTemple Ewell Church of England Primary SchoolRiver Primary SchoolShatterlocks Infant and Nursery School
What parents say
41 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Whitfield Aspen School (as of September 2025): 85% would recommend the school, 95% say their child is happy there and 73% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child is happy at the school (95%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (73%).
Who goes there
36% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 4.2% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 94 pupils (14.2%) received SEN support and 205 (31%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is autism.
Whitfield Aspen School has a resourced provision for profound and multiple learning difficulties: 202 places, 202 pupils on roll.
Staffing
Whitfield Aspen School had 59 teachers in 2026, one for every 11 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Kearsney Rail Station, about 1.1 miles away in a straight line.
12 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Joyes Road (adjacent), 130 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
Whitfield Aspen School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Whitfield Aspen School are Dover Christ Church Academy (0.7 miles), St Edmund's Catholic School (1.7 miles) and Duke of York's Royal Military School (1.8 miles).
Dover Christ Church AcademySt Edmund's Catholic SchoolDuke of York's Royal Military School
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; DfE school workforce census; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Our estimate from how close the nearest similar schools are and how oversubscribed the council's schools are. It is not a published boundary.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from June 2012, 14 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's January 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Whitfield Aspen School creates a truly inclusive environment where all children, including those with complex needs, learn together with equal support and high expectations. The school excels at teaching reading and developing children's character and understanding of modern British values. Parents appreciate the quality care and support their children receive, and staff wellbeing is also prioritised.
Key Strengths
- Strong focus on reading with clear teaching programme adapted to meet all pupils' needs - most become confident, fluent readers
- Excellent inclusive culture where pupils with SEND learn alongside mainstream peers with equal aspiration and support
- Positive behaviour throughout the school with pupils treating each other with respect and kindness
- Well-developed personal and character education, including understanding of equity, diversity, and readiness for next stages
- Expert support in Reception Year with well-chosen activities that prepare children for future learning
Areas for Improvement
- Some subjects need further curriculum refinement - activities do not consistently match the intended content and ambition, limiting pupil progress
- Persistent absence remains too high for some groups of pupils, particularly disadvantaged pupils, meaning they miss important learning
- Staff need more knowledge and skills in some subject areas to deliver learning activities that fully match curriculum expectations
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with the school maintaining pupils' safety and wellbeing as key priorities.
Extracurricular Activities
Theatre company performance (Hamlet production)
Whitfield Aspen School is an inclusive primary school with a specialist resource provision for pupils with profound, severe and complex needs. All pupils are welcomed, cared for, and supported to achieve well alongside their peers.
At a Glance
36.0%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
Resourced provision: PMLD
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
41 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 48% to 61% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 55% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 49% to 61% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
18.4
Avg class size
30
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Whitfield Aspen School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Whitfield Aspen School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Whitfield Aspen 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
- 9
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 3
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 9 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 9 slight.
3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 1 on a bicycle.
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
Your chances of a place at Whitfield Aspen School
Will you get a place at Whitfield Aspen School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Whitfield Aspen School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Whitfield Aspen School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Whitfield Aspen School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Kent, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Whitfield Aspen School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Kent got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
101%
Over capacity
635 pupils
630 places
5 pupils over capacity in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Dover
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Dover
Across Kent council
Places available
18,893
Applications
16,593
Got 1st preference
89.7%
Got preferred school
98.2%
All primary applications across Kent council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(9)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
94
SEN Support
205
EHC Plans
45.2%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Whitfield Aspen School has a resourced provision for profound and multiple learning difficulties: 202 places, 202 pupils on roll.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
662
Total Pupils
392
Boys
270
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
59
Teachers
11.2:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£50,638
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,624
Per pupil
£4011k
Total funding
£326k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
6.4%
Overall absence
18.2%
Persistent absence
555
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Whitfield Aspen School
Questions parents ask about Whitfield Aspen School
What are SATs results like at Whitfield Aspen School?
Of the pupils at Whitfield Aspen School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 61% reached the expected standard in reading and 55% did so in maths.
What is Whitfield Aspen School's Ofsted rating?
Whitfield Aspen School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in January 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in June 2012, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Whitfield Aspen School?
No fixed boundary. When Whitfield Aspen School is oversubscribed, Kent allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Whitfield Aspen School?
Whitfield Aspen School was full in 2025, at 101% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at Whitfield Aspen School?
Classes at Whitfield Aspen School average 18.4 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Whitfield Aspen School?
Whitfield Aspen School has around 662 pupils on roll. 36% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Whitfield Aspen School have specialist SEN provision?
Whitfield Aspen School has a resourced provision for profound and multiple learning difficulties: 202 places, 202 pupils on roll.
What is attendance like at Whitfield Aspen School?
6.4% of sessions were missed at Whitfield Aspen School in 2024/25. 18.2% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Whitfield Aspen School?
Apply through Kent's coordinated admissions process, naming Whitfield Aspen School on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
How many road collisions happen near Whitfield Aspen School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 9 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 9 slight. 3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 1 on a bicycle. 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 Whitfield Aspen School?
Whitfield Aspen School is at Mayfield Road, Whitfield, Dover, Kent, CT16 3LJ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)