YMCA West Kent, Tonbridge
YMCA West Kent is a special school for pupils aged 16 to 19 in Tonbridge.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
YMCA West Kent in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to YMCA West Kent are Skills for Independence and Employability Ltd (0.4 miles, Outstanding); Nexus Foundation Special School (2 miles, Good); Hilden Park (2.1 miles, Outstanding); and Meadows School (3.1 miles, Requires improvement).
Skills for Independence and Employability LtdNexus Foundation Special SchoolHilden ParkMeadows School
Who goes there
YMCA West Kent 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 Tonbridge Rail Station, about 1.1 miles away in a straight line.
12 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Greyhound House (opposite), 30 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood YMCA West Kent stands in is among the 10% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 204 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: 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
No inspection data available
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Approved
Section 41
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Latest from YMCA West Kent
Rebuilding Strength, Restoring Confidence: Vicky’s Story
2 Oct 2026
YMCA Thames Gateway responds to regulatory judgement
29 Jul 2026
From crisis to confidence
19 Jun 2026
YMCA TGG launches urgent appeal
16 Jun 2026
Hope, support & a path forward - Evie’s journey
28 May 2026
From homelessness to higher education
26 May 2026
From YMCA West Kent's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Keep up with YMCA West Kent
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to YMCA West Kent from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. YMCA West Kent 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
- 15
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 15 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 12 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
2 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 - Tonbridge
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Tonbridge
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.
Special educational needs provision
YMCA West Kent 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 YMCA West Kent
What is the catchment area for YMCA West Kent?
No fixed boundary. When YMCA West Kent is oversubscribed, Kent allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Does YMCA West Kent have specialist SEN provision?
YMCA West Kent 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 YMCA West Kent?
Apply through Kent's coordinated admissions process, naming YMCA West Kent 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 YMCA West Kent?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 15 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 12 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 2 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 YMCA West Kent?
YMCA West Kent is at 164 Shipbourne Road, Tonbridge, TN10 3EJ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)