Aspire School

Special free school · Primary, ages 4 to 11 · Mixed

Part of BOURNE ALLIANCE MULTI ACADEMY TRUST

Vellum Drive, Sittingbourne, ME10 5DA

01795 899788 · School website · Map and directions

OfstedNo overall gradeInspected 18 March 2025
Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths0%England 62% · 2024/25
Pupils194Room for 172 Pupil numbers in January of each year: 31 in 2021, 96 in 2022, 152 in 2023, 176 in 2024, 188 in 2025, 194 in 2026. Across England, special state school pupil numbers were up 26% from 2021 to 2025.
Free school meals40%of pupils eligible now

Ofsted inspection

At the inspection that started on 18 March 2025, Ofsted graded each area separately. It stopped giving an overall grade in September 2024.

This inspection used Ofsted's older format with four grades: Outstanding, Good, Requires improvement and Inadequate. Newer inspections use report cards. What changed.

AreaGrade
Quality of educationGood
Behaviour and attitudesGood
Personal developmentGood
Leadership and managementGood
Early yearsOutstanding
SafeguardingEffective

Read the full Ofsted reports for this school

Source: Ofsted state-funded schools inspection data.

What parents say

42 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey between 3 September 2024 and 1 September 2025.

StatementThis schoolEngland
My child is happy at this school 88% 89%
My child feels safe at this school 88% 90%
The school makes sure pupils are well behaved 69% 84%
Bullying was dealt with quickly and effectivelyOf 12 parents whose child had been bullied 33% 51%
Concerns were dealt with properlyOf 29 parents who had raised a concern 62% 76%
My child with SEND gets the support they needOf 42 parents of children with SEND 83% 68%
I would recommend this school to another parent 86%said yes 84%

Parents choose whether to take part, so these answers may not represent all families (Ofsted puts the response rate at 22%). Figures are the share who agree or strongly agree. England figures are all parents answering the same questions over the same period, for state-funded schools. The scales run from lower (left) to higher (right) agreement, and the dot marks this school among state schools of the same phase that used the same survey questions. The third it falls in is coloured: green for the top third, amber the middle, red the bottom. This survey used Ofsted's previous Parent View questions, which changed in November 2025. Source: Ofsted Parent View management information.

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Results

Key stage 2 (SATs, age 11), 2024/25

29 pupils in this year group.

0% — 62 points below the Kent average, and 62 points below the England average.

MeasureThis schoolKentEngland
Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths 0% 62% 62%
Reached the higher standard in reading, writing and maths 0% 10% 8%
Met the expected standard in reading 0% 75% 75%
Met the expected standard in writing 0% 74% 72%
Met the expected standard in maths 0% 71% 74%
Average reading scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 is the expected standard. 96 106 106
Average maths scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 is the expected standard. 91 104 105
Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths, over time
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% England 2022/23: 60%England 2023/24: 61%England 2024/25: 62% This school 2022/23: 0%This school 2023/24: 0%This school 2024/25: 0% This school England 62% 2022/23 0% 2023/24 0% 2024/25 0%

Source: DfE key stage 2 performance tables, 2024/25. England figures are for state-funded schools.

Admissions

Apply through the council where you live, even if the school is in a different council area. This school is in Kent. The national closing date for primary applications is 15 January, and offers are sent on 16 April.

Admissions dates and schools in Kent

Pupils, staff and SEND

This is a special school for children with an education, health and care plan (EHCP). Places are arranged through the council's SEND team, not the normal admissions round. It caters for: Speech, language and communication needs; Autism.

PupilsThis schoolKentEngland
Eligible for free school meals in the last 6 years 39.9% 48.2%* 51.9%
With an education, health and care plan 100.0% 98.5%* 99.5%
Receiving special educational needs support 0.0% 0.5%* 0.5%
English as an additional language 1.6% 5.8%* 14.4%
Overall absence (sessions missed) 8.2% 14.3%* 12.8%
Persistently absent (missed 10% or more) 22.8% 39.5%* 35.3%
Suspensions per 100 pupils 0.0 18.3 12.3
Pupils suspended at least once 0.0% 6.8% 5.1%
Pupils permanently excluded0 pupils 0.00% 0.03% 0.08%
Pupils per teacher 7.9 6.6 6.6
Pupils per adult (teachers and support staff) 2.1 2.2 2.3
Teachers who left during the year 11.8% 15.7%* 14.3%*

Comparisons are with special schools. * Calculated by SchoolScores from the council's or England's schools, weighted by pupils (or teachers, for turnover); other figures are published by DfE. Sources: DfE school census 2024/25; DfE pupil absence 2024/25; DfE suspensions and permanent exclusions 2024/25; DfE school workforce census 2025/26; DfE teacher turnover 2024/25.

SEND provision: Get Information about Schools (DfE).

Nearby special schools

Straight-line distance. Distance isn't the same as a catchment area.

Questions parents ask

What is Aspire School's Ofsted rating?

At its inspection in 18 March 2025, Ofsted graded each area separately; it stopped giving an overall grade in September 2024.

How did Aspire School do in its SATs?

In 2024/25, 0% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths, 62 points below the England average of 62%.

Would parents recommend Aspire School?

86% of the 42 parents who answered Ofsted's Parent View survey between 3 September 2024 and 1 September 2025 said they would recommend Aspire School to another parent. Parents choose whether to respond, so this may not represent all families.

Sources

Spotted a mistake? Report it and we'll check it against the source.

Page updated 26 September 2026.