Whitfield Aspen School

Whitfield Aspen School is an inclusive primary school with a specially resourced provision for pupils with profound, severe and complex needs. Pupils feel safe and valued, learn alongside their peers, and are supported by high aspirations and positive relationships. Behaviour is positive, pupils treat each other kindly, and all pupils are included in the school community. The curriculum reflects the school's inclusive vision, and reading is a whole-school priority with effective support for pupils who need to catch up. Early years provision is strong, pupils' personal development is well supported, and staff welfare and professional development are prioritised. Safeguarding is effective, and governors support improvement well. There are two main areas for improvement. In a small number of subjects, curriculum development is not yet complete, so activities do not consistently reflect the intended content and ambition. Persistent absence is also too high for some groups of pupils, particularly disadvantaged pupils. This was the school's first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic, and under the current framework it did not receive an overall effectiveness grade.

Strengths

• Inclusive school culture where all pupils feel safe and valued
• Strong integration of pupils with SEND, including those in the specially resourced provision
• High aspirations for all pupils, including those with profound, severe and complex needs
• Positive behaviour and respectful relationships across the school
• Reading is a whole-school priority with effective support for pupils who need to catch up
• Well-designed early years activities that prepare children for the next stage
• Strong personal development, including pupils' understanding of equity and diversity
• Effective support for staff welfare and professional development
• Governors meet statutory duties and support school improvement effectively
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective

Areas for Improvement

• Curriculum development is incomplete in a small number of subjects, so activities do not consistently reflect intended content or ambition
• Persistent absence is too high for some groups of pupils, particularly disadvantaged pupils

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Whitfield Aspen School attended 93.6% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 18.2% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 0.0% of pupils at Whitfield Aspen School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Whitfield Aspen School had 13.5 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 5.7% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 14.2% of pupils at Whitfield Aspen School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 31.0% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

The school has resourced provision with 201 pupils.

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 Whitfield Aspen School received £12,606 and spent £12,537 for each of its 662 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £801,000 (£1,209 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Dover · Kent local authority: places and applications

What is Whitfield Aspen School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Whitfield Aspen School is Good, from an inspection in March 2025.

When was Whitfield Aspen School last inspected by Ofsted?

Whitfield Aspen School was last inspected in March 2025.

How many pupils does Whitfield Aspen School have?

Whitfield Aspen School has 662 pupils on roll.

What age range does Whitfield Aspen School cover?

Whitfield Aspen School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Whitfield Aspen School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 46% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Whitfield Aspen School?

Whitfield Aspen School is at Mayfield Road, Whitfield, Dover, Kent, CT16 3LJ.