Rowhill School

Rowhill School is a smaller-than-average special school where all pupils have an education, health and care plan, mostly for social, emotional and mental health needs, autism and cognition and learning needs. Safeguarding is effective, and the school's inclusive ethos and pastoral care are clear strengths: pupils are known well, supported therapeutically, and helped to re-engage through bespoke and alternative provision. Personal development is also a positive feature, with a suitable PSHE programme, wide enrichment, pupil leadership roles and good careers guidance. The school has recently had a change of headteacher and leadership team, and staff feel well supported. However, the school is not improving as quickly as it could. The quality of curriculum and teaching is inconsistent, leading to uneven progress, especially for a significant minority of pupils; phonics and reading approaches vary, handwriting and presentation are too variable, and teachers do not consistently check understanding or embed training. Behaviour management is inconsistent across the school, particularly outside lessons, and attendance, while improving for most pupils after arrival, remains below national average. The vocational offer at key stage 4 and some subject improvements are notable, but leaders' and governors' monitoring and challenge have not been sharp enough to drive rapid improvement. Overall, this is a school with strong inclusion and pastoral foundations that now needs more consistent teaching, behaviour and leadership systems so all pupils achieve well.

Strengths

• Safeguarding standards are met within an open and positive culture.
• Leaders have an inclusive vision and high expectations for all pupils.
• Pupils' needs are identified quickly and education, health and care plans inform curriculum planning.
• Staff receive suitable training to adapt curriculum and teaching, largely reducing barriers to learning.
• Pastoral support is a strength, with a wide range of interventions and increased therapeutic capacity.
• Pupils in the school's alternative curriculum provision are helped effectively to re-engage and learn.
• Leaders work well with families, professionals and external agencies and ensure alternative provision is suitable and safe.
• The personal, social and health education programme is well designed, age-appropriate and helps pupils stay safe and healthy.
• Pupils celebrate diversity and show tolerance and respect.
• A wide range of enrichment activities develops pupils' talents and interests, including challenger troop, forest school, art, music and horse care.
• Pupils have leadership opportunities through the school council and peer mentoring.
• The school's therapy dogs have a clear positive impact on pupils' wellbeing.
• Pupils receive appropriate careers advice and are well informed about next steps.
• Most pupils achieve a range of qualifications before leaving and move on to appropriate post-16 provision.
• The key stage 4 vocational offer, including hair and beauty, construction and vehicle maintenance, is a curriculum strength.
• Staff feel well supported and valued, and recent leadership changes are viewed positively.
• Most pupils' attendance improves on arrival at the school.

Areas for Improvement

• A significant minority of pupils do not make as much progress as they could because teaching quality is inconsistent.
• Approaches to teaching phonics and reading are mixed, so some pupils do not progress as well as they could.
• The quality of pupils' handwriting and presentation is too variable and hampers writing fluency.
• Behaviour is not managed consistently across the school.
• High expectations for behaviour are not yet fully understood and applied by all staff.
• Pupils are too often not supported well enough to re-engage with learning outside lessons.
• Leaders do not use behaviour incident data as well as they could to tailor support for all pupils.
• Overall attendance remains below the national average.
• The quality of curriculum and teaching is inconsistent, and leaders' work to address this is at an early stage.
• Teaching does not yet support effective delivery of the intended core knowledge.
• Teachers do not consistently check pupils' understanding throughout lessons.
• Training to improve teaching is not yet embedded and has not had a consistent impact.
• Planned catch-up teaching is more effective in reading and phonics than in other areas.
• The school is not improving as quickly as it could.
• Governors have not previously challenged leaders well enough and have had an imprecise picture of the school's work.
• Governors' actions to tackle areas for development have not been focused, targeted or quick enough.
• The impact of pupil premium funding is not yet explicitly linked to outcomes for disadvantaged pupils.

In 2024–25 pupils at Rowhill School attended 73.4% of sessions (the national figure for special schools was 87.2%). 61.4% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 35.3%).

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, 27.3% of pupils at Rowhill School were suspended at least once (nationally 5.1%). 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 Rowhill School had 4.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for special schools was 6.6). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 5.8% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.5%).

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 Rowhill School had 163 pupils, 100.0% of them with an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 99.5%).

It says it provides for: social, emotional and mental health; other difficulty or disability.

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 special school schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 Rowhill School received £33,408 and spent £32,751 for each of its 163 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £126,000 (£770 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 Longfield · Kent local authority: places and applications

What is Rowhill School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Rowhill School is Needs attention, from an inspection in March 2026.

When was Rowhill School last inspected by Ofsted?

Rowhill School was last inspected in March 2026.

How many pupils does Rowhill School have?

Rowhill School has 163 pupils on roll.

What age range does Rowhill School cover?

Rowhill School for pupils aged 5 to 16.

What are Rowhill School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 0% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Rowhill School?

Rowhill School is at Main Road, Longfield, Kent, DA3 7PW.