St Nicholas' School
Holm Oak Close, Nunnery Fields, Canterbury, CT1 3JJOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)
St Nicholas' School is a special school in Canterbury for ages 4 to 19. It is one of the 692 schools in Kent. Its latest Ofsted rating is Good, from an inspection in March 2014.
Ofsted inspection
Inspected 19 March 2014, report published 24 April 2014
- Overall effectiveness
- Good
- Leadership and management
- Good
What Ofsted said
From the inspection on 6 February 2024
Pupils and their families are deeply appreciative of St Nicholas' School. Many parents and carers wrote of the positive impact of the school on their children and their families' lives. In the words of one parent: 'The school is fantastic - so supportive of both children and adults… he's happy, safe, well looked after and challenged to be the best he can be.' The atmosphere at the main school site is one of positivity and happiness. Pupils demonstrate their sense of safety and well-being through vocalisations, movement, smiles, laughter and words. Pupils attending the range of satellite provisions, including the sixth form, are also happy and confident that they are safe. Pupils know who to go should they need help or advice. Most pupils manage their emotions well. Across the school, there is extensive support for well-being and opportunities for pupils to learn about self-regulation and to practise helpful techniques. Staff are highly skilled in supporting pupils whose behaviour becomes dysregulated. Consequently, lessons proceed smoothly. Staff are ambitious for pupils' future lives. Individual education, health and care (EHC) plan outcomes are broken down into appropriate steps of learning. Progress towards these steps is closely monitored. New targets are identified according to each pupil's progress.
What the school should improve
- The curriculum in different pathways does not consistently identify what pupils should learn or how learning should build year-on-year. This means that pupils may not learn as well as they could. The school should ensure that all pathways offer a clearly sequenced curriculum that identifies the knowledge that pupils should learn and how this builds over time.
- Over time, oversight of the curriculum and its impact on pupils' achievement has lacked rigour. Consequently, opportunities to assure and improve the quality of education that pupils receive have been missed. Roles and responsibilities within pathways are currently under review. The school should ensure that the review is completed swiftly so that clear accountability for monitoring, and responding to, the quality and impact of the curriculum is established.
Exam results
SATs results (key stage 2), 2024/25
22 pupils took the tests
Pupil numbers and mix
402 pupils on roll, with places for 340
Schools near St Nicholas' School
| School | Distance | Ofsted | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Orchard School | 0.1 miles | Report card: Needs attention to expected standard | Attainment 8: 6.6 |
| Newingate School | 0.5 miles | Ofsted: Good | Not published |
| Haven Nook | 0.5 miles | Ofsted: Good | Not published |
| Hawthorn | 1 mile | Ofsted: Requires improvement | Not published |
| Hope View School | 5 miles | Ofsted: Good | Attainment 8: 8.8 |
School details
- School type
- Community special school
- Sector
- Local authority maintained
- Age range
- 4 to 19
- Gender
- Mixed
- Headteacher
- Mr Richard Dalton
- Phone
- 01227464316
- Address
- Holm Oak Close, Nunnery Fields, Canterbury, CT1 3JJ
- Local authority
- Kent
- URN
- 119059
School details from Get Information about Schools, 17 September 2026. Ofsted outcomes published to 31 August 2026. Exam results for 2024/25 from the Department for Education. Pupil mix from the school census, 2025/26.