St Philip's School

  • Special
  • Academy
  • Ages 9 to 19
Ofsted: Good

Harrow Close, Leatherhead Road, Chessington, KT9 2HROpen in maps (opens in a new tab)

St Philip's School is a special school in Kingston upon Thames for ages 9 to 19. It is one of the 63 schools in Kingston upon Thames. Its latest Ofsted rating is Good, from an inspection in January 2023.

Ofsted inspection

Inspected 17 January 2023, report published 16 March 2023

Overall effectiveness
Good
Quality of education
Good
Behaviour and attitudes
Good
Personal development
Outstanding
Leadership and management
Good
Sixth form provision
Good
Safeguarding
Met

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 17 January 2023

Pupils at St. Philip's are happy and kept safe. They enjoy positive working relationships with staff and their peers. Pupils particularly enjoy caring for the animals on site, as well as the canine support provided by 'Bobby', the school's therapeutic dog. Leaders have high expectations for what pupils can achieve. They have ensured that pupils study a broad and varied curriculum and there are a range of qualifications available. This offer has been carefully considered with pupils' future in mind. Preparing pupils for the next stage of their education, employment or training and developing their independence are both central to leaders' ethos. Leaders have developed well-established, clear and appropriate routines. This means that pupils know what is expected of them and behave well. Bullying is very rare, but when it happens, leaders deal with it swiftly and ensure that it does not persist. All staff are trained mental health first aiders. They are skilled at supporting pupils to become calm when they feel anxious. Pupils experience an extensive range of opportunities that are designed to support their personal development. For example, they attend visits to the theatre, restaurants, sporting fixtures, art galleries and museums. Older pupils also look forward to their residential trip to the Isle of Wight.

What the school should improve

  • Some teaching does not build in checks to find out if pupils have secured the knowledge that they need before moving on to new learning. This means that some pupils struggle to know and remember more over time. Leaders should ensure that teachers check what pupils have learned before moving on to more complex ideas.
  • Some pupils at the earlier stages of reading do not get sufficient time to practise their decoding and blending skills. Consequently, this reduces the development of their reading fluency. Leaders should ensure that these pupils have increased reading practice and that this is purposefully planned to build up pupils' reading fluency.

Exam results

SATs results (key stage 2), 2024/25

9 pupils took the tests

Expected standard in reading, writing and maths0%

0%, 62 percentage points below the England average of 62%.

Higher standard in reading, writing and maths0%

0%, 8 percentage points below the England average of 8%.

GCSE results (key stage 4), 2024/25

26 pupils in the year group

Attainment 8 score2.8

2.8, 43.3 below the England average of 46.1.

Grade 5 or above in English and maths0%

0%, 45.4 percentage points below the England average of 45.4%.

Grade 4 or above in English and maths0%

0%, 64.8 percentage points below the England average of 64.8%.

Pupils entering the EBacc0%

0%, 40.5 percentage points below the England average of 40.5%.

EBacc average point score0.12

0.12, 3.97 below the England average of 4.09.

Pupil numbers and mix

187 pupils on roll, with places for 185

Eligible for free school meals42.8%

42.8%, 16.3 percentage points above the England average of 26.5%.

English as an additional language22.5%

22.5%, 0.9 percentage points above the England average of 21.6%.

Special educational needs support0%

0%, 14.8 percentage points below the England average of 14.8%.

Education, health and care plan100%

100%, 94 percentage points above the England average of 6%.

Schools near St Philip's School

SchoolDistanceOfstedResults
Woodstock House School2 milesOfsted: Requires improvementAttainment 8: 8.9
Dysart School2 milesOfsted: Outstanding0% met the expected standard
Linden Bridge School2 milesOfsted: Good0% met the expected standard
Bedelsford School3 milesOfsted: Outstanding0% met the expected standard
West Hill School4 milesOfsted: Outstanding0% met the expected standard

School details

School type
Academy special converter
Sector
Academy
Trust
ORCHARD HILL COLLEGE ACADEMY TRUST
Age range
9 to 19
Gender
Mixed
Headteacher
Mr Ben Walsh
Address
Harrow Close, Leatherhead Road, Chessington, KT9 2HR
Local authority
Kingston upon Thames
URN
142740

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.