The Wyvern School (Buxford)
Great Chart Bypass, Ashford, TN23 4EROpen in maps (opens in a new tab)
The Wyvern School (Buxford) is a special school in Ashford 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 2024.
Ofsted inspection
Inspected 12 March 2024, report published 2 May 2024
- Overall effectiveness
- Good
- Quality of education
- Good
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Good
- Personal development
- Good
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Early years provision
- Good
- Sixth form provision
- Good
- Safeguarding
- Met
What Ofsted said
From the inspection on 12 March 2024
A sense of community and belonging is evident as you walk around this calm and happy school. Staff understand the different needs of each pupil. Staff ensure that pupils receive appropriate care and education. Consequently, pupils place upmost trust in adults to take good care of them. Everyone happily greets each other using Makaton to sign a cheery hello. Pupils treat each other with kindness and respect because staff model these behaviours consistently. Plentiful opportunities help to develop pupils' sense of curiosity and creativity. Pupils proudly perform Shakespeare plays for their parents or take part in musical workshops, where they get to play along using musical shakers and bells. Pupils enjoy dance classes, which help develop their physical strength and co-ordination. Opportunities like these provide pupils alternative ways to express themselves through the arts. The school's expectations of what sixth-form students will achieve have increased since the last inspection. Students now study a range of suitable qualifications that prepare them for ambitious destinations. Many students have had work experience either in school or in the community. Students are enthusiastic about their future and feel well prepared to make independent decisions about their next steps.
What the school should improve
- A minority of staff do not have sufficient phonics expertise to support pupils to learn to read well. This means pupils' misconceptions and gaps in reading are not always identified and addressed. The school must continue to ensure that all staff have training needed to deliver the curriculum with accuracy so that all pupils learn to read with increasing fluency.
- Despite recent training, there are still some variabilities in how effectively staff support pupils to communicate and engage with the ambitious curriculum in place. This means pupils do not get the consistently effective support that they need to learn and communicate well. The school must continue to support staff to develop the expertise they need so that they can support pupils to achieve all of which they are capable.
Exam results
SATs results (key stage 2), 2024/25
24 pupils took the tests
Pupil numbers and mix
374 pupils on roll
Schools near The Wyvern School (Buxford)
| School | Distance | Ofsted | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goldwyn School | 1 mile | Ofsted: Outstanding | Attainment 8: 8.8 |
| The T3 School | 1 mile | Ofsted: Good | Not published |
| Kings Park School | 2 miles | Report card: Urgent improvement to expected standard | Not published |
| Caldecott Foundation School | 5 miles | Ofsted: Good | Attainment 8: 1.7 |
| Heath Farm School | 6 miles | No Ofsted inspection | Attainment 8: 0.8 |
School details
- School type
- Foundation special school
- Sector
- Local authority maintained
- Age range
- 4 to 19
- Gender
- Mixed
- Headteacher
- Mrs Penny Bullen
- Phone
- 01233621302
- Address
- Great Chart Bypass, Ashford, TN23 4ER
- Local authority
- Kent
- URN
- 131748
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.