The Beacon Folkestone is a not applicable school in Folkestone, serving pupils aged 3 to 19. The school is a foundation special school and operates as a mixed school. It follows a not applicable admissions policy. It does not have a designated religious character, which may suit families looking for a non-faith school. The school also offers a sixth form, allowing students to continue into post-16 education on site.
The Beacon Folkestone currently has around 431 pupils on roll, which is about 122% of its capacity. The gender split is relatively balanced, with approximately 66.4% boys and 33.6% girls. Around 55.6% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which gives an indication of the socio-economic mix. Pupil backgrounds are varied across different backgrounds and needs.
Overall absence at the school is 10.1%. Persistent absence is recorded at 35.6%.
The majority of pupils are from a white british background (86.8%).
At its latest Ofsted inspection, the school was rated Outstanding. This indicates exceptional performance across all areas. Safeguarding was judged to be effective, which is a key consideration for many parents.
Around 97% of pupils move on to sustained destinations after Year 11. Most continue into education (97%) , including 0% who stay in school sixth forms and 23% progressing to further education , while 0% enter apprenticeships .
| Address: | Park Farm Road, Folkestone, CT19 5DN |
| Website: | www.thebeacon.kent.sch.uk |
| Telephone: | 01303847555 |
| School Type: | Foundation special school |
| Education phase: | Not applicable |
| Local authority: | Kent |
| Headteacher / Principal: | Mr Ady Young |
| Religious character: | Does not apply |
| Admissions policy: | Not applicable |
| Unique reference: | 119044 |
Ofsted inspection date: 12/02/2019
Safeguarding is effective
| Age Range: | 3 - 19 |
| Gender: | Mixed |
| School Capacity: | 354 |
| Number of Pupils: | 431 |
| Number of Boys: | 286 |
| Number of Girls: | 145 |
| School | England state-funded schools: | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall absence: | 10.1% | 4% |
| Persistent absence: | 35.6% | 8.2% |
| White British | 86.80% | 374 |
| Other White | 2.80% | 12 |
| Other Asian | 2.80% | 12 |
| White and Black Caribbean | 1.40% | 6 |
| Other Mixed | 1.40% | 6 |
| Other (any other ethnic group) | 1.20% | 5 |
| White and Asian | 0.90% | 4 |
| Pakistani | 0.70% | 3 |
| White and Black African | 0.70% | 3 |
| Bangladeshi | 0.50% | 2 |
| Unclassified | 0.50% | 2 |
| Irish | 0.20% | 1 |
| African | 0.20% | 1 |
| Gypsy/Roma | 0.00% | 0 |
| Chinese | 0.00% | 0 |
| Caribbean | 0.00% | 0 |
| Other Black | 0.00% | 0 |
| Irish Traveller (Traveller of Irish heritage) | 0.00% | 0 |
| Indian | 0.00% | 0 |
Progress scores show how pupils performed compared with pupils nationally who had similar prior attainment. Scores above 0 are better than average; below 0 are worse than average.
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Park Farm Primary School Park Farm Road , CT19 5DH | - not rated | 220 yd | Foundation school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Stella Maris Catholic Primary School Parkfield Road , CT19 5BY | - not rated | 375 yd | Voluntary aided school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Stella Maris Catholic Primary School Parkfield Road , CT19 5BY | 3out of 4 | 375 yd | Academy converter | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Folkestone Primary Academy Lane , CT19 5FP | 3out of 4 | 491 yd | Academy sponsor led | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Mundella Primary School Black Bull Road , CT19 5QX | - not rated | 548 yd | Community school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Channel School Park Farm Road , CT19 5DN | - not rated | 306 yd | Community school | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Folkestone Academy Academy Lane , CT19 5FP | 3out of 4 | 491 yd | Academy sponsor led | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| The Harvey Grammar School Cheriton Road , CT19 5JY | 4out of 4 | 1,320 yd | Academy converter | No | Boys | More About School |
| The Harvey Grammar School Cheriton Road , CT19 5JY | - not rated | 1,320 yd | Community school | No | Boys | More About School |
| Pent Valley Technology College Surrenden Road , CT19 4ED | - not rated | 1,858 yd | Foundation school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Kent College Shorncliffe Road , CT20 2TZ | - not rated | 1,106 yd | Further education | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Folkestone Academy Academy Lane , CT19 5FP | - not rated | 551 yd | Academy sponsor led | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brook Education Centre Parkfield Road , CT19 5BY | - not rated | 384 yd | Pupil referral unit | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Compass Community School Coastal Park 18 Wiltie Gardens , CT19 5AX | - not rated | 744 yd | Other independent special school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| St Nicholas Preparatory School 18 Wiltie Gardens , CT19 5AX | - not rated | 744 yd | Other independent school | Not Applicable | Not applicable | More About School |
| Grace School Grace Hill , CT20 1HE | - not rated | 1,181 yd | Other independent school | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Westbrook House Preparatory School 54shorncliffe Road , CT20 2NB | - not rated | 1,288 yd | Other independent school | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
School statistics for this postcode are based on Ofsted rankings.