Birchwood
Pupil referral unit · Ages 14–16 · Folkestone, Kent
Birchwood is a pupil referral unit in Folkestone, Kent for ages 14–16. Its latest Ofsted outcome is Not judged, from the inspection on 1 July 2025.
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Key facts
- Address
- Bowen Road, Folkestone, CT19 4FP
- Type
- Pupil referral unit
- Ages
- 14–16
- Council
- Kent
- Free school meals
- 0% of pupils eligible
- Pupils per teacher
- 3.6
Official record: Get Information about Schools · as at 15 September 2026
Ofsted
Not judged Inspected 1 July 2025
Strengths
- “Pupils receive a fresh start when they join the school.”
- “The school builds pupils’ resilience and self-belief effectively.”
- “Staff provide effective support that helps pupils feel understood and valued.”
To improve
- “Although the school aims to offer pupils a short-term placement, too many pupils remain for extended periods.”
- “This can limit their ability to study the full national curriculum.”
- “In the past, the school, local authority and management committee did not clearly communicate their expectations about how quickly pupils should return to mainstream or specialist education.”
Safeguarding: Effective
Quoted from the Ofsted report published 18 September 2025 (read the report). Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0.
What a pass unlocks for Birchwood
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Nearby special, independent and other schools
Straight-line distance, in Kent.
- Earlscliffe (Sussex Summer Schools Ltd) 0.9 mi No Ofsted grade
- The Beacon Folkestone 1.1 mi School remains Outstanding
- Compass Community School Coastal Park 1.2 mi No Ofsted grade
- Elms School 6.1 mi School remains Good
- The Sallygate School 6.7 mi No Ofsted grade
- Dover College 7.4 mi No Ofsted grade
- Caldecott Foundation School 8.7 mi School remains Good
- Beech Grove School 10.4 mi No Ofsted grade