Aspire Academy is a special academy in Welling, Bexley, for children and young people aged 5 to 11. It supports SEMH.
- Ages 5–11
- 75 pupils
- Ofsted: Good
School details
- Type
- Special academy
- Ages
- 5 to 11
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Pupils
- 75 (places for 64)
- Headteacher
- Mrs Heather Hopkins and Mrs Julie Arkwright (Head of School)
- Part of
- London South East Academies Trust
- Opened
- 1 November 2017
- Free school meals
- 72% of pupils eligible
- Council
- Bexley
- School reference (URN)
- 144406
Needs it supports
1 need: SEMH
As listed by the Department for Education, grouped the way EHC plans describe needs.
Social, emotional and mental health
- Social, emotional and mental health Other schools for this in Bexley (3)
How to get a place
4 steps, starting with an EHC plan
- An EHC plan
Places at schools like this usually come through an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan. If your child doesn’t have one yet, you can ask the council for an assessment yourself.
- Visit and ask questions
See whether the school feels right and whether it can meet your child’s needs. Our list of questions below can help.
- Ask for the school to be named
Tell the council that looks after the plan (often Bexley council) that this is the school you want, and ask them to consult it.
- Named in the plan
If the school is named in your child’s plan, it must admit your child. Free home-to-school transport is often part of the arrangement.
Questions to ask when you visit
8 questions to tick off as you go
Ticks stay on this device, so you can use them on the day.
Ofsted
Rated Good, March 2023; school remains Outstanding (Concerns) - S5 Next (November 2021)
Rated Good at its last graded inspection, in March 2023.
- Quality of educationGood
- Behaviour and attitudesOutstanding
- Personal developmentOutstanding
- Leadership and managementGood
- SafeguardingEffective
Since then: School remains Outstanding (Concerns) - S5 Next (ungraded inspection, November 2021).
Contact and getting there
South Gipsy Road, Welling, DA16 1JB
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Directions: Walk Public transport Drive
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The school’s details, how to get a place and the questions to ask, in your inbox.
Other SEND schools nearby
- Crook Log Primary School Mainstream + base · Ages 3–11 · Ofsted: Good 0.3 miles
- Barrington Primary School Mainstream + base · Ages 4–11 · Ofsted: Good 0.3 miles
- Park View Academy Independent · Ages 6–19 · Ofsted report card (2026) 0.3 miles
By need in Bexley: Autism (21) · Speech and language (10) · Physical (5) · SEMH (4) · Moderate learning (4) · Severe learning (3) · Hearing (2) · Vision (2)
Questions about Aspire Academy
How do I get a place at Aspire Academy?
There’s no catchment area or application round. Places usually come through an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan: ask the council that looks after the plan to consult Aspire Academy. If it is named in the plan, the school must admit your child.
What needs does Aspire Academy support?
Social, emotional and mental health. Every child is different, so ask the school how it would meet your child’s needs.
What ages does Aspire Academy take?
Aged 5 to 11, boys and girls.
What is Aspire Academy’s Ofsted rating?
Rated Good by Ofsted in March 2023 at its last graded inspection. Newer inspections no longer give a single overall grade, so read the latest report for the full picture.
Where is Aspire Academy?
South Gipsy Road, Welling, DA16 1JB, in Bexley.
School data: DfE Get Information About Schools, under the Open Government Licence. Postcode lookups by postcodes.io: contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right, Royal Mail data © Royal Mail copyright and database right, and National Statistics data © Crown copyright and database right. Distances are as the crow flies. Always check details and admissions with the school and your council.