On Main Street in Baston, one small detail sets the tone: junior pupils have their own Forest School, built into the school week rather than treated as an occasional extra. It hints at the wider pattern here, which is practical, personalised, and deliberately small-scale.
Kirkstone House School is an independent all-through school for boys and girls aged 4 to 18 in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, with a published capacity of 350. The 2025 ISI progress monitoring inspection found the school met all the relevant standards that were considered. For families, the headline is not polish or prestige, but fit: a school designed to flex around the child in front of it.
The school’s own language puts the individual first, and it is consistent across the information families see: personalised learning, a flexible curriculum, and a community where children are well known. That last point can sound like brochure-speak elsewhere; here it is reinforced by the way support is described as routine rather than exceptional, from dyslexia-aware teaching to learning support that runs alongside everyday lessons.
A notable feature of Kirkstone House is how openly it positions itself as inclusive, including for pupils with education, health and care plans. That matters because it shapes expectations. Some children arrive after difficult patches at previous schools, and a culture that prioritises relationships and steady routines can be the difference between coping and learning.
Size also plays into atmosphere. With capacity capped at 350, the social world is smaller and often easier to navigate, especially for children who find busy corridors, constant transitions, or big-class dynamics hard work. The trade-off is that it is not the kind of school where children disappear into the crowd and reappear only at parents’ evening.
The GCSE picture, on the official measures used in FindMySchool rankings, is modest. Ranked 3958th in England and 21st in Peterborough for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), Kirkstone House sits below England average on the dataset’s headline indicators.
One reason families look past league-table style summaries is that Kirkstone House makes deliberate curriculum choices that do not automatically align with the standard EBacc route. Languages are optional rather than compulsory in the senior years, and the school describes real flexibility over the number and level of courses a student takes. On the published dataset, 0% of pupils achieved grades 5 or above in the EBacc measure, and the average EBacc APS score is 0.79 (England average: 4.08). Those figures will matter to families who want a conventional, academically selective pathway.
There is, however, another strand to results here: the school communicates success in broader qualification routes. In its most recent exam news, it states that 100% of pupils passed BTEC courses, and that 100% achieved Functional Skills English Level 2, alongside a reported 92% achieving GCSE Statistics. If you are comparing local schools, the FindMySchool Comparison Tool is a sensible way to see how these official indicators sit alongside nearby options, then decide how much weight to give each measure given your child’s needs.
England ranks and key metrics (where available)
GCSE 9–7
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% of students achieving grades 9-7
Kirkstone House is explicit about flexibility, and it shows up most clearly at Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4. In Year 7, the school describes a broad spread that includes separate sciences, humanities, languages, creative subjects, and practical areas such as food technology. Assessment is framed around personal targets with regular reporting, and there is also reference to dyslexia screening as part of how learning needs are identified early.
By Key Stage 4, the options list is wide and deliberately mixed: GCSEs sit alongside BTECs, Cambridge Technical routes, and other qualifications. The school also describes pupils being able to choose how many science subjects to take, whether to study a modern foreign language, and how English is structured. That kind of choice can be empowering for students who have clear strengths, uneven profiles, or a history of struggling in one-size systems. It does, however, ask more of families too, because the right combination of courses is a planning job.
Support is not presented as a separate track. Learning support is described as happening in class and through targeted interventions, with learning support assistants matched to pupils and staff working from recommendations in education, health and care plans. For students who need calm, consistent scaffolding rather than constant pressure, that is the core educational offer.
Kirkstone House is an all-through school, and it talks openly about pupils arriving and leaving at different points. In the junior years, there is explicit support for 11+ preparation for local grammar school entry, alongside the option for many pupils to continue into the senior school. That dual track is important: it suggests the school is used to guiding families through choice points rather than assuming a single default route.
For older students, the school’s messaging leans towards individual destinations rather than a single headline pipeline. It references pupils moving on to a mix of schools and colleges, and also points to apprenticeships for some leavers. In its most recent results update, it gives examples that include Bourne Grammar School, Stamford College and Brooksby Agricultural College, alongside engineering apprenticeships. That spread is a clue to what “next steps” means here: a spectrum of routes, matched to the student’s profile, rather than one dominant destination type.
A useful way to think about progression at Kirkstone House is that it values stability and readiness. For some students, staying within the same community through the teenage years can reduce churn and help confidence build. For others, the right move is a larger sixth form or specialist college with a broader social and subject mix. The school’s approach leaves room for both.
Admissions are direct to the school, and it states it is happy to consider joining in any year group throughout the academic year. That is a practical advantage for families moving area, or for those seeking a change after a difficult year elsewhere.
For Year 7 entry, the school sets out an Entrance Assessment taken in January of Year 6, with papers in English (reading), English (writing), and mathematics. Importantly, it describes these as diagnostic, with no pass or fail grades, and it frames the day as a chance for children to spend time in school and sample lessons. For children who do not test well, or who are anxious about high-stakes exams, this is a materially different tone from selective schools.
The school also highlights natural joining points later on, including Year 10, where it positions a two-year GCSE programme as a focused option for some families. Entry is described as subject to interview, assessment, and place availability.
Open events are part of the picture, but the school also signals that visits can happen through the year. Its visits page states the next Open Evening will take place during the Summer Term 2026, which is worth bearing in mind if you are planning ahead for a September start. If you are shortlisting several options in the area, the Saved Schools feature on FindMySchool helps keep track of key dates, questions to ask, and what each school is offering your child.
Pastoral care is positioned as central rather than supplementary. In senior school, pupils are placed into tutor groups and houses, and the school describes close staff availability through the day. It also highlights a Head of Pastoral Care and Wellbeing, and pupil Wellbeing Ambassadors as a layer of peer support.
One of the most telling wellbeing details is the existence of “My Space”, described in the clubs timetable as a haven to enhance wellbeing. That suggests the school expects some pupils to need regulated, structured support, and it has made room for it in the week rather than treating it as an emergency measure. Alongside that, the site references clear expectations on behaviour and a strong stance against bullying, including online.
For families of children with additional needs, the names and roles are not hidden. The SENDCo and Deputy SENDCo are identified, and learning support is described as integrated into trips, clubs, and ordinary lessons. That matters because inclusion is not just about the classroom; it is about whether a child can take part in the wider life of the school without constant friction.
The enrichment offer is more specific than many small schools manage, and it is varied across ages. In Key Stage 3, the school references lunchtime sports, clubs such as Lego club and sewing club, and the school choir. There are also structured “clinic” sessions on the clubs timetable, including mathematics and science clinics, which suggests academic support is normalised rather than stigmatised.
Key Stage 4 adds another layer. The school names Youth Theatre, LabRats, Jewellery Club, Fishing, Gardening Club and Christmas Cake Club as part of its wider programme. There is also a whole-school production with rehearsals scheduled in the weekly rhythm, not just as a one-off burst before a performance. For students who gain confidence through making and doing, that range can be a genuine strength.
Positions of responsibility are described repeatedly and in practical terms: student ambassadors, hospitality and technical teams, school council roles, prefects and house captains. This is not a school that treats leadership as a badge for the most outgoing. It offers a menu of ways to contribute, including roles that suit quieter students who prefer organising, setting up, or supporting.
The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award is also clearly established. The school is a licensed centre, offering Bronze from Year 9 and Silver subject to demand, with an annual overnight expedition to the Rutland Water area. For many teenagers, DofE is where resilience becomes real, because it asks for consistency over weeks, and teamwork when you are tired.
*Bursaries may be available for eligible families.
Basis: per term
Kirkstone House sits just off the A15 in Baston, which makes it straightforward for families driving in from surrounding towns and villages. The school also runs buses, with the published fee sheet noting routes currently operating from Stamford and Peterborough. Stamford and Peterborough stations provide rail links for families combining train and bus.
The school publishes extended day options, with breakfast club running 7:45am to 9:00am and after-school club running 4:00pm to 5:30pm. Before and after school care is delivered by school staff, and families are directed to the lower school team for booking details.
A flexible curriculum needs active choices: The school’s strength is variety and adaptability, from optional languages to mixed academic and vocational routes. That can be exactly right for some students, but it also means families should be ready to think carefully about subject combinations, exam load, and what “success” looks like for their child.
Results look different here: On the headline GCSE measures used in standard comparisons, the school’s ranking is low. If you want a conventional EBacc-heavy pathway with strong performance indicators, interrogate this carefully and ask how the school’s curriculum decisions shape the published outcomes.
SEND is not an add-on: Kirkstone House describes itself as inclusive and supports pupils with education, health and care plans. For many families, that is the point. For others, it is a reminder that the student body may include a higher proportion of children who need structure and support, which shapes classroom pace and the social mix.
Rural logistics can dominate the week: With a semi-rural setting, transport planning matters. School buses help, but clubs, productions and DofE all extend the day; make sure the commute works when the timetable is busiest, not just on a calm Tuesday.
Kirkstone House School is built around individual fit: small classes, flexible pathways, and a clear expectation that learning support should sit inside everyday teaching rather than outside it. It is best suited to families who want an all-through independent where children are well known, where additional needs are understood, and where confidence is developed through practical roles as much as through exams.
The biggest decision is whether the school’s outcomes, on the standard GCSE measures, match what you want from the secondary years. For the right child, the value is not a straight line to a single destination, but a steady return to learning, and a route forward that feels achievable.
For the right child, it can be a very good fit. The school positions itself as inclusive, with structured learning support and a flexible curriculum, and its most recent ISI progress monitoring inspection found the relevant standards considered were met. The key question is whether you want a conventional, exam-led pathway, or a more individualised route that can include vocational qualifications alongside GCSEs.
Fees are published per term and differ by junior and senior sections, with lunch included in the tuition fee. The school also publishes costs for wraparound care and outlines one-off charges such as a registration fee and a senior school deposit, alongside sibling discounts on the tuition element.
No. For Year 7 entry, the school uses entrance assessments in English and mathematics, but it states these are diagnostic and there are no pass or fail grades. It also says pupils can join in other year groups, with assessment taking place during the first few weeks.
Yes. The school identifies key SEND staff and describes learning support as part of ordinary classroom life as well as one-to-one support where needed. It also frames the school as inclusive, including for pupils with education, health and care plans.
Many families will drive, with the school located just off the A15 in Baston. The school also runs buses, with its published information noting current routes from Stamford and Peterborough, which can work well for families travelling in from those towns.
Get in touch with the school directly
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