Caldecott Foundation School is a non-maintained special school, run by a charity in Ashford, Kent, for children and young people aged 5 to 18. It supports SEMH.
- Ages 5–18
- 69 pupils
- Ofsted: Good
School details
- Type
- Non-maintained special school
- Ages
- 5 to 18
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Pupils
- 69 (places for 85)
- Headteacher
- Miss Stacey McShane (Headteacher)
- Boarding
- Boarding school
- Free school meals
- 37.7% of pupils eligible
- Council
- Kent
- School reference (URN)
- 119027
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 Kent (10)
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 Kent 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 2017; school remains Good (October 2022)
Rated Good at its last graded inspection, in March 2017. That was some time ago, so read the latest report for the full picture.
- Leadership and managementGood
- SafeguardingEffective
Since then: School remains Good (ungraded inspection, October 2022).
Contact and getting there
Station Road, Smeeth, Ashford, TN25 6PW
Loading the map…
Directions: Walk Public transport Drive
Email me these details
The school’s details, how to get a place and the questions to ask, in your inbox.
Other SEND schools nearby
- Finberry Primary School Mainstream + base · Ages 2–11 · Ofsted: Good 2.8 miles
- The North School Mainstream + base · Ages 11–19 · Ofsted: Good 3.4 miles
- Kings Park School Independent · Ages 7–16 · Ofsted report card (2026) 3.9 miles
By need in Kent: Autism (63) · Speech and language (32) · Physical (14) · SEMH (11) · Severe learning (11) · PMLD (11) · Moderate learning (10) · Hearing (10) · Vision (8) · Dyslexia and SpLD (4) · Multi-sensory (3)
Questions about Caldecott Foundation School
How do I get a place at Caldecott Foundation School?
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 Caldecott Foundation School. If it is named in the plan, the school must admit your child.
What needs does Caldecott Foundation School 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 Caldecott Foundation School take?
Aged 5 to 18, boys and girls.
What is Caldecott Foundation School’s Ofsted rating?
Rated Good by Ofsted in October 2022 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 Caldecott Foundation School?
Station Road, Smeeth, Ashford, TN25 6PW, in Kent.
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.