Valence School is a foundation special school in Westerham, Kent, for children and young people aged 4 to 19. It supports physical.
- Ages 4–19
- 129 pupils
- Ofsted: Good
School details
- Type
- Foundation special school
- Ages
- 4 to 19
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Pupils
- 129 (places for 128)
- Headteacher
- Mr Matthew Strange (Principal)
- Boarding
- Boarding school
- Free school meals
- 32% of pupils eligible
- Council
- Kent
- School reference (URN)
- 119032
Needs it supports
2 needs: physical
As listed by the Department for Education, grouped the way EHC plans describe needs.
Sensory and physical
- Physical disability Other schools for this in Kent (13)
It also lists other needs. Ask the school what these are.
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, December 2019; standards maintained (June 2025)
Rated Good at its last graded inspection, in December 2019.
- Quality of educationGood
- Behaviour and attitudesOutstanding
- Personal developmentOutstanding
- Leadership and managementGood
- Early yearsGood
- Sixth formGood
- SafeguardingEffective
Since then: Standards maintained (ungraded inspection, June 2025).
Contact and getting there
Westerham Road, Westerham, TN16 1QN
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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
- Limpsfield Grange School Special school · Ages 11–16 · Ofsted: Outstanding 3.5 miles
- Laurel House School Independent · Ages 5–15 4.0 miles
- Oxted School Mainstream + base · Ages 11–18 · Ofsted report card (2026) 4.1 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 Valence School
How do I get a place at Valence 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 Valence School. If it is named in the plan, the school must admit your child.
What needs does Valence School support?
Physical disability. Every child is different, so ask the school how it would meet your child’s needs.
What ages does Valence School take?
Aged 4 to 19, boys and girls.
What is Valence School’s Ofsted rating?
Rated Good by Ofsted in June 2025 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 Valence School?
Westerham Road, Westerham, TN16 1QN, 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.