Bower Grove School is a foundation special school in Maidstone, Kent, for children and young people aged 4 to 16. It supports autism and SEMH.
- Ages 4–16
- 246 pupils
- Ofsted: Outstanding
School details
- Type
- Foundation special school
- Ages
- 4 to 16
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Pupils
- 246 (places for 225)
- Headteacher
- Mrs Maz Cleave (Head Teacher)
- Free school meals
- 67.1% of pupils eligible
- Council
- Kent
- School reference (URN)
- 119036
Needs it supports
2 needs: autism, SEMH
As listed by the Department for Education, grouped the way EHC plans describe needs.
Communication and interaction
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 Outstanding, September 2019; standards maintained (November 2024)
Rated Outstanding at its last graded inspection, in September 2019.
- Quality of educationOutstanding
- Behaviour and attitudesOutstanding
- Personal developmentOutstanding
- Leadership and managementOutstanding
- SafeguardingEffective
Since then: Standards maintained (ungraded inspection, November 2024).
Contact and getting there
Fant Lane, Maidstone, ME16 8NL
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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
- St Augustine Academy Mainstream + base · Ages 11–16 · Ofsted report card (2026) 0.5 miles
- Maidstone and Malling Alternative Provision Alternative provision · Ages 12–17 · Ofsted: Good 0.9 miles
- Serenity School Maidstone Independent · Ages 5–18 · Ofsted report card (2026) 1.7 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 Bower Grove School
How do I get a place at Bower Grove 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 Bower Grove School. If it is named in the plan, the school must admit your child.
What needs does Bower Grove School support?
Autism and social, emotional and mental health. Every child is different, so ask the school how it would meet your child’s needs.
What ages does Bower Grove School take?
Aged 4 to 16, boys and girls.
What is Bower Grove School’s Ofsted rating?
Rated Outstanding by Ofsted in November 2024 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 Bower Grove School?
Fant Lane, Maidstone, ME16 8NL, 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.