Elms School is a foundation special school in Dover, Kent, for children and young people aged 5 to 16. It supports autism, SEMH and moderate learning.
- Ages 5–16
- 131 pupils
- Ofsted: Good
School details
- Type
- Foundation special school
- Ages
- 5 to 16
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Pupils
- 131
- Headteacher
- Mr John Dexter (Head Teacher)
- Part of
- Kent Special Educational Needs Trust (KSENT)
- Free school meals
- 79.4% of pupils eligible
- Council
- Kent
- School reference (URN)
- 119046
Needs it supports
3 needs: autism, SEMH and 1 more
As listed by the Department for Education, grouped the way EHC plans describe needs.
Communication and interaction
Cognition and learning
- Moderate learning difficulty Other schools for this in Kent (9)
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, October 2017; school remains Good (March 2023)
Rated Good at its last graded inspection, in October 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, March 2023).
Contact and getting there
Elms Vale Road, Dover, CT17 9PS
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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
- River Primary School Mainstream + base · Ages 4–11 1.3 miles
- The Sallygate School Independent · Ages 8–17 · Ofsted: Good 1.7 miles
- Dover Christ Church Academy Mainstream + base · Ages 11–18 · Ofsted: Requires improvement 2.1 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 Elms School
How do I get a place at Elms 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 Elms School. If it is named in the plan, the school must admit your child.
What needs does Elms School support?
Autism, social, emotional and mental health and moderate learning difficulty. Every child is different, so ask the school how it would meet your child’s needs.
What ages does Elms School take?
Aged 5 to 16, boys and girls.
What is Elms School’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 Elms School?
Elms Vale Road, Dover, CT17 9PS, 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.