Abbey Court Foundation Special School is a council-run special school in Rochester, Medway, for children and young people aged 3 to 19. It supports severe learning and PMLD.
- Ages 3–19
- 236 pupils
- Ofsted: Outstanding
School details
- Type
- Council special school
- Ages
- 3 to 19
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Pupils
- 236 (places for 240)
- Headteacher
- Ms Vicky Aspin (Headteacher)
- Free school meals
- 48.2% of pupils eligible
- Council
- Medway
- School reference (URN)
- 119052
Needs it supports
2 needs: severe learning, PMLD
As listed by the Department for Education, grouped the way EHC plans describe needs.
Cognition and learning
- Severe learning difficulty Other schools for this in Medway (1)
- Profound and multiple learning difficulties Other schools for this in Medway (1)
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 Medway 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, October 2012; school remains Outstanding (March 2023)
Rated Outstanding at its last graded inspection, in October 2012. That was some time ago, so read the latest report for the full picture.
- Leadership and managementOutstanding
Since then: School remains Outstanding (ungraded inspection, March 2023).
Contact and getting there
Rede Court Road, Strood, Rochester, ME2 3SP
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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
- Leigh Academy Strood Mainstream + base · Ages 11–19 · Ofsted report card (2026) 0.6 miles
- Elaine Primary School Mainstream + base · Ages 3–11 · Ofsted: Good 0.6 miles
- All Faiths Children's Academy Mainstream + base · Ages 3–11 · Ofsted: Good 0.8 miles
By need in Medway: SEMH (8) · Autism (7) · Speech and language (4) · Moderate learning (2) · Severe learning (2) · PMLD (2) · Hearing (2) · Vision (2) · Physical (2)
Questions about Abbey Court Foundation Special School
How do I get a place at Abbey Court Foundation Special 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 Abbey Court Foundation Special School. If it is named in the plan, the school must admit your child.
What needs does Abbey Court Foundation Special School support?
Severe learning difficulty and profound and multiple learning difficulties. Every child is different, so ask the school how it would meet your child’s needs.
What ages does Abbey Court Foundation Special School take?
Aged 3 to 19, boys and girls.
What is Abbey Court Foundation Special School’s Ofsted rating?
Rated Outstanding 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 Abbey Court Foundation Special School?
Rede Court Road, Strood, Rochester, ME2 3SP, in Medway.
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.