St Nicholas' School is a council-run special school in Canterbury, Kent, for children and young people aged 4 to 19. It supports dyslexia and SpLD, vision, speech and language and 7 other needs.
- Ages 4–19
- 402 pupils
- Ofsted: Good
School details
- Type
- Council special school
- Ages
- 4 to 19
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Pupils
- 402 (places for 340)
- Headteacher
- Mr Richard Dalton (Headteacher)
- Free school meals
- 55.4% of pupils eligible
- Council
- Kent
- School reference (URN)
- 119059
Needs it supports
10 needs: dyslexia and SpLD, vision and 8 more
As listed by the Department for Education, grouped the way EHC plans describe needs.
Communication and interaction
- Autism Other schools for this in Kent (62)
- Speech, language and communication Other schools for this in Kent (31)
Cognition and learning
- Specific learning difficulty (such as dyslexia) Other schools for this in Kent (3)
- Moderate learning difficulty Other schools for this in Kent (9)
- Severe learning difficulty Other schools for this in Kent (10)
- Profound and multiple learning difficulties Other schools for this in Kent (10)
Social, emotional and mental health
- Social, emotional and mental health Other schools for this in Kent (10)
Sensory and physical
- Visual impairment Other schools for this in Kent (7)
- Multi-sensory impairment Other schools for this in Kent (2)
- Physical disability Other schools for this in Kent (13)
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 2014; school remains Good (February 2024)
Rated Good at its last graded inspection, in March 2014. That was some time ago, so read the latest report for the full picture.
- Leadership and managementGood
Since then: School remains Good (ungraded inspection, February 2024).
Contact and getting there
Holm Oak Close, Nunnery Fields, Canterbury, CT1 3JJ
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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
- The Orchard School Special school · Ages 7–16 · Ofsted report card (2026) 0.1 miles
- Wincheap Foundation Primary School Mainstream + base · Ages 4–11 · Ofsted: Good 0.4 miles
- Newingate School Independent · Ages 11–18 · Ofsted: Good 0.5 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 St Nicholas' School
How do I get a place at St Nicholas' 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 St Nicholas' School. If it is named in the plan, the school must admit your child.
What needs does St Nicholas' School support?
Specific learning difficulty (such as dyslexia), visual impairment, speech, language and communication, autism, social, emotional and mental health, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability, moderate learning difficulty, 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 St Nicholas' School take?
Aged 4 to 19, boys and girls.
What is St Nicholas' School’s Ofsted rating?
Rated Good by Ofsted in February 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 St Nicholas' School?
Holm Oak Close, Nunnery Fields, Canterbury, CT1 3JJ, 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.