Portal House School is a council-run special school in Dover, Kent, for boys aged 11 to 16. It supports autism and SEMH.
- Ages 11–16
- 80 pupils
- Boys only
- Ofsted: Good
School details
- Type
- Council special school
- Ages
- 11 to 16
- Boys and girls
- Boys only
- Pupils
- 80 (places for 80)
- Headteacher
- Mrs Rosemary Bradley (Headteacher)
- Free school meals
- 68.8% of pupils eligible
- Council
- Kent
- School reference (URN)
- 119062
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 Good, June 2015; standards maintained (January 2025)
Rated Good at its last graded inspection, in June 2015. That was some time ago, so read the latest report for the full picture.
- Leadership and managementGood
Since then: Standards maintained (ungraded inspection, January 2025).
Contact and getting there
Sea Street, St Margaret's-At-Cliffe, Dover, CT15 6SS
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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
- Learning Opportunities Centre Secondary Independent · Ages 10–19 · Ofsted: Good 2.3 miles
- Ripplevale School Independent · Ages 6–19 3.3 miles
- Dover Christ Church Academy Mainstream + base · Ages 11–18 · Ofsted: Requires improvement 3.4 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 Portal House School
How do I get a place at Portal House 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 Portal House School. If it is named in the plan, the school must admit your child.
What needs does Portal House 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 Portal House School take?
Aged 11 to 16, boys only.
What is Portal House School’s Ofsted rating?
Rated Good by Ofsted in January 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 Portal House School?
Sea Street, St Margaret's-At-Cliffe, Dover, CT15 6SS, 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.