Birchwood, Folkestone: SEND school, ages 14–16

Birchwood is a pupil referral unit in Folkestone, Kent, for children and young people aged 14 to 16.

Ages 14–16

School details

Type: Pupil referral unit
Ages: 14 to 16
Boys and girls: Boys and girls
Headteacher: Ms Jane Hollister (Headteacher)
Opened: 1 January 2008
Free school meals: 0% of pupils eligible
Council: Kent
School reference (URN): 135462

How to get a place

3 steps

Talk to your child’s school or the council
Places in alternative provision are usually arranged by your child’s current school or Kent council, rather than applied for directly.
If your child has an EHC plan
The placement should be agreed through the plan, with you involved in the decision.
Get free, independent advice
Your local SENDIASS can explain your options and come to meetings with you.

Kent SENDIASS Kent Local Offer How EHC plans work

Questions to ask when you visit

8 questions to tick off as you go

How many children are in each class, and how many adults?
Which therapies happen in school (speech and language, occupational therapy, physiotherapy), and how often?
What training do staff have in my child’s needs?
How do you help children who are anxious, overwhelmed or in distress?
How will you keep in touch with me day to day?
How does home-to-school transport work?
What happens at the big changes: starting, moving up, and leaving at 16 or 19?
Can my child visit first, or have a settling-in period?

Ticks stay on this device, so you can use them on the day.

Ofsted

Graded by area, July 2025; school remains Good (Concerns) - S5 Next (May 2024)

Inspected in July 2025. Inspections from September 2024 to November 2025 graded each area but gave no overall grade.

Quality of educationGood
Behaviour and attitudesGood
Personal developmentGood
Leadership and managementGood
SafeguardingEffective

Since then: School remains Good (Concerns) - S5 Next (ungraded inspection, May 2024).

Read the Ofsted report

Contact and getting there

Bowen Road, Folkestone, CT19 4FP

03000 658450 School website

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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

All SEND schools in Kent

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 Birchwood

How do I get a place at Birchwood?

Places at Birchwood are usually arranged by your child’s current school or Kent council rather than applied for directly. If your child has an EHC plan, the placement should be agreed through it.

What ages does Birchwood take?

Aged 14 to 16, boys and girls.

What is Birchwood’s Ofsted rating?

Rated Good by Ofsted in July 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 Birchwood?

Bowen Road, Folkestone, CT19 4FP, 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.

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