Leigh Academy Strood is a mainstream secondary school with an SEN unit and resourced provision in Rochester, Medway, for children and young people aged 11 to 19. Its specialist base has 50 places for autism.
- Ages 11–19
- 1,311 pupils
- Ofsted report card (2026)
School details
- Type
- Mainstream school with an SEN unit and resourced provision
- Ages
- 11 to 19
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Specialist base
- An SEN unit and resourced provision, 50 places, 10 pupils
- Pupils
- 1,311
- Headteacher
- Mr Jon Richardson (Principal)
- Part of
- Leigh Academies Trust
- Council
- Medway
- School reference (URN)
- 135964
Needs its base supports
1 need: autism
As listed by the Department for Education, grouped the way EHC plans describe needs.
Communication and interaction
How to get a place
4 steps, starting with an EHC plan
- An EHC plan
Places in an SEN unit or resourced provision are usually for children with 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 about the base
See the school and its specialist base, and ask how children split their time between the base and mainstream classes.
- Ask for the school to be named
Tell the council that looks after the plan (often Medway council) that you want this school and its base, 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. Places in the base itself are agreed between the council and the school, so ask how they decide.
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
Report card, June 2026: Strong standard in 5 of 7 areas
Inspected in June 2026 under Ofsted’s new report cards, which grade each area separately, from Exceptional to Urgent improvement, instead of one overall grade.
- InclusionStrong standard
- Curriculum and teachingStrong standard
- AchievementExpected standard
- Attendance and behaviourStrong standard
- Personal development and wellbeingStrong standard
- Post-16Expected standard
- Leadership and governanceStrong standard
- SafeguardingMet
Since then: School remains Good (ungraded inspection, December 2021).
Contact and getting there
Carnation Road, Strood, Rochester, ME2 2SX
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Directions: Walk Public transport Drive
Email me these details
The school’s details, how to get a place and the questions to ask, in your inbox.
Other SEND schools nearby
- Elaine Primary School Mainstream + base · Ages 3–11 · Ofsted: Good 0.5 miles
- Abbey Court Foundation Special School Special school · Ages 3–19 · Ofsted: Outstanding 0.6 miles
- FORWARD2 EMPLOYMENT LIMITED Independent · Ages 16–25 1.0 mile
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 Leigh Academy Strood
How do I get a place in Leigh Academy Strood’s specialist base?
Places in an SEN unit or resourced provision usually come through an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan: ask the council that looks after the plan to consult the school about its base. If the school is named in the plan it must admit your child; places in the base itself are agreed between the council and the school.
What needs does Leigh Academy Strood support?
Autism. Every child is different, so ask the school how it would meet your child’s needs.
What ages does Leigh Academy Strood take?
Aged 11 to 19, boys and girls.
What is Leigh Academy Strood’s Ofsted rating?
Rated Good by Ofsted in June 2026 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 Leigh Academy Strood?
Carnation Road, Strood, Rochester, ME2 2SX, 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.