The Canterbury Academy is a mainstream secondary school with resourced provision in Canterbury, Kent, for children and young people aged 11 to 19. Its specialist base has 62 places for hearing impairment, speech, language and communication and autism.
- Ages 11–19
- 1,984 pupils
- Ofsted report card (2026)
School details
- Type
- Mainstream school with resourced provision
- Ages
- 11 to 19
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Specialist base
- Resourced provision, 62 places, 58 pupils
- Pupils
- 1,984
- Headteacher
- Mr Jon Watson (Principal)
- Part of
- The Canterbury Academy Trust
- Council
- Kent
- School reference (URN)
- 136302
Needs its base supports
3 needs: hearing, speech and language and 1 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)
Sensory and physical
- Hearing impairment Other schools for this in Kent (9)
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 Kent 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, January 2026: Expected standard in 4 of 7 areas
Inspected in January 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 teachingExpected standard
- AchievementExpected standard
- Attendance and behaviourExpected standard
- Personal development and wellbeingStrong standard
- Post-16Strong standard
- Leadership and governanceExpected standard
- SafeguardingMet
Contact and getting there
Knight Avenue, Canterbury, CT2 8QA
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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
- The Canterbury Primary School Mainstream + base · Ages 4–11 · Ofsted: Good 0.2 miles
- Haven Nook Independent · Ages 11–18 · Ofsted: Good 0.6 miles
- Wincheap Foundation Primary School Mainstream + base · Ages 4–11 · Ofsted: Good 0.6 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 The Canterbury Academy
How do I get a place in The Canterbury Academy’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 The Canterbury Academy support?
Hearing impairment, speech, language and communication and autism. Every child is different, so ask the school how it would meet your child’s needs.
What ages does The Canterbury Academy take?
Aged 11 to 19, boys and girls.
What is The Canterbury Academy’s Ofsted rating?
Rated Requires improvement by Ofsted in January 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 The Canterbury Academy?
Knight Avenue, Canterbury, CT2 8QA, 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.