INSPIRE Free Special School is a special free school in Chatham, Medway, for children and young people aged 11 to 18. It supports SEMH.
- Ages 11–18
- 98 pupils
- Ofsted: Good
School details
- Type
- Special free school
- Ages
- 11 to 18
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Pupils
- 98 (places for 100)
- Headteacher
- Mr Daniel Peck (Head of School)
- Part of
- Rivermead Inclusive Trust
- Opened
- 1 September 2014
- Free school meals
- 65.3% of pupils eligible
- Council
- Medway
- School reference (URN)
- 141005
Needs it supports
1 need: SEMH
As listed by the Department for Education, grouped the way EHC plans describe needs.
Social, emotional and mental health
- Social, emotional and mental health Other schools for this in Medway (7)
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 Medway 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 2018; school remains Good (December 2023)
Rated Good at its last graded inspection, in June 2018. That was some time ago, so read the latest report for the full picture.
- Leadership and managementGood
- SafeguardingEffective
Since then: School remains Good (ungraded inspection, December 2023).
Contact and getting there
Churchill Avenue, Chatham, ME5 0LB
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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 Rowans Alternative provision · Ages 5–16 · Ofsted report card (2025) 0.0 miles
- Bradfields Academy Special school · Ages 4–19 · Ofsted: Outstanding 0.0 miles
- The Victory Academy Mainstream + base · Ages 11–18 · Ofsted: Good 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 INSPIRE Free Special School
How do I get a place at INSPIRE Free Special 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 INSPIRE Free Special School. If it is named in the plan, the school must admit your child.
What needs does INSPIRE Free Special School support?
Social, emotional and mental health. Every child is different, so ask the school how it would meet your child’s needs.
What ages does INSPIRE Free Special School take?
Aged 11 to 18, boys and girls.
What is INSPIRE Free Special School’s Ofsted rating?
Rated Good by Ofsted in December 2023 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 INSPIRE Free Special School?
Churchill Avenue, Chatham, ME5 0LB, 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.