Parkwood Hall Academy Trust is a special academy in Swanley, Kensington and Chelsea, for children and young people aged 8 to 19. It supports dyslexia and SpLD, speech and language, autism and 2 other needs.
- Ages 8–19
- 136 pupils
School details
- Type
- Special academy
- Ages
- 8 to 19
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Pupils
- 136 (places for 120)
- Headteacher
- Mr Simon Collins (Principal)
- Part of
- Parkwood Hall Academy Trust
- Opened
- 1 May 2015
- Free school meals
- 43.7% of pupils eligible
- Council
- Kensington and Chelsea
- School reference (URN)
- 141957
Needs it supports
5 needs: dyslexia and SpLD, speech and language and 3 more
As listed by the Department for Education, grouped the way EHC plans describe needs.
Communication and interaction
- Autism Other schools for this in Kensington and Chelsea (9)
- Speech, language and communication Other schools for this in Kensington and Chelsea (4)
Cognition and learning
- Specific learning difficulty (such as dyslexia) Other schools for this in Kensington and Chelsea (2)
- Moderate learning difficulty Other schools for this in Kensington and Chelsea (2)
- Severe learning difficulty Other schools for this in Kensington and Chelsea (1)
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 Kensington and Chelsea 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
Graded by area, July 2025; school remains Good (Concerns) - S5 Next (October 2023)
Inspected in July 2025. Inspections from September 2024 to November 2025 graded each area but gave no overall grade.
- Quality of educationGood
- Behaviour and attitudesOutstanding
- Personal developmentGood
- Leadership and managementGood
- Sixth formGood
- SafeguardingEffective
Since then: School remains Good (Concerns) - S5 Next (ungraded inspection, October 2023).
Contact and getting there
Beechenlea Lane, Swanley, BR8 8DR
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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
- SupaJam Education In Music and Media Independent · Ages 16–25 1.0 mile
- Orchards Academy Mainstream + base · Ages 11–18 1.0 mile
- The Annex School House Independent · Ages 8–16 · Ofsted: Good 1.4 miles
All SEND schools in Kensington and Chelsea
By need in Kensington and Chelsea: Autism (10) · Speech and language (5) · SEMH (3) · Moderate learning (3) · Dyslexia and SpLD (3) · Severe learning (2) · Vision (2) · Physical (2)
Questions about Parkwood Hall Academy Trust
How do I get a place at Parkwood Hall Academy Trust?
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 Parkwood Hall Academy Trust. If it is named in the plan, the school must admit your child.
What needs does Parkwood Hall Academy Trust support?
Specific learning difficulty (such as dyslexia), speech, language and communication, autism, moderate learning difficulty and severe learning difficulty. Every child is different, so ask the school how it would meet your child’s needs.
What ages does Parkwood Hall Academy Trust take?
Aged 8 to 19, boys and girls.
What is Parkwood Hall Academy Trust’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 Parkwood Hall Academy Trust?
Beechenlea Lane, Swanley, BR8 8DR, in Kensington and Chelsea.
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.