Kingsdown School is a special academy in Southend-on-Sea for children and young people aged 3 to 14. It supports physical, severe learning and PMLD.
- Ages 3–14
- 130 pupils
School details
- Type
- Special academy
- Ages
- 3 to 14
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Pupils
- 130 (places for 130)
- Headteacher
- Mrs Lisa Stroud (Headteacher)
- Part of
- SEN Trust Southend
- Opened
- 1 September 2017
- Free school meals
- 43.8% of pupils eligible
- Council
- Southend-on-Sea
- School reference (URN)
- 144692
Needs it supports
3 needs: physical, severe learning and 1 more
As listed by the Department for Education, grouped the way EHC plans describe needs.
Cognition and learning
- Severe learning difficulty Other schools for this in Southend-on-Sea (1)
- Profound and multiple learning difficulties Other schools for this in Southend-on-Sea (1)
Sensory and physical
- Physical disability Other schools for this in Southend-on-Sea (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 Southend-on-Sea 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, October 2024; school remains Good (Improving) - S5 Next (March 2022)
Inspected in October 2024. Inspections from September 2024 to November 2025 graded each area but gave no overall grade.
- Quality of educationOutstanding
- Behaviour and attitudesOutstanding
- Personal developmentOutstanding
- Leadership and managementOutstanding
- Early yearsOutstanding
- SafeguardingEffective
Since then: School remains Good (Improving) - S5 Next (ungraded inspection, March 2022).
Contact and getting there
Snakes Lane, Southend-on-Sea, SS2 6XT
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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 St Christopher School Special school · Ages 3–19 · Ofsted: Good 0.5 miles
- Blenheim Primary School Mainstream + base · Ages 3–11 · Ofsted: Outstanding 0.8 miles
- Fairways Primary School Mainstream + base · Ages 4–11 · Ofsted: Good 1.1 miles
All SEND schools in Southend-on-Sea
By need in Southend-on-Sea: Autism (10) · Moderate learning (4) · SEMH (3) · Severe learning (2) · PMLD (2) · Physical (2)
Questions about Kingsdown School
How do I get a place at Kingsdown 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 Kingsdown School. If it is named in the plan, the school must admit your child.
What needs does Kingsdown School support?
Physical disability, severe learning difficulty and profound and multiple learning difficulties. Every child is different, so ask the school how it would meet your child’s needs.
What ages does Kingsdown School take?
Aged 3 to 14, boys and girls.
What is Kingsdown School’s Ofsted rating?
Rated Good by Ofsted in October 2024 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 Kingsdown School?
Snakes Lane, Southend-on-Sea, SS2 6XT, in Southend-on-Sea.
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.