Aspire School is a special free school in Sittingbourne, Kent, for children and young people aged 4 to 11. It supports speech and language and autism.
- Ages 4–11
- 194 pupils
School details
- Type
- Special free school
- Ages
- 4 to 11
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Pupils
- 194 (places for 172)
- Headteacher
- Mr Neil Dipple
- Part of
- Bourne Alliance Multi Academy Trust
- Opened
- 1 September 2020
- Free school meals
- 40.2% of pupils eligible
- Council
- Kent
- School reference (URN)
- 147833
Needs it supports
2 needs: speech and language, autism
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)
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 Kent 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, March 2025
Inspected in March 2025. Inspections from September 2024 to November 2025 graded each area but gave no overall grade.
- Quality of educationGood
- Behaviour and attitudesGood
- Personal developmentGood
- Leadership and managementGood
- Early yearsOutstanding
- SafeguardingEffective
Contact and getting there
Vellum Drive, Sittingbourne, ME10 5DA
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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
- Westlands School Mainstream + base · Ages 11–18 · Ofsted: Good 0.5 miles
- Minterne Junior School Mainstream + base · Ages 7–11 · Ofsted report card (2026) 1.2 miles
- The Oaks Infant School Mainstream + base · Ages 3–7 · Ofsted: Good 1.2 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 Aspire School
How do I get a place at Aspire 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 Aspire School. If it is named in the plan, the school must admit your child.
What needs does Aspire School support?
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 Aspire School take?
Aged 4 to 11, boys and girls.
What is Aspire School’s Ofsted rating?
There’s no overall grade to show. Read the school’s latest inspection report on the Ofsted website.
Where is Aspire School?
Vellum Drive, Sittingbourne, ME10 5DA, 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.