Leigh Academy Snowfields is a special free school in Maidstone, Kent, for children and young people aged 11 to 18. It supports autism.
- Ages 11–18
- 355 pupils
- Ofsted: Outstanding
School details
- Type
- Special free school
- Ages
- 11 to 18
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Pupils
- 355 (places for 396)
- Headteacher
- Mrs Laura Smith
- Part of
- Leigh Academies Trust
- Opened
- 1 September 2020
- Free school meals
- 33.3% of pupils eligible
- Council
- Kent
- School reference (URN)
- 147870
Needs it supports
1 need: autism
As listed by the Department for Education, grouped the way EHC plans describe needs.
Communication and interaction
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
Rated Outstanding, June 2023
Rated Outstanding at its last graded inspection, in June 2023.
- Quality of educationOutstanding
- Behaviour and attitudesOutstanding
- Personal developmentOutstanding
- Leadership and managementOutstanding
- SafeguardingEffective
Contact and getting there
Popesfield Way, Maidstone, ME14 5GA
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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
- Valley Invicta Primary School At East Borough Mainstream + base · Ages 4–11 · Ofsted report card (2026) 1.2 miles
- Serenity School Maidstone Independent · Ages 5–18 · Ofsted report card (2026) 1.9 miles
- King's Reach Education Independent · Ages 11–25 · Ofsted report card (2026) 2.2 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 Leigh Academy Snowfields
How do I get a place at Leigh Academy Snowfields?
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 Leigh Academy Snowfields. If it is named in the plan, the school must admit your child.
What needs does Leigh Academy Snowfields support?
Autism. Every child is different, so ask the school how it would meet your child’s needs.
What ages does Leigh Academy Snowfields take?
Aged 11 to 18, boys and girls.
What is Leigh Academy Snowfields’s Ofsted rating?
Rated Outstanding by Ofsted in June 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 Leigh Academy Snowfields?
Popesfield Way, Maidstone, ME14 5GA, 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.