Abbey Court Foundation Special School, Rochester
Abbey Court Foundation Special School is a special school for pupils aged 3 to 19 in Rochester. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in October 2012. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in March 2023 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2012)
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Abbey Court Foundation Special School in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Abbey Court Foundation Special School are FORWARD2 EMPLOYMENT LIMITED (0.8 miles, Good); Ripplevale School Rochester (1.9 miles); City of Rochester School (2.5 miles, Good); and Blue Skies School (2.7 miles, Good).
FORWARD2 EMPLOYMENT LIMITEDRipplevale School RochesterCity of Rochester SchoolBlue Skies School
Where pupils go next
Of the 16 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 100% stayed in education or training for at least two terms.
Who goes there
46.2% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 27.1% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (63%), Black (13%) and Asian (10%).
Almost every pupil at Abbey Court Foundation Special School has an education, health and care plan (233 of 236 in 2026). The most common need among them is a severe learning difficulty.
Abbey Court Foundation Special School has a resourced provision for severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties: 250 places, 250 pupils on roll.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Strood Rail Station, about 1 mile away in a straight line.
10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Strood Fire Station (opposite), 80 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
Abbey Court Foundation Special School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Sources: DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 4 years agoThis judgement is from October 2012, 14 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Outstanding.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Outstanding at its October 2012 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
46.2%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
Resourced provision: SLD, PMLD
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with Abbey Court Foundation Special School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Abbey Court Foundation Special School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Abbey Court Foundation Special School is in Medway; for families living there:
Apply to Medway for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 16
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 16 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 14 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on a bicycle.
4 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Medway is 25 (the median across 117 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
94%
Near capacity
236 pupils
250 places
14 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Rochester
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Rochester
Across Medway council
Places available
3,844
Applications
3,586
Got 1st preference
80.4%
Got preferred school
96.8%
All secondary applications across Medway council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(6)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
3
SEN Support
233
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Abbey Court Foundation Special School has a resourced provision for severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties: 250 places, 250 pupils on roll.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
236
Total Pupils
156
Boys
80
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
43
Teachers
5.5:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£51,880
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
11.5%
Overall absence
36.7%
Persistent absence
180
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Abbey Court Foundation Special School
Showing 10 of 14 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Abbey Court Foundation Special School
What are SATs results like at Abbey Court Foundation Special School?
Of the pupils at Abbey Court Foundation Special School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 0% reached the expected standard in reading and 0% did so in maths.
What is Abbey Court Foundation Special School's Ofsted rating?
Abbey Court Foundation Special School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in March 2023, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in October 2012, it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for Abbey Court Foundation Special School?
No fixed boundary. When Abbey Court Foundation Special School is oversubscribed, Medway allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Abbey Court Foundation Special School?
Abbey Court Foundation Special School has around 236 pupils on roll. 46% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Abbey Court Foundation Special School have specialist SEN provision?
Abbey Court Foundation Special School has a resourced provision for severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties: 250 places, 250 pupils on roll.
What is attendance like at Abbey Court Foundation Special School?
11.5% of sessions were missed at Abbey Court Foundation Special School in 2024/25. 36.7% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Abbey Court Foundation Special School?
Apply through Medway's coordinated admissions process, naming Abbey Court Foundation Special School on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
How many road collisions happen near Abbey Court Foundation Special School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 16 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 14 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on a bicycle. 4 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Medway is 25 (the median across 117 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Abbey Court Foundation Special School?
Abbey Court Foundation Special School is at Rede Court Road, Strood, Rochester, Kent, ME2 3SP.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)