Earley Springs, Maidstone
Earley Springs is a special school for pupils aged 5 to 13 in Maidstone.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Earley Springs in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Earley Springs are Heath Farm School (3.6 miles); Yew Tree Farm School (3.8 miles, Good); and Infiniti School (4.4 miles, Good).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Lenham Rail Station, about 0.8 miles away in a straight line.
1 bus stop is within a five-minute walk; the closest is Dickley Wood (adjacent), 360 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 34 crimes within a mile of the school, most often anti-social behaviour, violence and sexual offences and shoplifting. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Kent (101).
Sources: NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 9 months agoOverall
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's January 2026 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Earley Springs has been carefully designed to support pupils with complex needs and disabilities. The school prioritises giving every pupil a voice and developing their confidence, independence and communication skills. Staff are well-trained and interactions between adults and pupils are high quality, with strong emphasis on understanding individual pupils' needs and supporting their development.
Key Strengths
- Ambitious, well-structured curriculum tailored to individual pupils' needs across three pathways (explorers, discoverers, investigators)
- Strong emphasis on communication, interaction, independence and preparing pupils for adulthood
- High-quality staff with rigorous recruitment processes and only qualified teachers employed
- Well-resourced school with strong community links and donations
- Robust safeguarding arrangements with experienced designated safeguarding lead and external governance oversight
Safeguarding
Safeguarding is effective with a suitable policy, appropriately trained designated safeguarding lead, clear procedures for reporting concerns about the proprietor, and mitigations in place for the proprietor's dual role.
Extracurricular Activities
Community visits, democratic activities such as voting, immersive technology experiences, assemblies
Earley Springs is a new special educational needs school currently operating without registration that is likely to meet all independent school standards. The school has been thoughtfully designed with three curriculum pathways to meet the needs of pupils with a wide range of disabilities and communication needs.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 4 nearby schools
Keep up with Earley Springs
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 7
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 4
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 7 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 3 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt.
0 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 Kent is 11 (the median across 711 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
Area Demand Pressure - Maidstone
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Maidstone
Across Kent council
Places available
19,539
Applications
18,644
Got 1st preference
78.9%
Got preferred school
96.2%
All secondary applications across Kent council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History
Special educational needs provision
Earley Springs is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
Source: Get Information about Schools (GIAS), Department for Education.
Questions parents ask about Earley Springs
Does Earley Springs have specialist SEN provision?
Earley Springs is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
How do I apply to Earley Springs?
Earley Springs is an independent school and runs its own admissions rather than going through the local authority. Contact the school directly for entry requirements, assessment dates, fees and any bursaries.
How many road collisions happen near Earley Springs?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 7 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 3 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt. 0 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 Kent is 11 (the median across 711 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Earley Springs?
Earley Springs is at Ashford Road, Harriestsham, Maidstone, ME17 1BL.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)