Five Acre Wood School, Maidstone

In its own words: "Five Acre Wood School main site, is situated in Maidstone, the County town of Kent and is just a few minutes from the town centre. We share a campus with an academy secondary school, a primary free school, a private nursery, a local church and a gym. Our Oxford Rd site houses our R.E.A.D.Y. Learning Approach and A.P.P.L.Y."

From the headteacher's welcome: "Welcome to Five Acre Wood! We cater for children and young people with Profound, Severe and Complex Needs, including Autism, from Maidstone and the surrounding area. We are privileged to work with our pupils and a staff team from all walks of life and with varied life experiences."

The school runs after-school care, from £5 per session.

Coming up: an open day on Monday 2 November 2026. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.

The nearest other special schools to Five Acre Wood School are King's Reach Education (1.1 miles, Good); Bower Grove School (2.3 miles, Outstanding); Leigh Academy Snowfields (2.5 miles, Outstanding); and Serenity School Maidstone (2.5 miles).

Five Acre Wood School is one of 11 schools run by Kent Special Educational Needs Trust (KSENT), an academy trust.

Of the 33 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 94% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 3% to a further education college.

44.4% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 9.3% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are White British (72%) and Mixed (6%).

Almost every pupil at Five Acre Wood School has an education, health and care plan (871 of 871 in 2026). The most common need among them is autism.

Five Acre Wood School provides for pupils with speech, language and communication needs, autism, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability, moderate learning difficulties, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties.

The nearest railway station is Maidstone West Rail Station, about 1.6 miles away in a straight line.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Five Acre Wood School stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In August 2026, police recorded 244 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and criminal damage and arson. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Kent (101), as is usual near a town centre.

In 2024/25, Five Acre Wood School issued 29 suspensions, 3.4 for every 100 pupils, and no permanent exclusions.