Helen Allison School, Gravesend
Helen Allison School is a special school for pupils aged 5 to 19 in Gravesend. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in June 2024.
- Ofsted
- Good (2024)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Helen Allison School in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Helen Allison School are Rowhill School (2.1 miles, Good); Leigh Academy Milestone (2.2 miles, Outstanding); Ifield School (3 miles, Outstanding); and Birtley House Independent School (4.2 miles, Requires improvement).
Rowhill SchoolLeigh Academy MilestoneIfield SchoolBirtley House Independent School
Who goes there
Almost every pupil at Helen Allison School has an education, health and care plan (71 of 71 in 2026).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Meopham Rail Station, about 1170 metres away (roughly a 15-minute walk).
3 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Camer Corner (ne-bound), 250 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 7 crimes within a mile of the school, most often other theft, burglary and criminal damage and arson. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Kent (101).
Sources: DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Sixth Form
Safeguarding: effective
Independent school standards
Met all the independent school standards.
- Part 1: quality of educationMet
- Part 2: pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural developmentMet
- Part 3: welfare, health and safetyMet
- Part 4: suitability of staff and proprietorsMet
- Part 5: premises and accommodationMet
- Part 6: information for parentsMet
- Part 7: handling of complaintsMet
- Part 8: leadership and managementMet
Source: Ofsted, non-association independent schools inspections and outcomes (Open Government Licence)
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
Pupils feel very happy at school. Pupils who communicate verbally say that they enjoy school because staff understand their needs so well, and work to ensure that every pupil learns in the right environment. The school supports pupils who are not yet communicating verbally to share their views and preferences in a range of ways. Staff are very attentive to all pupils' communications. In this way, staff build positive and trusting relationships with pupils.
Pupils across the school have highly positive attitudes to their learning. Those pupils who were able to talk to inspectors were keen to share their positive views of learning and how they are supported to become increasingly effective learners. Pupils at an earlier developmental stage learn within a less formal environment with an emphasis on play, engagement and their education, health and care (EHC) plans. As a result of the careful support provided by the school, and pupils' own commitment to their learning, pupils across the school achieve well.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
The school's educational offer has been developed collaboratively, with teachers, support staff and the schools' expert therapy teams. Their vision is for a holistic programme that supports each pupil to develop vital foundations. Pupils become successful and well-rounded learners with a positive sense of their role within the wider community.
The school has recently redeveloped aspects of their curriculum to take account of pupils' changing needs. More pupils joining the school in recent years have needed a highly specialised curriculum that supports them to learn to engage with the adults in and out of school, and to learn to communicate and to ensure that their physical development is carefully supported. The curriculum for these pupils is centred around their EHC plans.
From Ofsted's June 2024 inspection report: the opening paragraphs of each section, quoted word for word. Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its June 2024 inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Leadership & management, Sixth form.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with Helen Allison School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 7
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 0
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, 2 serious and 5 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
1 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
School Occupancy
86%
Available places
71 pupils
83 places
12 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Gravesend
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Gravesend
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(10)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
71
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Helen Allison School is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
No need-level breakdown available
Pupil Demographics
Key Indicators
71
Total Pupils
60
Boys
11
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Helen Allison School
Questions parents ask about Helen Allison School
What are GCSE results like at Helen Allison School?
The Department for Education's GCSE measures do not count IGCSEs, which many independent schools take instead of GCSEs, so the Attainment 8 and English and maths figures it publishes for Helen Allison School can understate its results. We do not rank or compare them; ask the school for its own GCSE and IGCSE results.
What is Helen Allison School's Ofsted rating?
Helen Allison School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in June 2024.
Does Helen Allison School meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in June 2024, Helen Allison School met all the independent school standards.
How many pupils go to Helen Allison School?
Helen Allison School has around 71 pupils on roll.
Does Helen Allison School have specialist SEN provision?
Helen Allison School is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
How do I apply to Helen Allison School?
Helen Allison School 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 Helen Allison School?
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, 2 serious and 5 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 1 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 Helen Allison School?
Helen Allison School is at Longfield Road, Meopham, Gravesend, Kent, DA13 0EW.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)