Kingsdown School, Southend-on-Sea
Kingsdown School is a special school for pupils aged 3 to 14 in Southend-on-Sea, part of Sen Trust Southend. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in June 2014. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in October 2024 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Good (2014)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Kingsdown School in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Kingsdown School are The St Christopher School (0.5 miles, Good); Estuary High School (1.3 miles, Inadequate, selective); Lancaster School (1.3 miles, Good); and Sutton House Academy (2.4 miles, Good).
The St Christopher SchoolEstuary High SchoolLancaster SchoolSutton House Academy
The trust
Kingsdown School is one of 4 schools run by Sen Trust Southend, an academy trust.
What parents say
56 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Kingsdown School (as of September 2025): 98% would recommend the school, 100% say their child is happy there and 60% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that pupils behave well (100%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (60%).
Who goes there
43.8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 14.6% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
Almost every pupil at Kingsdown School has an education, health and care plan (130 of 130 in 2026). The most common need among them is a severe learning difficulty.
Kingsdown School provides for pupils with physical disability, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Southend Airport Rail Station, about 1.6 miles away in a straight line.
16 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is David Lloyd (opposite), 160 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 126 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and public order offences. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Southend-on-Sea (318).
Suspensions and exclusions
Kingsdown School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Sources: Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from June 2014, 12 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
Kingsdown is an exceptional school. Pupils thrive and flourish here. They love school. They develop excellent communication and independence skills. The staff know the pupils incredibly well. They ensure that every pupil is making progress all the time. Parents and carers feel well supported by staff and know that their children are safe and well looked after.
The school is a close community. Pupils enthusiastically celebrate others' successes in lessons and at celebration assembly. The very youngest quickly join in and take a full part. They sing or sign the school song with pride at being part of Kingsdown. At playtimes, the older pupils make sure that all peers are fully part of play. They help those who are non-ambulant join energetic dancing or calmer blowing bubbles.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
The greatest strength of this school is its staff and their expertise. These skills and knowledge have grown over time. Staff have had extensive training and opportunities to learn from each other. All pupils have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and some pupils enter with increasingly complex needs, therefore, staff receive further specialist training. As a result, they have excellent knowledge of how to help pupils learn and develop. They use this to give pupils an excellent education.
Staff work very closely with parents and medical staff to ensure that pupils are safe and well cared for. They co-create detailed 'Hello, this is me' profiles. These help the class teams to understand how to support pupils effectively and know their likes and dislikes.
From Ofsted's October 2024 ungraded 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 2014 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
43.8%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
Physical, SLD, PMLD
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
56 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with Kingsdown School
Before and after school care
Kingsdown School is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school. Source: Free breakfast clubs: schools on the programme, Department for Education Free breakfast clubs in Southend-on-Sea
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Kingsdown School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Kingsdown School is in Southend-on-Sea; for families living there:
Apply to Southend-on-Sea for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 31
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 6
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 31 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 6 serious and 25 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on a bicycle.
7 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 Southend-on-Sea is 29 (the median across 61 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
100%
Full
130 pupils
130 places
No spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Southend-on-Sea
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Southend-on-Sea
Across Southend-on-Sea council
Places available
2,580
Applications
2,060
Got 1st preference
78.3%
Got preferred school
97.4%
All secondary applications across Southend-on-Sea council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(3)
Ungraded inspection: The school remains Good and may be improving; its next inspection will be a full graded one.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
130
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Kingsdown School provides for pupils with physical disability, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
130
Total Pupils
75
Boys
55
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
18
Teachers
7.2:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£56,136
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
10.1%
Overall absence
29.7%
Persistent absence
118
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about Kingsdown School
What are SATs results like at Kingsdown School?
Of the pupils at Kingsdown School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 0% reached the expected standard in reading and 0% did so in maths.
What is Kingsdown School's Ofsted rating?
Kingsdown School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in October 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in June 2014, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Kingsdown School?
No fixed boundary. When Kingsdown School is oversubscribed, Southend-on-Sea allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Kingsdown School?
Kingsdown School has around 130 pupils on roll. 44% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Kingsdown School have specialist SEN provision?
Kingsdown School provides for pupils with physical disability, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties.
What is attendance like at Kingsdown School?
10.1% of sessions were missed at Kingsdown School in 2024/25. 29.7% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Kingsdown School?
Apply through Southend-on-Sea's coordinated admissions process, naming Kingsdown 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.
Does Kingsdown School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Kingsdown School is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school.
How many road collisions happen near Kingsdown School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 31 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 6 serious and 25 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on a bicycle. 7 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 Southend-on-Sea is 29 (the median across 61 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Kingsdown School?
Kingsdown School is at Snakes Lane, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, SS2 6XT.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)