Leigh Academy Snowfields, Maidstone
Leigh Academy Snowfields is a special school for pupils aged 11 to 18 in Maidstone, part of Leigh Academies Trust. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in June 2023.
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2023)
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Leigh Academy Snowfields in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Leigh Academy Snowfields are Serenity School Maidstone (1.9 miles); King's Reach Education (2.2 miles, Good); Five Acre Wood School (2.5 miles, Outstanding); and Bower Grove School (3.3 miles, Outstanding).
Serenity School MaidstoneKing's Reach EducationFive Acre Wood SchoolBower Grove School
The trust
Leigh Academy Snowfields is one of 33 schools run by Leigh Academies Trust, an academy trust.
Where pupils go next
Of the 19 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 79% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 47% to a further education college and 5% to an apprenticeship.
Who goes there
32.7% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 0.3% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (87%) and Mixed (6%).
Almost every pupil at Leigh Academy Snowfields has an education, health and care plan (355 of 355 in 2026). The most common need among them is autism.
Leigh Academy Snowfields has a SEN unit for autism: 396 places, 394 pupils on roll.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Bearsted Rail Station, about 0.9 miles away in a straight line.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Leigh Academy Snowfields 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 38 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and shoplifting. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Kent (101).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Leigh Academy Snowfields issued 74 suspensions, 24.4 for every 100 pupils, and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: DfE multi-academy trust performance data; DfE destination measures; 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 · 3 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Outstanding at its June 2023 inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management.
At a Glance
32.7%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
SEN unit: Autism
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with Leigh Academy Snowfields
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Leigh Academy Snowfields from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Leigh Academy Snowfields is in Kent; for families living there:
Apply to Kent for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 5
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 5 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 4 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on a bicycle.
2 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
90%
Near capacity
355 pupils
396 places
41 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
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
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
355
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Leigh Academy Snowfields has a SEN unit for autism: 396 places, 394 pupils on roll.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
355
Total Pupils
240
Boys
115
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
37
Teachers
9.6:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£55,302
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
17.4%
Overall absence
39.9%
Persistent absence
306
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
Leigh Academy Snowfields
Showing 10 of 11 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Leigh Academy Snowfields
What are GCSE results like at Leigh Academy Snowfields?
In the 2026 results, pupils at Leigh Academy Snowfields achieved an Attainment 8 score of 20.1. 6% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is Leigh Academy Snowfields's Ofsted rating?
Leigh Academy Snowfields was rated Outstanding at its most recent Ofsted inspection in June 2023.
What is the catchment area for Leigh Academy Snowfields?
No fixed boundary. When Leigh Academy Snowfields is oversubscribed, Kent allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Leigh Academy Snowfields?
Leigh Academy Snowfields has around 355 pupils on roll. 33% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Leigh Academy Snowfields have specialist SEN provision?
Leigh Academy Snowfields has a SEN unit for autism: 396 places, 394 pupils on roll.
What is attendance like at Leigh Academy Snowfields?
17.4% of sessions were missed at Leigh Academy Snowfields in 2024/25. 39.9% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Leigh Academy Snowfields?
Apply through Kent's coordinated admissions process, naming Leigh Academy Snowfields 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 Leigh Academy Snowfields?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 5 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 4 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on a bicycle. 2 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 Leigh Academy Snowfields?
Leigh Academy Snowfields is at Popesfield Way, Maidstone, Kent, ME14 5GA.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)