St Nicholas' School, Canterbury
St Nicholas' School is a special school for pupils aged 4 to 19 in Canterbury. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in March 2014. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in February 2024 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Good (2014)
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
St Nicholas' School in detail
St Nicholas' School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "Welcome to St Nicholas school. We are the district Special School for children and young people from 4 to 19 years with a wide range of special educational needs. All of our pupils have profound, severe and/or complex needs and have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP)."
Headteacher's welcome (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to St Nicholas' School are The Orchard School (under 0.1 miles, Good); Newingate School (0.5 miles, Good); Haven Nook (0.5 miles, Good); and Hawthorn (1.1 miles, Requires improvement).
Where pupils go next
Of the 30 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 93% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 7% to a further education college.
Who goes there
52.7% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 8.2% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (75%) and Mixed (6%).
Almost every pupil at St Nicholas' School has an education, health and care plan (402 of 402 in 2026). The most common need among them is autism.
St Nicholas' School provides for pupils with specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, visual impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, social, emotional and mental health needs, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability, moderate learning difficulties, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Canterbury East Rail Station, about 460 metres away (roughly a 6-minute walk).
8 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Puckle Lane (opposite), 120 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 487 crimes within a mile of the school, most often anti-social behaviour, violence and sexual offences and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Kent (101), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
St Nicholas' School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Sources: 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 agoThis judgement is from March 2014, 12 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its March 2014 inspection - up from Requires Improvement.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
52.7%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
SpLD, Vision, Speech and language +7
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Latest from St Nicholas' School
Changes to Term 2 and Term 6 last day timings 26-27 Academic Year
8 Sep 2026
The Balanced System: Centre of Excellence - Celebration Event 2025
6 Oct 2025
INTERNET SAFETY BULLETIN - Sep 2025
19 Sep 2025
Balanced System - Accreditation 2025
17 Sep 2025
School Games Gold Award 2025
17 Jul 2025
Summer Notices - Kent Police 2025
17 Jul 2025
From St Nicholas' School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Keep up with St Nicholas' School
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St Nicholas' School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St Nicholas' School 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
- 15
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 15 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 13 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
118%
Over capacity
402 pupils
340 places
62 pupils over capacity
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Canterbury
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Canterbury
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(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
402
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
St Nicholas' School provides for pupils with specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, visual impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, social, emotional and mental health needs, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability, moderate learning difficulties, 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
402
Total Pupils
273
Boys
129
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
62
Teachers
6.5:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£51,759
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
11.1%
Overall absence
38.6%
Persistent absence
332
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
Questions parents ask about St Nicholas' School
What are SATs results like at St Nicholas' School?
Of the pupils at St Nicholas' School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 0% reached the expected standard in reading and 0% did so in maths.
What is St Nicholas' School's Ofsted rating?
St Nicholas' School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in February 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in March 2014, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for St Nicholas' School?
No fixed boundary. When St Nicholas' School is oversubscribed, Kent allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to St Nicholas' School?
St Nicholas' School has around 402 pupils on roll. 53% are eligible for free school meals.
Does St Nicholas' School have specialist SEN provision?
St Nicholas' School provides for pupils with specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, visual impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, social, emotional and mental health needs, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability, moderate learning difficulties, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties.
What is attendance like at St Nicholas' School?
11.1% of sessions were missed at St Nicholas' School in 2024/25. 38.6% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Nicholas' School?
Apply through Kent's coordinated admissions process, naming St Nicholas' 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.
How many road collisions happen near St Nicholas' School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 15 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 13 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 St Nicholas' School?
St Nicholas' School is at Holm Oak Close, Nunnery Fields, Canterbury, Kent, CT1 3JJ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)