Five Acre Wood School

Five Acre Wood School is a special school in Maidstone for children aged 4 to 19, teaching boys and girls. Around 854 pupils are on roll. That makes it one of the larger special schools in Maidstone on our figures. It is a maintained school within the Kent local authority area. There is a sixth form on site, so students can stay on for post-16 study. Mrs Peggy Murphy leads the school.

Inspection at a glance

At its most recent Ofsted inspection on 2 July 2024, Five Acre Wood School was judged Outstanding. The full inspection report is linked from this page so you can read the inspectors' own words.

How the school is performing

Overall absence stands at 11.3%, which is attendance of about 88.7% (2024/25). Around 44.4% of pupils are eligible for free school meals. Figures come from the Department for Education's published school performance data and are shown in full further down this page.

Getting a place at Five Acre Wood School

Five Acre Wood School is a special school, so places are arranged through the education, health and care plan process rather than the normal application round. Kent names the school in a child's EHCP after consulting it. Always check the current admissions policy on the school's own website before you apply, because criteria can change year to year.

SEND at a glance

Five Acre Wood School is a specialist SEND setting, so every pupil on roll has identified additional needs. Named areas of need it supports include Autism, Speech, language and communication, Moderate learning difficulties, Severe learning difficulties, Profound and multiple learning difficulties, Physical disability. Recorded provision: Specialist school: SLCN - Speech, language and Communication; ASD - Autistic Spectrum Disorder; MSI - Multi-Sensory Impairment; PD - Physical Disability; MLD - Moderate Learning Difficulty; SLD - Severe Learning Difficulty; PMLD - Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulty. The school's SEN information report is the authoritative source and is linked in the SEND section below.

Five Acre Wood School contact details and location

You will find Five Acre Wood School at Boughton Lane, Maidstone, Kent, ME15 9QL. The school office can be reached on 01622 743925. A map, directions and the school's own website link are on this page.