About The School
Please click here to read a letter from our Chair of governors.
Please click here to read our latest Ofsted report.
Built in 1866, our beautiful Victorian school began as a Convalescent Home supporting those children recovering from long-term illnesses where it was believed that the good weather, sea air and excellent location would help ease their ailments. This was opened by Princess Louise, the daughter of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert in 1892.
Stone Bay School has continued that supportive tradition since 1975 and believe that all our pupils are entitled to the very best possible education, delivered in an environment that is both safe and, conducive to learning. We work tirelessly to ensure we get this just right for all our pupils.
We specialise in providing both day and residential education for pupils aged 4 to 19 years who have profound, severe and complex additional needs, all come with a diagnosed autistic spectrum disorder, most with additional comorbidities. All have an Education Health & Care plan or for an ever-decreasing minority, a statement of special educational need.
Stone Bay School is often described as unique. The school is situated on Stone Bay in the seaside town of Broadstairs, Kent. Our Victorian building, over time, has been adapted and modified to meet the needs of our children and young people. We benefit from stunning views across the English Channel and the North Sea, indeed the local environment provides many unique and enjoyable learning opportunities for our students.
In recent years, support from the Stone Bay School voluntary fund have enabled improvements to the school environment for the benefit of the pupils’ learning; these include school minibus and a new all-weather AstroTurf playing field which has seen a number of very successful sports days and summer fetes. Many of our pupils attend Forest School and this has been so successful that the school is considering developing its own Forest School on site - a project we hope our new Headteacher will develop.
We are constantly seeking to improve our practice and as part of that process, over the last few years we have undergone re-designation to be able to admit children from the age of 4. We have developed our Early Years and Primary provision to enable local children to begin their education in a specialist ASD setting. This has seen the school roll double in number and we are a very popular choice for children starting school in Year R. We have recently developed our outdoor areas so that our infant classes have their own playground.
Many of our young pupils come to us without a functional communication system and giving every child a voice is at the heart of what we do. We have embraced the ethos of the UNICEF convention on the rights of the Child and believe equity, inclusion and the voice of children and young people are fundamental to a rights-based approach to education. In March 2021 Stone Bay was awarded the Silver, Rights Aware Award.
As they move through the school we continue to promote pupil voice and independence and with this in mind we have developed ‘The Lodge’ a small house on site to become an excellent life-skills base for a group of pupils. We hope our new Headteacher will bring their own ideas for further extending our 6th form opportunities.
We have an on-site Autism Specialist Speech and Language Therapist and Therapy Assistant, an ELSA (Emotional Literacy Support Assistant), a Behaviour Support Officer and a Forest School Leader. We also have staff trained to deliver First Aid, Epilepsy Training and Positive Behaviour Training. Stone Bay is an outward-facing school with a commitment to support inclusion and children with special needs in the wider community. We provide Outreach support through the Thanet Inclusion Support Service and work with other schools and organisations to champion best practice and secure excellent achievements for all pupils.
It is impossible to do full justice to our school in a short statement or indeed on a website and you are encouraged to make a personal visit to see us for yourself. If you feel you need any more information, please don’t hesitate to call and we will answer any of your queries.