SNOWFIELDS ACADEMY
LAT North
Snowfields Academy is a specialist school designed to accommodate students between the ages of 11 and 18 whose primary need is Communication and Interaction and who have a diagnosis of autism (ASD). We currently have two colleges at Bearsted and Cranbrook, and we will open a third provision at Minster in September 2025. Snowfields Academy is part of Leigh Academies Trust (LAT), a Multi-Academy Trust made up of primary, secondary and special schools across Kent, Medway and Southeast London. Our Post-16 provision is based at our Pathfinder College at Cranbrook College.
All students at Snowfields Academy have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP). Class sizes are small, usually 12-13, so as to enable learners to focus and to receive good levels of personalised support in the classroom. A highly-supportive pastoral structure is central to the academy, placing the needs of each student first, and a commitment to instilling British values and delivering a strong spiritual, moral, social and cultural (SMSC) education is evident within the curriculum. Staff at Snowfields Academy are trained to support those with well being and mental health needs associated with their autism, and students and have access to the support they need from our therapy team. Emphasis is placed on preparing learners for their later lives and supporting them to identify and achieve their aspirations; as a result, students can make choices from a blended curriculum combining both vocational and academic subjects. Regardless of their pathway choices, each student’s experience will be tailored to suit the needs and ambitions of the individual learner.