School Chooser

Schools with autism provision in Essex

Autism units and resourced provisions give autistic pupils a base with specialist staff while they join mainstream classes for as much as suits them. Essex has 10 mainstream schools with a unit or resourced provision for autism and 8 special schools that cater for it.

Mainstream schools with a unit or resourced provision (10)

Pupils have a specialist base and staff inside an ordinary school. Places are separate from the school's main admissions and normally need an EHC plan.

SchoolProvisionAgesTownPlacesOfstedScore
Kelvedon St Mary's Church of England Primary AcademyPrimary schoolResourced provision2-11Colchester10Good 202465
Lift HamfordPrimary schoolSEN unit and resourced provision2-11Walton on the Naze10Good 202240
Longwood Primary AcademyPrimary schoolResourced provision3-11Harlow13Good 202368
Maylandsea Primary SchoolPrimary school · also severe learning difficultiesResourced provision5-11Chelmsford12Good 202433
Merrylands Primary SchoolPrimary schoolResourced provision2-11Basildon9No overall grade 202515
Potter Street AcademyPrimary schoolSEN unit5-11Harlow8Not inspected82
The Alderton Junior SchoolPrimary schoolResourced provision7-11Loughton5Good 202340
Waltham Holy Cross Primary AcademyPrimary schoolResourced provision3-11Waltham Abbey3Good 202464
Witham Oaks AcademyPrimary schoolResourced provision7-11Witham12Good 202345
The Bromfords SchoolSecondary schoolSEN unit11-18Wickford15No overall grade 202420

Special schools (8)

Special schools take pupils with an education, health and care plan; the council names the school in the plan. Many cater for several needs.

SchoolProvisionAgesTownPlacesOfstedScore
Castledon SchoolSpecial school · also moderate learning difficulties, severe learning difficultiesSpecial school5-19Wickford239 pupilsNo overall grade 2025–
Chatten Free SchoolSpecial school · also other needs, profound and multiple learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health, speech, language and communication and moreSpecial school4-19Rivenhall75 pupilsOutstanding 2024–
Harlow Fields School and CollegeSpecial school · also moderate learning difficulties, profound and multiple learning difficulties, severe learning difficultiesSpecial school3-19Harlow213 pupilsReport card 2026–
Kingswode Hoe SchoolSpecial school · also moderate learning difficulties, other needsSpecial school5-16Colchester167 pupilsReport card 2026–
Market Field SchoolSpecial school · also moderate learning difficultiesSpecial school5-19Colchester519 pupilsGood 2019–
Oak View SchoolSpecial school · also hearing impairment, moderate learning difficulties, multi-sensory impairment, other needs and moreSpecial school3-19Loughton138 pupilsGood 2022–
Shorefields SchoolSpecial school · also moderate learning difficulties, profound and multiple learning difficulties, severe learning difficultiesSpecial school3-19Clacton-on-Sea177 pupilsNot inspected–
The Edith Borthwick SchoolSpecial school · also hearing impairment, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability, profound and multiple learning difficulties and moreSpecial school3-19Braintree243 pupilsReport card 2026–

Mainstream schools listed for this need (2)

Registered for this need without a separate unit, so provision is within ordinary classes.

SchoolProvisionAgesTownPlacesOfstedScore
Honywood SchoolSecondary schoolMainstream, listed for this need11-16Colchester–Good 202245
Lift ClactonSecondary school · also hearing impairment, moderate learning difficulties, physical disability and moreMainstream, listed for this need11-19Clacton on Sea–Good 20246
Other councilsAll schools in Essex

Other needs

Speech, language and communicationSocial, emotional and mental healthModerate learning difficultiesSevere learning difficultiesProfound and multiple learning difficultiesHearing impairmentVisual impairmentMulti-sensory impairmentPhysical disabilitySpecific learning difficultiesOther needs

How to read this

The list comes from the Department for Education's register of schools (Get Information about Schools), which records the type of SEN provision each school has and how many pupils are in a resourced provision or SEN unit. Resourced provision means extra staff and funding for a group of pupils who spend most of their time in ordinary classes. A SEN unit is a separate class within the school. Both need a place agreed by the council through an education, health and care plan; ask the council's SEND team, not the school's admissions office. The register is only as good as what schools report, so check with the school before relying on it.