School Chooser

Schools with social, emotional and mental health provision in Essex

For pupils whose anxiety, behaviour or mental health gets in the way of learning; smaller groups and therapeutic support. Essex has 4 mainstream schools with a unit or resourced provision for social, emotional and mental health and 3 special schools that cater for it.

Mainstream schools with a unit or resourced provision (4)

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
Cooks Spinney Primary Academy and NurseryPrimary schoolResourced provision3-11Harlow–No overall grade 20247
Ghyllgrove Primary SchoolPrimary school · also hearing impairmentSEN unit and resourced provision4-11Basildon15No overall grade 202421
Lambourne Primary SchoolPrimary schoolResourced provision4-11Romford5Good 202241
White Bridge Primary SchoolPrimary schoolSEN unit and resourced provision3-11Loughton4Good 202442

Special schools (3)

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
Chatten Free SchoolSpecial school · also autism, other needs, profound and multiple learning difficulties, speech, language and communication and moreSpecial school4-19Rivenhall75 pupilsOutstanding 2024–
Langham OaksSpecial schoolSpecial school10-16Colchester82 pupilsNo overall grade 2024–
Wells Park SchoolSpecial schoolSpecial school4-11Chigwell61 pupilsNot inspected–

Mainstream schools listed for this need (2)

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

SchoolProvisionAgesTownPlacesOfstedScore
St Mary's Church of England Primary SchoolPrimary schoolMainstream, listed for this need4-11Chelmsford–Good 202443
Lift ClactonSecondary school · also autism, hearing impairment, moderate learning difficulties and moreMainstream, listed for this need11-19Clacton on Sea–Good 20246
Other councilsAll schools in Essex

Other needs

AutismSpeech, language and communicationModerate 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.