School Chooser

Schools with speech, language and communication provision in Essex

For children who find it hard to understand language or make themselves understood, often with speech and language therapists on site. Essex has 6 mainstream schools with a unit or resourced provision for speech, language and communication and 3 special schools that cater for it.

Mainstream schools with a unit or resourced provision (6)

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
Acorn Infant AcademyPrimary schoolResourced provision3-7Witham15No overall grade 202436
Cherry Tree AcademyPrimary schoolResourced provision4-11Colchester5Good 202259
Harlowbury Primary SchoolPrimary schoolSEN unit and resourced provision4-11Harlow36Report card 202626
Trinity Road Primary SchoolPrimary schoolResourced provision4-11Chelmsford9Not inspected30
West Horndon Primary SchoolPrimary schoolResourced provision4-11Brentwood12Good 202234
Notley High School and Braintree Sixth FormSecondary schoolResourced provision11-19Braintree8Report card 202639

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, social, emotional and mental health and moreSpecial school4-19Rivenhall75 pupilsOutstanding 2024–
St John's RC School (Essex)Special school · also moderate learning difficulties, severe learning difficultiesSpecial school5-19Woodford Bridge102 pupilsReport card 2026–
The Edith Borthwick SchoolSpecial school · also autism, hearing impairment, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability and moreSpecial school3-19Braintree243 pupilsReport card 2026–

Mainstream schools listed for this need (1)

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

SchoolProvisionAgesTownPlacesOfstedScore
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

AutismSocial, 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.