Cedar Hall School

Cedar Hall is a settled, welcoming and inclusive special school where pupils are happy, behave well and are well known by adults. Behaviour and personal development are clear strengths: the site is calm, staff help pupils regulate, and pupils benefit from a strong PSHE offer, careers guidance and many opportunities to prepare for adulthood, including trips, residentials and work experience. Reading and phonics are also developing well, and safeguarding arrangements are effective. The main concern is the quality of education. The curriculum is still being developed and is uneven across subjects, with some plans not well sequenced. Teachers do not consistently adapt work to pupils' EHC plans or check understanding precisely enough, and assessment does not always help identify gaps or show pupils how to improve. As a result, pupils do not always build and retain important knowledge as well as they could. Leadership and governance are also areas for development. The school understands what needs to change, but progress has been too slow; leadership teams have been expanded but include inexperienced leaders, and governors have not held leaders sufficiently to account. The school also needs to address attendance practice, particularly term-time holidays agreed by the school. Contextually, Cedar Hall is a foundation special school for 4- to 16-year-olds, most with moderate learning difficulties, and all pupils have EHC plans; early years provision was not judged because no children of that age are on roll.

Strengths

• Welcoming, inclusive and calm school environment
• Pupils are settled, happy and behave sensibly
• Staff know pupils well and support them to regulate their feelings
• Strong personal development and PSHE provision
• Effective preparation for adulthood, including careers education
• Wide range of trips, residentials, work experience and practical life opportunities
• Phonics and early reading are taught effectively and pupils progress at an appropriate pace
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective
• Pupils have access to a range of qualifications and a developing vocational offer

Areas for Improvement

• Curriculum planning and sequencing are inconsistent across subjects
• Some curriculum areas are at an early stage, so pupils do not build secure knowledge over time
• Teachers do not consistently adapt teaching to pupils' EHC plans and needs
• Assessment is not precise enough to identify gaps or help pupils improve
• Leaders are unevenly experienced and the pace of change is too slow
• Governors do not hold leaders sufficiently to account for decisions and provision
• The school does not always follow government guidance, including on term-time holidays and published website information
• Too many pupils miss school for term-time holidays agreed by the school
• Statutory information on the school website is not fully accessible to parents

In 2024–25 pupils at Cedar Hall School attended 89.1% of sessions (the national figure for special schools was 87.2%). 30.9% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 35.3%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 4.8% of pupils at Cedar Hall School were suspended at least once (nationally 5.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Cedar Hall School had 9.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for special schools was 6.6). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 12.1% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.5%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26 Cedar Hall School had 189 pupils, 99.5% of them with an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 99.5%).

It says it provides for: moderate learning difficulty.

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded special school schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 Cedar Hall School received £18,954 and spent £18,540 for each of its 189 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £604,000 (£3,196 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

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What is Cedar Hall School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Cedar Hall School is Requires Improvement, from an inspection in March 2025.

When was Cedar Hall School last inspected by Ofsted?

Cedar Hall School was last inspected in March 2025.

How many pupils does Cedar Hall School have?

Cedar Hall School has 189 pupils on roll.

What age range does Cedar Hall School cover?

Cedar Hall School for pupils aged 4 to 16.

What are Cedar Hall School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 0% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Cedar Hall School?

Cedar Hall School is at Hart Road, Thundersley, Cedar Hall School, Benfleet, Essex, SS7 3UQ.