Grove House School
Grove House School is a free schools special in Brentwood for pupils aged 8 to 19. It has 132 pupils on roll. The latest Ofsted rating for Grove House School is Good, from an inspection in January 2024. In 2025, 0% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.
Ofsted inspection: January 2024. KS2 results: 2025.
| Type | Special School / Free schools special |
| Age Range | 8-19 |
| Religion | Unknown |
| Address | Sawyers Hall Lane Brentwood Essex CM15 9DA |
| Phone | 01277361498 |
| Reference Number | 141945 |
General Makeup
| Number of pupils | 132 |
| Boy/Girl ratio |
Boys: 72.73%
Girls: 27.27% |
| Percentage of students eligible for free school meals | 25.6% |
| Percentage of students where English is not their first language | 3.8% |
Year Groups
| Year | Boys | Girls | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 5 | Unknown | 5 |
| 5 | 5 | 1 | 6 |
| 6 | 7 | 4 | 11 |
| 7 | 17 | 6 | 23 |
| 8 | 13 | 6 | 19 |
| 9 | 16 | 2 | 18 |
| 10 | 14 | 6 | 20 |
| 11 | 10 | 5 | 15 |
| 12 | 3 | 1 | 4 |
| 13 | 6 | 4 | 10 |
Ethnicities
| Ethnicity | Percentage |
|---|---|
| White, British | 84.1% |
| White, Other | 5.3% |
| White & Black (Caribbean) | 2.3% |
| African | 1.5% |
| Irish | 1.5% |
| Asian, Other | 1.5% |
| Indian | 0.8% |
| Mixed, Other | 0.8% |
| Caribbean | 0.8% |
Grove House School continues to be a good school, demonstrating a strong commitment to fostering independent learning and personal development among its pupils. The school supports students with speech, language, and communication needs, ensuring they leave with a range of relevant qualifications. Pupils are engaged and enthusiastic about their learning and the various extracurricular activities available, contributing to a positive school community. The leadership effectively collaborates within the SEAX Trust to maintain high standards of education and care.
| Overall Ofsted Rating | Good |
| Last Report Date | 05 Dec 2023 |
| Date | Report |
|---|---|
| 05 Dec 2023 | School inspection |
| 06 Jun 2018 | Full inspection: |
Strengths
- Strong focus on speech and language therapy improving communication skills.
- Well-planned and ambitious curriculum tailored to pupils’ needs.
- Effective systems for teaching reading matched to pupils' age.
- High levels of pupil behaviour and engagement in learning.
- Robust personal, social, and health education program.
- Supportive community environment with peer mentorship.
Areas for Improvement
- Inconsistent staff interaction skills impacting vocabulary development.
- Curriculum breadth needs improvement, particularly in design and technology.
Ofsted Parent View
The latest published parent view scores are from 2018. Ofsted only publish scores if there have been more than 10 responses to the survey.
| Strongly Agree | Agree | Disagree | Strongly Disagree | Don't Know | Total Responses | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. My child is happy at this school | 18 | 16 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 38 |
| 2. My child feels safe at this school | 18 | 18 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 38 |
| 3. My child makes good progress at this school | 17 | 15 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 38 |
| 4. My child is well looked after at this school | 17 | 18 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 38 |
| 5. My child is taught well at this school | 18 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 38 |
| 6. My child receives appropriate homework for their age | 16 | 13 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 38 |
| 7. This school makes sure its pupils are well behaved | 13 | 13 | 9 | 0 | 3 | 38 |
| 8. This school deals effectively with bullying | 9 | 12 | 5 | 1 | 11 | 38 |
| 9. This school is well led and managed | 11 | 14 | 6 | 1 | 6 | 38 |
| 10. This school responds well to any concerns I raise | 15 | 13 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 38 |
| 11. I receive valuable information from the school about my child’s progress | 14 | 15 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 38 |
| 12. Would you recommend this school to another parent? | 30 | 8 |
How many students meet the standards
| Reading, Writing & Maths | School Score | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils meeting the expected standard | 0% | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| Pupils meeting a higher standard | 0% | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
Progress Scores
A progress score is a way to measure how well a student progressed in comparison to other students of a similar starting ability. A score of zero means would mean that a student made the same progress as others that had a similar starting a ability. A positive score would mean that the student made more progress than other students of similar starting ability. The scores below are for the whole school so is the average progress score across all students.
| Metric | School Score | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | -19.2 | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| Writing | -18 | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| Maths | -18.7 | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
How many students meet the standards
Sample
UnlockProgress Scores
A progress score is a way to measure how well a student progressed in comparison to other students of a similar starting ability. A score of zero means would mean that a student made the same progress as others that had a similar starting a ability. A positive score would mean that the student made more progress than other students of similar starting ability. The scores below are for the whole school so is the average progress score across all students.
Sample
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In 2024–25 pupils at Grove House School attended 93.0% of sessions (the national figure for special schools was 87.2%). 17.6% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 35.3%).
Sessions missed
Pupils persistently absent
| 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Authorised absence | 8.1% | 10.7% | 12.3% | 9.9% | 19.8% | 8.3% | 8.1% | 6.5% | 6.4% |
| Unauthorised absence | 0.6% | 0.6% | 0.0% | 0.2% | 0.3% | 0.9% | 0.6% | 1.1% | 0.6% |
| Severely absent pupils | 2.9% | 6.7% | 7.5% | 4.5% | 6.3% | 1.1% | 2.0% | 1.0% | 1.0% |
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, 0.0% of pupils at Grove House School were suspended at least once (nationally 5.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.
Pupils suspended at least once
| 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suspensions per 100 pupils | 27.3 | 14.5 | 7.9 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 1.9 | 0.9 | 0.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Permanent exclusions | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
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 Grove House School had 8.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for special schools was 6.6). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 11.9% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.5%).
Pupils per teacher
Teachers who left the school within a year
| 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils per adult | 2.9 | 2.8 | 3.1 | 2.7 | 2.9 | 2.9 | 3.4 | 4.1 | 4.2 | 4.4 | 4.2 |
| Teachers who left state teaching | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1.2% | 8.0% | 8.7% | 15.3% | 6.4% | 17.6% | 18.1% | 4.9% | – |
| Teachers who took any sick leave | 50.0% | 57.1% | 81.8% | 84.6% | – | 56.3% | 70.6% | 73.7% | 63.2% | 50.0% | – |
| Sick days per teacher | 6.9 | 2.8 | 14.5 | 4.7 | – | 3.2 | 15.2 | 12.9 | 7.1 | 3.1 | – |
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 Grove House School had 132 pupils, 100.0% of them with an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 99.5%).
It says it provides for: speech, language and communication needs.
Pupils by main type of need
| EHC plan | |
|---|---|
| Speech, language and communication needs | 77 |
| Autistic spectrum disorder | 47 |
| Moderate learning difficulty | 6 |
| Social, emotional and mental health | 2 |
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 2024–25 Grove House School received £24,463 and spent £23,924 for each of its 126 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £406,000 (£3,224 per pupil).
Across all 5 schools of Seax Trust, income was £24,843 and spending £24,605 per pupil.
Income per pupil
Spending per pupil
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue reserve | £482,000 | £482,000 | £433,000 | £518,000 | £568,000 | £373,000 | £406,000 |
| per pupil | £5,413 | £4,730 | £4,164 | £4,587 | £4,810 | £2,912 | £3,224 |
| In-year balance | £97,000 | £37,000 | -£30,000 | £108,000 | -£18,000 | -£285,000 | £68,000 |
| per pupil | £1,086 | £362 | -£287 | £956 | -£153 | -£2,228 | £539 |
Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.
| Name | Distance |
|
St Thomas of Canterbury Church of England Aided Primary School, Brentwood
Sawyers Hall Lane, Brentwood, Essex, CM15 9BX |
0.15 miles |
|
St Helen's Catholic Junior School
Sawyers Hall Lane, Brentwood, Essex, CM15 9BY |
0.15 miles |
|
St Helen's Catholic Infant & Nursery School
Sawyers Hall Lane, St. Helens Rc Infant School, Brentwood, Essex, CM15 9BY |
0.16 miles |
|
Shenfield St. Mary's Church of England Primary School
Hall Lane, Shenfield, Brentwood, Essex, CM15 9AL |
0.78 miles |
|
Larchwood Primary School
Larchwood Gardens, Pilgrims Hatch, Brentwood, Essex, CM15 9NG |
0.84 miles |
|
Hogarth Primary School
Riseway, Brentwood, Essex, CM15 8BG |
0.94 miles |
|
Holly Trees Primary School
Vaughan Williams Way, Warley, Brentwood, Essex, CM14 5RY |
1.22 miles |
|
Warley Primary School
Chindits Lane, Warley, Brentwood, Essex, CM14 5LF |
1.52 miles |
|
St Peter's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, South Weald
Wigley Bush Lane, South Weald, Brentwood, Essex, CM14 5QN |
1.54 miles |
|
Long Ridings Primary School
Long Ridings Avenue, Hutton, Brentwood, Essex, CM13 1DU |
1.65 miles |
|
St Joseph the Worker Catholic Primary School
Highview Crescent, Hutton, CM13 1BJ |
1.85 miles |
|
Ursuline Preparatory School
Great Ropers Lane,, Brentwood, CM13 3HR |
1.93 miles |
|
Willowbrook Primary School
Rosen Crescent, Hutton, Brentwood, Essex, CM13 2TU |
2.05 miles |
|
Bentley St Paul's Church of England Primary School
Ashwells Road, Bentley, Brentwood, Essex, CM15 9SE |
2.13 miles |
|
Hutton All Saints' Church of England Primary School
Claughton Way, Hutton, Brentwood, Essex, CM13 1JW |
2.14 miles |
|
Ingrave Johnstone Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School
Brentwood Road, Ingrave, Brentwood, Essex, CM13 3NU |
2.62 miles |
|
Doddinghurst Infant School
Church Lane, Doddinghurst, Brentwood, Essex, CM15 0NJ |
2.72 miles |
|
Doddinghurst Church of England Junior School
Church Lane, Doddinghurst, Brentwood, Essex, CM15 0NJ |
2.73 miles |
|
Drapers' Maylands Primary School
Settle Road, Romford, Essex, RM3 9XR |
2.83 miles |
|
Mountnessing Church of England Primary School
279 Roman Road, Mountnessing, Brentwood, Essex, CM15 0UH |
2.89 miles |
| Name | Distance |
|
Becket Keys Church of England Free School
Sawyers Hall Lane, Brentwood, Essex, CM15 9DA |
0.03 miles |
|
Brentwood School
Middleton Hall Lane, Brentwood, CM15 8EE |
0.51 miles |
|
Brentwood Ursuline Convent High School
Queen's Road, Brentwood, Essex, CM14 4EX |
0.64 miles |
|
Brentwood County High School
Seven Arches Road, Brentwood, Essex, CM14 4JF |
0.8 miles |
|
Endeavour Co-Operative Academy
Hogarth Avenue, Brentwood, Essex, CM15 8BE |
0.99 miles |
|
Shenfield High School
Alexander Lane, Shenfield, Brentwood, Essex, CM15 8RY |
1.47 miles |
|
St Martin's School Brentwood
Hanging Hill Lane, Hutton, Brentwood, Essex, CM13 2HG |
1.88 miles |
|
Drapers' Academy
Settle Road, Harold Hill, Romford, Essex, RM3 9XR |
2.9 miles |
|
Lime Academy Forest Approach
Settle Road, Harold Hill, Romford, Essex, RM3 9YA |
2.92 miles |
|
Koru Independent AP Academy
90 Taunton Road, Harold Hill, Romford, RM3 7SU |
3.88 miles |
|
Redden Court School
Cotswold Road, Harold Wood, Romford, Essex, RM3 0TS |
4.09 miles |
|
Lime Academy Ravensbourne
Neave Crescent, Faringdon Avenue, Harold Hill, Romford, Essex, RM3 8HN |
4.2 miles |
|
The Campion School
Wingletye Lane, Hornchurch, Essex, RM11 3BX |
4.3 miles |
|
Hall Mead School
Marlborough Gardens, Upminster, Essex, RM14 1SF |
4.66 miles |
|
Emerson Park Academy
Wych Elm Road, Hornchurch, Essex, RM11 3AD |
4.69 miles |
|
Anglo European School
Willow Green, Ingatestone, Essex, CM4 0DJ |
4.84 miles |
|
The Royal Liberty School
Upper Brentwood Road, Romford, Essex, RM2 6HJ |
4.85 miles |
All schools in Brentwood · Essex local authority: places and applications
Grove House School is part of Seax Trust, which runs 5 schools. The nearest others:
- Thriftwood School Chelmsford
- The Hawthorns School Chelmsford
- Kingswode Hoe School Colchester
- Langham Oaks Colchester
What is Grove House School's Ofsted rating?
The latest Ofsted rating for Grove House School is Good, from an inspection in January 2024.
When was Grove House School last inspected by Ofsted?
Grove House School was last inspected in January 2024.
How many pupils does Grove House School have?
Grove House School has 132 pupils on roll.
What age range does Grove House School cover?
Grove House School for pupils aged 8 to 19.
What are Grove House School's SATs (KS2) results?
In 2025, 0% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.
Where is Grove House School?
Grove House School is at Sawyers Hall Lane, Brentwood, Essex, CM15 9DA.